It took probably 4 or 5 nights, but the pillow did shape up and give me a more comfortable night's sleep. It has eliminated my back pain and most of my neck pain; unfortunately, it gets too flat under my head for it to be a 5-star pillow. The first new nights it gave me a headache. I'm not getting headaches anymore, but it's not soft enough to be 100% comfortable for me. That being said, I've discovered that pillows are HIGHLY personal items. I tried Tempur-Pedic soft pillows for the same price (but a smaller size), and those straight up gave me a headache because my head went straight to the mattress. Couldn't use them and also couldn't return them. What's too hard for me might be just right for someone else.