How to Sleep Properly to Prevent or Alleviate Neck Pain

 

Sometimes we sleep and don’t mind how we are positioned the whole night and we wake up with a stiff neck or a neck pain and wonder how we got it. Other times, we can hardly sleep because we are already feeling the discomfort that goes with a neck pain which is caused by tight hamstring or trauma. Neck pain can keep us awake at night but with a few tips that can help alleviate the discomfort, you should be off to getting your much-needed rest in a short time. 3 Tips to Help Alleviate or Prevent Neck Pain When Sleeping Get the right pillow. Your pillow must support your neck’s natural curve and must be aligned with your bed. A pillow that is too high can strain your neck muscles and interrupt your breathing while a pillow that is too low can also strain the neck muscles. Here is how you should choose a pillow according to the different sleeping positions: – Sleeping on your back. Generally, back sleepers need a thin pillow so that the curve of the neck is similar when you are standing in the proper posture. – Sleeping on the side. Side sleepers need a pillow that is thicker than the back sleepers’. Choose a pillow that ensures your neck and head are in their best position in accordance to your shoulders. The broader your shoulders are, the thicker the pillow that you will need if you prefer to sleep on your side. – Sleeping on your stomach. As much as you can, avoid sleeping on your stomach because it will stress your neck muscles. However, if you really prefer this position, then get the slimmest pillow that you can find or have no pillow at all. Back and side sleepers are advised to place a small rolled-up towel or pillow under the neck for more support. Neck stretching before bed. Stretch your neck before you sleep especially if most of the day you have been sitting or slouching for prolonged periods of time because these poor posture habits can tighten the muscles in your neck and give you difficulty in sleeping at night. By stretching your neck, you will loosen up the tight muscles and relieve the pain. Keep your phone away. While it is natural that we usually spend a few minutes checking and browsing our phone when we are already in bed, this bad habit can cause neck pain and prevent you from having a good night’s rest. Here are the reasons why:- Neck muscles should always be supporting your head and be aligned with your head and balanced over your spine. When we use our phone in bed we exert more pressure on the neck muscles causing it to be in pain and prevents good sleep. – Looking down at the phone forces your head to tilt up to 60 degrees angle. As such the angle also produces 60 pounds of force resulting in the strain of your muscle, tendons, and […]