Neck pain can be a serious issue, particularly when it affects your ability to get a good night's sleep. Many individuals experience neck pain when sleeping, and it can significantly impact their overall well-being. It's essential to understand that changing one's sleeping posture can play an important role in managing neck pain.
While it may not seem like a big deal, good back support can make a significant difference. Once you have experienced the benefits of proper support, you will never want to go back to your old habits.
Helping you find ways to deal with neck pain will help put your mind at ease and take away some of that stress from reading up on all of the remedies available!
How Sleeping Wrong May Cause Neck Pain
Neck pain when sleeping can also be caused by a variety of factors, including:
- Poor sleeping position: Sleeping on your stomach or with your head turned to one side can strain your neck muscles.
- Unsupportive pillow: A too-soft or too-hard pillow can also cause neck pain.
- Underlying medical conditions: Neck pain can also be caused by underlying medical conditions, such as arthritis or a pinched nerve.
- Trying to stay in the same position for too long might lead to a stiff neck.
Sleeping on an uncomfortable surface or making sudden movements while asleep can result in a bump, bruise, sprain, or breakdown of soft tissues in the neck and joints. A too-small/big pillow can also contribute to neck discomfort. While sleeping head-on causes soreness as well.
Sleeping on an angle or in a spot where one's head has shifted too far to the right or left can lead to stiffness and aches. This is because the way the vertebrae in those positions can be affected by the position they are put in while sleeping – either too long or too short.
Best Sleeping Position for Neck Pain
Sleeping on your back is the ideal sleep position for the spine, as it keeps everything in line. Minimizing the possible onset of neck pain and other related problems throughout the body requires keeping your physical body aligned well. If you find this is not possible or comfortable, sleeping on your side can be beneficial. It's better to avoid sleeping on your stomach.
When using a pillow, it's important to position it so that your neck rests on it and there is no strain. In other words, put the pillow beneath your head but not vice versa (unless you like having unpleasant aches the following morning).
Sleeping Without a Pillow
What are the advantages of sleeping without a pillow? Sleeping on your back, side, or stomach, depending on your preference and the extremities you like to keep free.
While many assume that not using a pillow is only beneficial to the neck, back, and shoulder alignment, there is also no use in holding one's hand up throughout the night to adjust it, which can lead to tingling in the hands.
Not only that, but according to some studies, it has also been noted that sleeping without a pillow can improve your breathing as you don't have anything in front of your face during bedtime.
Ultimately, it should be the choice that you are most comfortable with while maximizing the health of your neck and spine.
Tips for Sleeping with Neck Pain
Neck pain can feel as if it could be why you get a crick in your neck whenever you try to sleep. However, you can use techniques at home to help alleviate this pain and find comfort throughout the night!
- Use a heating pad before sleep to promote pain relief and relaxation.
- Try a different sleeping position: Sleeping on your back with a pillow that supports your neck is often the best position for people with neck pain.
- Use a supportive pillow: A pillow that is the right size and firmness can help to keep your neck in a neutral position while you sleep.
- Stretch your neck muscles: Stretching your neck muscles before bed can help relax the muscles and prevent pain.
- To improve your overall sleep hygiene, you must avoid things or engage in activities that can interfere with the regular sleeping patterns of your body, such as reducing caffeine intake, exercising regularly, keeping a consistent schedule, and so on. These include tricks like staying away from electronics before bedtime.
Remedies for Morning Neck Pain
Often, it happens to all of us that we wake up in the morning feeling unpleasant. We may feel sore have a headache or back pain.Although this may be because of activities we did the previous day, most often, it can simply be due to trying to shift into a new position or oversleeping.
However, there are ways that one can take care of health issues and other discomforts as quickly as possible by using these home remedies.
Heat or Cold
Whether you like to use heat or cold therapy on your neck is up to you. Most people prefer a Sacksythyme's Microwavable herbal heating Neck Pad on their neck as it helps relieve pain and stiffness in the neck.
Sacksy Thyme microwavable neck wrap for neck pain:
However, some people feel that it makes them feel more sore and hot, so they use a cold therapy pack, which helps them get rid of swelling.
SACKSY THYME Cold Therapy Pack for neck pain:
Of course, both applications have their benefits: heat promotes relaxation for your stiff and sore neck, whereas cold can help you remove the burning sensation from whichever area(s) of your body you put it on.
Sometimes, having a heater/air conditioner fixed at home gives you great comfort when making these selections. It's best to choose a few times throughout your day whether to use an ice pack or heating pad for maximum benefit.
Pain Medication
As we all know, when your neck hurts, this can take a toll on you. No matter what profession you're in, it's not easy to focus properly when you have chronic aches and pains that won't go away. One way to feel better is through medicine.
Many claim that non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, or NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, work wonders to address any lingering pain and discomfort. The only exception is that these types of medications can cause damage to your organs, bringing about risks.
Massage
Before you book an appointment with your massage therapist or visit the chiropractors and acupuncturists whose services you know, massage is a great way to relieve muscle tension.
There are plenty of tools one can use at home, which include self-massage tools to help relieve tense and stiff neck muscles, either deep massaging trigger points or soothe out tense shoulders, or choosing a wider range of pressure to provide your neck with a generalized soothing rub before visiting professionals whose services you know.
Neck Stretches
Sometimes, it can help to take a few minutes each day to stretch your body out. Whether you're just getting up and moving around a little or doing some more specific stretches, these actions can help unclench any tension and lead to a better day by preventing muscle soreness from building up in the first place.
Prevent Neck Pain When Sleeping
Here are some tips to help prevent neck pain when sleeping:
- Use a mattress that is the right firmness for you: A mattress that is too soft or hard can strain your neck muscles.
- Avoid sleeping with your head propped up on pillows: This can strain your neck muscles.
- Get regular exercise: Exercise can help to strengthen your neck muscles and prevent pain.
- Lose weight: If you are overweight or obese, losing weight can help to reduce stress on your neck muscles.
- Take breaks throughout the day: If you sit for long periods, take breaks to stretch your neck and shoulders.
Treating Neck Pain at Night
Neck pain can be debilitating, but that doesn't mean you have to live with it. You're not alone if your neck is keeping you up at night or if the pains and constant head and upper body aches make it difficult to stay focused on the job, especially if you work where you are sitting down most of the day. If your pain doesn't go away after a week or two, contact your doctor immediately to rule out more serious issues with the neck.
Neck pain doesn't have to be a chronic debilitating issue! Adhering to the proper posture concerning what you do throughout your day can minimize the risk of neck pain and promote your spine's health.