Neck Pain & Sleep: 5 Surprising Facts

What is the connection between neck pain and sleep? Well, that shouldn’t be so difficult to answer. After all, haven’t you ever lost sleep due to severe neck pain? In the same way, haven’t you ever woken up from a deep sleep only to find yourself suffering from excruciating neck pain? True enough, neck pain often has something to do with your sleeping habits. Here we will discuss five facts you may not know about neck pain and sleep.

Fact #1: Your sleeping position has a lot to do with whether or not you wake up with neck pain. Sleeping on your back is the best position to prevent neck pain in the morning. Sleeping on your side may be acceptable, provided that your neck is kept in proper alignment with the rest of your body. And finally, you should take note that sleeping on your stomach is a big no-no where neck pain is concerned. This position keeps your neck rotated to one side for a prolonged period, thus causing stiffness and most probably pain in the morning.

Fact #2: The kind of pillows you have has a direct bearing on whether you will experience neck pain at night or not. This is because neck pain can be brought about either by a pillow that is too thick or one that is too thin. With a pillow that doesn’t have the right thickness or contour, you could easily strain your neck, thereby unnecessarily causing pain. Using an ergonomically-designed pillow is highly recommended. This type of pillow has a contour that follows the natural curve of your neck and provides adequate support while you sleep.

Fact #3: Heat helps. If you’re experiencing neck pain at night, try placing a soft and flexible heating pad on the affected area. This should provide you with quick relief from neck pain. If you don’t have a heating pad, you can improvise by filling sock with rice or barley and then warming it in the oven. Heat therapy works by loosening the taut muscles in your neck, which are probably causing the pain.

Fact #4: Exercise works wonders. Now, we’re not saying you should indulge in some vigorous physical activity just before going to bed in order to relieve yourself of neck pain. Instead, you can work at relaxing your neck muscles by doing some simple stretching exercises just before bedtime. A few shrugs and head tilts should do the trick.

Fact #5: Alternative therapy can do wonders for your neck. Relaxation techniques such as self-massage can help loosen up your muscles and encourage a restful and pain-free sleep. Try inserting two tennis balls into a tube sock and then lying flat on the floor while rolling the balls between your shoulder blades. This should do the trick of helping you ease neck pain and sleep peacefully at night.