Sleep is supposed to be restorative. It’s supposed to be time when your whole body gets a rest. During sleep, your muscles have time to recover, and your brain basically has time to reset. Therefore, if you have neck pain when you wake up, it might be a bit concerning when you should be waking up feeling much better and refreshed. Our Bessemer, AL, chiropractor can help.
It’s From Your Sleep Position
Believe it or not, there are some sleep positions that work with your natural spinal alignment. Ultimately, these are the most comfortable positions you usually will wake up from and not experience any pain when you utilize them.
For instance, sleeping on your side tends to keep your body in proper alignment, and so does sleeping on your back. If you’re lying on your stomach, on the other hand, you’re working against the natural curvature of your spine. It’s causing you to turn your neck when you sleep, which can stress the muscles and lead to pain upon waking.
It’s From Your Pillow
Ninety-nine percent of people sleep with at least one pillow each night. The point of a pillow is to keep your spine in alignment with your head. You then ease pressure on your neck and are less likely to have neck pain.
With that said, though, not all pillows are equal, and the firmness of the pillow you sleep on directly relates to your sleeping position. For instance, if you’re a back sleeper, a firmer pillow works best to keep your spine in alignment as you sleep. However, if you sleep on your side — or your stomach if you can’t seem to break the habit — a softer pillow is better. If you’re currently sleeping with the wrong pillow, that could be why you’re experiencing neck pain.
While some recommendations suggest ditching the pillow if you’re a stomach sleeper and applying one under your stomach, sleeping without a pillow, no matter which position you sleep in, can cause neck pain. The pillow serves a purpose as you sleep, so sleeping without a pillow could be the cause of your neck pain.
Your Toss and Turning Is Causing It
Like clockwork, some people instantly lie down in a position that’s comfortable and fall asleep. It’s like they have some kind of sixth sense that helps them to know just how to fall asleep.
For others, though, falling asleep may include going through a series of 10 positions, counting sheep, etc. During this time, as a person is trying to fall asleep, they may be stressing their neck trying to find a comfortable sleep position. It doesn’t help that they might be mentally stressed as well, which can exasperate pain.
Chiropractic Care May Be the Solution
If you’re going to bed with little to no neck pain and waking up in pain, chiropractic care may be the solution. We can correct any subluxations caused by your pillow and sleep positions or any subluxations, in general, that could be contributing to your pain.
Our practitioner can also provide you with sleep recommendations especially for you to help you sleep more comfortably and not wake up in pain.
At Premier Chiropractic Center, serving Bessemer, AL, and the nearby region, we can help with neck pain during the day or as you sleep. We believe you deserve to live a life as pain-free as possible, and we can help that happen through natural methods.
If you’re ready to get a better night’s sleep without neck pain, contact Premier Chiropractic Center at 205-519-4024. You may also use our online form.
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