If you have neck pain, it can be very difficult to fall asleep or even stay asleep. Many people suffer from chronic neck pain today. Neck pain doesn’t just affect your sleep, it also affects other areas of your body and your mentality, including your immune system.
So if you’re experiencing neck pain, you should not delay seeking help from a qualified doctor for neck pain in Omaha.
That being said, you may be wondering about the best way to sleep with neck pain while you prepare for your appointment.
Let’s discuss how to treat neck pain from sleeping:
How To Relieve Neck Pain From Sleeping 101
If you have neck pain while sleeping, it’s important to understand the reasons why. And it often starts with your resting position.
So the first step in learning how to cure neck pain from sleeping is to adjust your position at night:
Sleep On Your Side
Sleeping on your side can be one of the best ways when it comes to how to help neck pain from sleeping.
The reason is because one of the causes of neck pain is stiffness. Sleeping on the side can help prevent this stiffness in your neck muscles.
It keeps your neck aligned with your head and your body as a whole. This means that extra weight won’t be distributed on the neck, which can cause discomfort and pain.
Tips For Sleeping On Your Side
When sleeping on your side, you should aim to get a pillow that will make sure your head stays in a neutral position. You might even use two pillows or a stack of pillows. This means your head won’t shrink down as much and trigger neck pain.
However, don’t get a pillow that’s too thick. Just as your head sinking too much can cause neck pain, your neck being in an elevated position can do so as well. If you don’t have a quality pillow, as described above, it’s okay.
You can use your current pillow and roll it up on itself. You can also use other types of clothing or pillows that you have around the house.
Even a rolled towel can help lift your neck a little bit. You may not get it just right on the first night. Play around with different alignments and notice how you sleep night after night.
Sleep On Your Back
Aside from sleeping on your side, sleeping on your back is a common position for back pain. If you sleep properly on your back, you can align your head and neck to prevent neck stiffness.
When sleeping on your back, try to use more than one pillow. Ultimately you want a pillow or some kind of support at the neck area. Therefore instead of your neck bending upwards, it’s in a straight parallel alignment with everything else.
This keeps your spine, neck, and related muscles relaxed instead of tensing up. If you sleep with your hands at your side or on your chest, this can also help reduce back pain.
A Position To Avoid For Neck Pain
Stomach sleeping is the major position that people suffering from back pain should avoid. This can actually create more weight on your neck. This extra pressure will add up over time.
If you naturally tend to sleep on your stomach still, try to put pillows on your side so that your body naturally avoids turning on its stomach in the night.
Additional Tips To Prevent Neck Pain When Sleeping
Here are some additional tricks on how to help neck pain from sleeping:
- Get new pillows or mattresses
- Use hot and cold compresses
- Change your posture during the day (more upright)
- Stretch and exercise regularly
- Meditate to relieve stress
- Consider pain relief medicine
- Use a neck brace
- Speak to a qualified pain expert
Conclusion
Ultimately, experiencing neck pain could be a symptom of a more severe issue. By visiting a neck expert at Midwest Pain Clinics, you can finally relieve your neck pain from sleeping.
You might be prescribed pain medication, physical therapy, massages, or undergo different tests. Ultimately, you deserve to live without neck pain, so don’t hesitate any longer. Let the experts give you your sleep back — and regain your pain-free mornings once again.
