Necks in Bed
Discusses the best sleeping positions and pillows for a good nights’ sleep.
We do know don’t we that we should NEVER EVER be a belly sleeper. Almost guaranteed to disrupt the normal curve of the cervical spine. Rather we should sleep on our side or back. The normal curve of the neck is towards the front. When lying on your side the cervical spine should be in line with your upper back, not elevated above or below that line. This neutral position relaxes all the muscles and joints of the neck giving a (more) refreshing sleep.
Regarding pillows: For a back sleeper, there should be sufficient height on the pillow to push the neck slightly upward, to keep the neck level. Should the pillow be bunched under the head the forehead will be up and the chin down, putting stress on the upper and middle parts of the cervical spine. If the pillow is too low the chin will be up
and the forehead down putting stress along the entire cervical spine. For a side sleeper, there should be sufficient elevation to keep the neck in alignment with the rest of the spine. So the breadth of the shoulders needs to be taken into consideration.
There are commercially available contoured pillows, but since they come in a range of sizes it is too easy to end up with the wrong pillow for your build. While these pillows will suit most, they are expensive and we don’t want to waste our hard-earned money. So get fitted for the right pillow by a health professional who specializes in neck problems, such as your Doctor of Chiropractic. An incorrect pillow and/or sleeping position can cause a variety of symptoms including arm and shoulder pain and/or numbness and headaches, just to name a couple.
So sleep in the best position with the right pillow, and you’ll sleep well, to wake up bright and refreshed ready to face a new day. And you won’t be grumpy.
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Reader Comments
I am a horrible sleeper. I like to lay on my side (either one) and straighten out the bottom leg and bend the upper one and pull it up almost to my chest. This pulls on my lower back and butt muscles and while it’s my favorite position, it jacks up my back something fierce. I’ve been trying to be good and sleep on my side with a pillow between my knees. That really makes my back feel the best.
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What a useful post! I tend to want to sleep on my belly, I find it rather comforting but I am quickly made aware of the force of gravity on my spine, aided by my abdomen!
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Oh my gosh Jan, I use to sleep on my stomach all of the time, no wonder I have such back problems. I do wonder sometimes if that did not have a part in all of my problems.
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I have always had feather pillows – I know that many people do not like them – but I shake them and plump them up and as soon as I place my head on one I go straight to sleep. I always used to have two which made them rather high up off the bed – but over the last few years, for some reason, I now prefer one. I have tried various other pillows but when I do … I just toss and turn!
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I love sleeping on my belly … sigh.
I do have a stiff neck and am working to loosen it up with Yoga. Am especially motivated since I discovered that all the Chakras merge together and flow through the neck! Don’t want to block that energy.
Good info. Thank you.
Viveca
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