A pillow that is too high or too low can force the neck to bend at an unnatural angle, causing tension and discomfort over time. That’s why sleep experts recommend choosing a pillow that keeps your head and neck aligned with the spine, 3 days ago. Bang says that neck pain and stiffness in the neck are the most common. Beyond that, you may experience problems with your entire spine twisting in the wrong way, which for a long time can create lasting damage, he adds.
You spend about a third of your life sleeping. Pillows that are too stiff or too full can strain the neck by keeping it flexed throughout the night, causing pain. Neck pain caused by improper pillow is caused by muscle tension and lack of neck support. You may suffer from tension headaches due to a bad pillow along with neck pain, loss of sleep, and irritability.
A foam pillow made of breathable and pressure-relieving material could provide greater support and better sleep quality. See Causes, symptoms and treatment of stiff neck. Unless you can adjust the amount of filling in the pillow, these fillers move easily so that the pillow ends up providing support that is, at best, unreliable. Not much research urges an automatic recommendation for pillows with mixed fillings such as memory foam or latex with crushed foam and a gel insert.
A rolled towel or pillow in the form of a roll should be placed under the neck and supplemented with a pillow for the head. To relieve yourself, experts recommend trying to sleep on your back or on your side and choosing a pillow that helps support the neck and its natural curve. A pillow that does not support the head and neck properly can create tension in the neck muscles and cause neck pain. A heat pack is not just for athletes, if you have suddenly woken up with neck pain, a heat pack could help relieve symptoms in the same way as a hot bath or shower.
In general, trying to keep your posture under control during the day and choosing a pillow that supports your neck properly at night should help you sleep more soundly and pain-free. Sleeping on your side with your stomach and back is best for your neck, as long as you hold your head properly with a pillow that keeps your neck aligned. If your mattress is too firm, you may be raising your body too much above the mattress surface, which will cause your neck to tilt down on the pillow. Some pillows combine both elements by including a roll-shaped area for the neck and a deeper, lower area for the head.
Sure, maybe your pillows feel bad, but the pain can also be due to existing tension and pain in the neck muscles, Dr. But both the sleeping position and the pillow can cause stiffness and pain in the neck and also lead to back pain and other types of pain. Make sure you use a good pillow for tummy sleepers that doesn’t lift your head too much, or just try to switch to a better sleeping position. To help prevent neck pain when you wake up, there are steps you can take to support your neck and reduce tension in your neck muscles.
A couple of simple exercises can help keep your neck muscles strong and flexible, which can reduce your risk of waking up with neck pain. Not to mention that constantly looking at your smartphone or computer can make your neck pain a problem that has been called a “text neck or tech neck”.
