Avoid using a pillow that is too high or stiff, as it keeps your neck flexed at night and can cause pain and stiffness in the morning. If you sleep on your side, keep your spine straight by using a pillow that is higher under your neck than your head. Bang says neck pain and stiff 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.
Sleepers who experience neck pain at night can greatly benefit from a pillow that relieves pressure. Silk’s 26% Snow Pillow provides enough cushioning to cradle the neck, relieving pressure build-up while maintaining moderate support. 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. The head and neck spend many hours every night on the pillow, so choosing the right one is key to having a healthy and pain-free neck. A pillow that does not support the head and neck properly can create tension in the neck muscles and cause neck pain.
Research suggests that a pillow with good neck support can help relieve neck pain and improve rest. Owners can open the cover and add or remove as much padding as they want to achieve the ideal height for their sleeping position and neck pain level. The pillow features a core made of shredded memory foam that can be adjusted to achieve a height that is most comfortable for you. The best pillow for neck pain won’t be too high or too low, it will support your neck comfortably in any sleeping position and will be made of cooling foam that relieves pressure.
If you wake up in the morning with a stiff neck, the pillow could be the cause of neck pain. This research found that a version filled with water decreased morning pain and allowed better rest than a roll-up pillow or a standard model. Not much research urges an automatic recommendation for pillows with mixed fillings such as memory foam or latex with shredded foam and a gel insert. The filling consists of shredded memory foam, polyethylene foam and alternative clusters of down that can be added or removed from the pillow at any time, creating the profile needed for your sleep needs.
Without proper pillow support, the intricate neck structures will become stressed, worsening any existing neck condition and causing neck pain or stiffness during the day. If you suffer from neck strain, upgrade to a good quality foam pillow that elevates your head without pushing or sinking. The right pillow is essential to keep the neck in a supportive position with neutral alignment during sleep. Pillows should be firm enough to support the neck without creating pressure points, but the precise firmness of a pillow depends on your usual sleeping position.
People who sleep on their backs and sides generally require firmer pillows than people who sleep on their stomach, while people who sleep in combination and people whose firmness preferences change may consider an adjustable pillow. A previous injury or strain, such as whiplash or sports injury, can reactivate neck pain when sleeping on an uncomfortable pillow. But both the sleeping position and the pillow can lead to stiffness and pain in the neck, and also lead to back pain and other types of pain.
