Sleep is one thing we all have in common, with most people sleeping at least 8 hours a night… if your sleep isn’t right it can have a big impact on your neck and back health.
Front sleeping
Front sleeping is the chiropractic nightmare! It is a common cause of neck tension and stiffness as your head is rotated to one side or the other for a prolonged period of time. If you have ever woken up with a crick in your neck and then struggled to turn your head evenly to both sides, front sleeping could be the culprit. Our top tip to stop front sleeping is to sleep hugging a pillow. If you are hugging a pillow you can’t turn onto your front. If you have been sleeping on your front for a while, persistence is key in breaking the habit, you could wake up on your front many times with the pillow on the floor. Keep trying!!!
Who needs a pillow when you have ….hands?
A common cause of numbness or tingling in your hands and arms when waking up can be if you sleep with your hands under your head or above your head. If you have carpel tunnel syndrome sleeping on your hands can aggravate it.
How many pillows do I need?
One pillow is perfect, two is too many, three is a crowd. What you are looking for in a pillow is something that keeps your neck in line with your head if you are sleeping on your side or back, while giving you a bit of support (remember: no front sleeping!) If you have more than one pillow, often they slip during the night and you end up with your head and neck in a really awkward position. This can also cause neck pain and stiffness as well as a loss of mobility.
Low back pain
Sleep can be a real issue when you are experiencing low back pain. Finding a comfortable position is next to impossible. Every time you move you wake up again in pain and let’s not even discuss getting out of bed in the morning- one word: Agony. One top tip can be to sleep on your side with both knees bent and a pillow between your knees. This will keep your back straight and your pelvis and hips in line. You can also push up to sitting from lying on your side which is much more comfortable than lifting up from lying flat on your back.
When you sleep, unless you are really restless, most of the time we are still for 8 hours. This can cause joints and muscles to stiffen up. When you then get out of bed in the morning you feel stiff and achy until you get going. So lets get going quicker! A brief stretching routine lasting 5 minutes can get you moving quicker in the morning and have you going about your day more easily.
