Neck pain is the worst when it comes to trying to sleep.
During the day, at least you can ignore it, move your body to look, or compensate in one way or another. Our bodies are very smart and will do that regardless if you want to or not!
But going to sleep, staying asleep, and waking up are completely different.
By the time people come to me, they have already tried stretching, not moving, pills, and waiting for weeks if not months.
One common question they have is – “what’s the best pillow to use?”. Basically, they want to know if their pillow caused the pain to start with or the continued pain.
The BEST pillow to use is one that fits your head and neck length. It’s like goldilocks and the 3 bears…it can’t be too hard….it can’t be too soft….it’s got to be just right 🙂
Most of the time, it’s the NUMBER of pillows you have.
If you are using the best pillow, you should only need one.
Here’s why you might need to work yourself to one pillow if you have been using many pillows for years.
- Your joints of your neck and thoracic spine might be too stiff to tolerate going down to one pillow too fast.
- You’re not used to sleeping more flat so it feels unnatural.
- Your muscles are not used to being in this position so you might have more pain than normal.
So work your way down from many pillows to one pillow.
If you need help with finding the best pillow…we carry Pillowise pillows at our clinic. It’s measured to fit you AND you get to try it before you buy it.
It takes into account your mattress and favorite sleeping position.
In terms of sleeping positioning, the best position is side sleeping with a pillow between your legs and pillow for your arms to hug. It can support your back (even if your back doesn’t hurt) which can support your neck while sleeping.
The worst position to sleep in when your neck hurts is on your stomach! That forces your neck to be at end range and stay there too long.
Changing pillows and sleep positions can help you sleep better, have less pain in the night, and when you wake up.
But if neck pain has persisted longer than 4 weeks, give us a call here at Hands-on therapy. Request to speak with our specialist and get the right help.
There’s nothing worse than neck pain when it comes to getting the sleep that you need, so don’t wait, call us today.
Get rid of the neck pain faster, and easier when you take care of it now.
Hit reply for any questions that you may have.
If you know someone suffering with shoulder pain and wants to avoid surgery, share this free guide with them. Click for the free Shoulder Pain Guide.
Written by Hoang Tran
About the author – Hoang Tran
Hoang Tran is a Miami certified hand therapist , the owner of Hands-on Therapy Services and author of the book “The Hands-On Approach”. She loves helping people with hand, neck and shoulder problems, because she knows how bad and debilitating they can get if not addressed and treated properly (once and for all!).
The aim of her occupational therapy practice in the Miami area is to bring patients back to full functionality, without pills, injections or surgery. Occupational and Physical Therapy are both offered at Hands-On Therapy by our experienced therapists who provide a comprehensive approach to your care.
If you or someone you know is living with
- elbow pain or
- neck and shoulder pain,
speak with one of our specialists for FREE by requesting a 30-minute Discovery Visit here! Talk to our specialist first before booking any paid session. We like to ensure that we can help you before taking you on as a client.
There’s no risk in giving us a call at 786-615-9879 or requesting a Free Discovery Visit.
A Discovery Visit is for someone who is not sure therapy with us can help them, wants to speak with the specialist to feel confident that therapy is the right choice for them, and is SURE they don’t want to live in pain, worry, and feeling like they can’t do certain things just because of the pain.
The material contained on this site is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE, and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.
