We have all been there!
One day you wake up with an achy and stiff neck, but after a few days, it’s all good again. Followed by back pain, neck pain is the second most common muscle and joint complaint of all and it is estimated to affect around 70% of the general population. Most of these are temporary and are gone within days. But then again, there’s this neck pain that comes and goes, that’s not just achy but painful. It affects the activities of your day to day life and steals the comfort of your life. Neck pain can also keep you awake at night and sleep deprivation can lead to psychiatric disorders if not treated right on time and none of us want to go to that extent. There are many remedies you can try to minimize this risk. For a start, your sleeping position.
What Causes Neck Pain?
Even though we don’t give much thought to our sleeping positions or pillows we are using, they both can result in a sore or stiff neck. It’s obvious that sleeping in the wrong and awkward positions can cause you harm. Everyone of us has a favorite sleeping position, but if you are a stomach sleeper, we have bad news for you! So, what happens when you sleep on your stomach? Well, when you sleep on your stomach, your neck is twisted to one side for a long time. It may strain your neck muscles and make them sore. It can also strain your back and pressure your spine and back muscles. Your head and neck rest on your pillow for many hours and choosing a pillow that doesn’t support your neck and above can bring tension and cause neck pain.
Sudden movements as in quickly sitting up or an unexpected fling, tossing and turning can also strain your neck muscles. Sitting in a bad posture can also reflect in a sore neck, but it’s not necessarily the posture, but the amount of time we spend in that posture that matters. Hunched shoulders can also be described as a root cause of neck pain in this case. Injuries from accidents or a fall that might not hurt first can hurt later. You may go to bed all happy, but you will feel pain when you wake up the next day, if you were injured in a way that it might have hurt your neck. Apart from these, not changing your posture for a long time, osteoarthritis, nerve compression and a few other factors can also result in a sore neck.
What Can You Do About This?
Let’s discuss some remedies you can try to overcome regular neck pain.
Sleeping positions – we cannot suggest you a sleeping position because everyone is different and therefore has different preferences. But it is better if you can sleep on your back or side.
Pillow – try a feather pillow. It conforms to the shape of the neck easily. You can also use memory-foam pillows since they help to keep proper spinal alignment. Rounded pillows are also an option, especially if you sleep on your back. It will give your neck the support it needs. Just make sure you avoid stiff pillows. The Hamuq MicroGel Pillow which is a 100% cotton pillow creates just the level of comfort and support you need.
Mattress - if you are troubled with your current mattress, you can try a new one. You wouldn’t know what’s best for you until you try it. Make sure the mattress is firm and that it’s the best mattress for you. The Hamuq Hybrid gives you the support of a firm mattress, along with the comfort of a soft one. It’s the best of both worlds.
Stretching – try stretching your neck muscles. It loosens the muscles and gentle motions can reduce the stiffness.
Quick Solutions
Other than these, if you are looking for quick and short-term solutions, you can apply an ice pack for about 20 minutes to reduce inflammation, a heat pack to soothe your muscles and painkillers like ibuprofen, naproxen or acetaminophen. Yoga can also work since it will work on the stiffness.
Sometimes, changing only your pillows, mattresses or sleeping position won’t help alone. You have to change some other habits too. Limiting your mobile phone usage, sleep hygiene and doing light exercises can go a long way too.
To summarize, awkward postures that can harm your skeleton, stiff pillows, bad mattresses and sleeping positions can result in a sore neck. Changing a few habits, trying new pillows or mattresses and sleeping positions can reduce the risks mentioned above. If you are experiencing neck pain, give our solutions a try and also make sure you lead a healthy life. Otherwise, even the best mattress will not be able to solve it for you.
Happy Sleeping Everyone!