Do You Suffer From Back Pain After Sleeping?
A good nights sleep is an essential part to a happy and productive day. If you are suffering from back pain after sleeping both sleeping through the night and getting through your day can become a struggle. There are several reasons you may experience back pain while sleeping including: nightly routines, stress, or mattress quality. The most common cause of back pain after sleeping though is related to your sleeping position.
Nightly Routines
There are many things that negatively affect our sleep that we may not be conscious of. For example research has proven that caffeine before bed as well as going to sleep both to hungry or to full can have negative side effects on our sleep. When we aren’t experiencing a deep peaceful sleep we tend to toss and turn about which can place stress on our neck and back without us being aware.
This week try to implement a healthy nightly routine by avoiding late night exercise, alcohol, or caffeine before bed. Take some time to distress and relax your body before sleeping which will help with the transition between a busy day and a peaceful night.
How Your Mattress Can Cause Back Pain After Sleeping
When you start to add up 6-8 hours of sleep a night, each night over the span of a lifetime you begin to see how important the quality of your mattress truly is. If you mattress is extremely soft or sags there is a good chance it is not supporting the alignment of your spine, causing pressure, discomfort, and back pain.
Like many things there is no one size fits all mattress firmness, for the best mattress for your spine talk to your chiropractor before purchasing.
Your Pillow and You
A good pillow isn’t just comfortable, but supports the necks cervical curve of the spine. Sleeping position must be taken into account when finding your perfect pillow. If you sleep on your side your shoulder creates more room between your neck and the mattress meaning your pillow needs more fullness and support in the area. However if you sleep on your back your neck is closer to the mattress so the same thick pillow may throw off your necks alignment causing pain.
If you tend to shift at night from sleeping on your side to your back there are therapeutic pillows available that have different support levels on the same pillow. Another great option is a water pillow which will conform to support your necks needs as you move.
Sleeping Position Is a Huge Factor In Why You May Have Back Pain After Sleeping
Sleeping position is one of the most common causes of back pain after sleeping. There are 3 main sleeping positions: back, side, and stomach.
Stomach: Sleeping on your stomach is extremely detrimental to your spines health! Turn your head towards one of your shoulders placing it in a similar position to how it is while sleeping on your stomach. It won’t take long before you begin to feel discomfort, now imagine leaving your head and neck in that discomfort for 8 hours while you sleep.
Side: Sleeping on your side is not nearly as hard on your spine as sleeping on your stomach. However side sleeping still allows for your body to contort in ways that apply pressure to the spine and may cause back pain when awakening.
Back: Being on your back while sleeping is the best choice because it allows your spine to align properly. If sleeping on your back is uncomfortable or awkward to you at first try placing a pillow under your knees to ease the transition.
If you are experiencing back pain after sleeping please call Hinz Family Chiropractic at (615)503-9900 today for a free consultation! Comment below to let us know if these tips helped you!
Photo by: Thejbird
