Guilt on shoulders because of wrong sleeping postures
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When you think of poor posture leading to orthopedic issues like lower back pain o neck pain, standing posture or sitting position probably come to mind. But there’s a third type of posture you may be forgetting, and it affects your health just as much as standing and sitting — it’s your sleeping position.
Your body’s posture during sleep can have a negative effect on your spinal column — and other body parts, too.
For example, some people sleep in a tightly-curled fetal position, with their arms bent at the wrists and held under their chins. Take that bent wrist position and imagine holding it for six to eight hours straight; then think about how your wrists, hands, and forearms might feel when you wake up in the morning.
Minus a few tosses and turns in the night, the posture we hold during sleep is sustained for several hours at a time. If something in the body is crooked, twisted, pinned under another body part, or held at a strange angle, it can stay that way for far, far longer than it would when you’re awake.
As you probably know from experience, the result of an awkward sleeping posture can be painful the next day, ranging from the pins and needles of an asleep limb to the panic-inducing torture of a middle-of-the-night leg cramp.
And then there’s your spine — your back and neck.
SLEEP POSITION AND SPINE PROBLEMS
If you’re waking up in pain that you don’t feel during the day, then your sleep position is likely playing a role. Keep in mind, too, that the quality or style of your mattress and pillow may also be contributing.
If you have neck pain — a stiff neck, pain, soreness, and inflammation — then the culprits could be:
Sleep posture. Sleeping on your stomach with your head twisted to one side is a recipe for neck strain. But sleeping in any position can be a problem if your neck isn’t sufficiently supported.
Pillow choice. If your pillow is too high or too low, your head will bend away from the neutral spine position. Finding the right pillow can be difficult. Some people prefer memory foam because it molds to the head and neck, providing support where you need it most.
Weak or tight muscles. If you don’t stretch often or you keep your shoulders and head in a fixed, unnatural position during the day, you may may be bringing that stress to bed at night. Stretching, strengthening, and massage may help you to re-balance your body and loosen up in the neck and shoulders. It’s difficult to achieve a neutral spine in sleep if you can’t achieve it when you’re awake.
Other issues. Sore necks can also be caused by other orthopedic conditions like a muscle strain, osteoarthritis of the cervical spine, or a slipped disc. Seeing an orthopedic physician can help to determine whether you have another issue that may be contributing to a pain flare-up when you sleep.
If you have back pain when you sleep (most commonly, lower back pain), chances are it’s caused by something other than your sleep posture. You may have an underlying issue like osteoarthritis of the spine, a slipped or herniated disc, osteoporosis, sciatica, or even an infection. A sleep disorder may also contribute to back pain.
For most people, though, daytime posture and lifestyle is a huge contributor. Back strains from carrying heavy objects, for example, can strain muscles and ligaments. Holding an awkward body position when driving, sitting at a desk, or standing and walking can also lead to muscle tension or weakness on one side of the body.
Where sleep posture plays a role in back pain is the neutral spine. If you’re not positioned in a way that keeps your spine aligned and relaxed, you may be putting excess weight or strain on different parts of the back.
As with neck pain, it’s important to sleep in an optimal position — but also to choose the right mattress and the right pillow, and to use extra pillows or bolsters if necessary.