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Sleep Instructions to Ease Back and Neck Pain
Sleep Instructions to Ease Back and Neck Pain
Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
—Benjamin Franklin
We spend about 33 percent of our lives in bed! That’s a lot of time, and if we “do it right,” the sleep restores and rejuvenates us like clockwork. I’ve created a little quiz for you on your sleep habits. To take the quiz, simply check off your answers and, when finished, count the number of true and false answers.
True or False?
___ 1. My mattress has lumps and bumps in it; it’s not firm.
___ 2. My mattress sags.
___ 3. I sleep on my stomach—it’s one of the most comfortable ways to sleep.
___ 4. I like to sleep with no pillow at all.
___ 5. I like to pile up the pillows and sometimes (or often) sleep with more than one pillow underneath my head.
___ 6. When I sleep, my head is dropped forward with my chin toward my chest.
___ 7. I don’t use a supportive pillow.
___ 8. I love to read in bed and can prop myself up on my elbows to do so.
___ 9. I use a regular foam pillow.
___ 10. Sometimes I rest on the couch with my head propped up on the armrest.
___ 11. Sometimes I rest on the couch with a pillow and have to look up at the television set to do so.
Sleeping Quiz Score: ______ True _____ False
OK, now total up the number of “true” statements you have. The lower your number of “true” statements, the better your sleeping score. How did you do? Here’s a breakdown:
Let me explain how to sleep, because there’s more to it than just plopping yourself into the bed and covering up with blankets. There are good sleep habits and bad sleep habits. It’s possible to have bad sleep habits for years without bad consequences. The problem with bad sleep habits is that you could be wearing down the joints in your neck. The constant wearing down of the joints is risky because once there’s a trauma to the neck, those joints “give out.” This is degenerative joint disease.
Why Take Risks When Bad Habits Are Easily Changed?
The good news is that simply by changing some bad habits, you can stop any future joint damage in its tracks. Sleeping on your stomach is a bad habit because it forces your neck in one position—to the side—for long periods of time. While your neck is turned to the right or left, several of the muscles and joints in your neck are working hard to keep your head in that position. Other muscles then have to work hard to balance the positioning muscles. Neck muscles that are tight for several hours can cause pain, inflammation, and headaches. It’s certainly no fun to wake up with a headache.
Here’s another way to think about it: When you work out at the health club, how would your legs feel if you did leg presses for over an hour? Would you be able to walk home or to your car? It would be very difficult after stressing them so much. It’s the same with your neck. You’re doing something similar when you sleep on your stomach and turn your neck to the side, holding it in that position for such a long period of time. Now, that doesn’t mean you should sleep on your stomach and put your head straight down into the pillow—you’d suffocate! So what’s the alternative?
Dr. Morgan’s Sleep Instructions
Sleep on your back or side instead of the stomach. When sleeping on your back, lie flat with a pillow under your head and neck, and a pillow under your knees. Do not ever sleep with more than one pillow under your head. Your neck should not be pushed up so that your chin moves down toward your chest. A pillow should support your neck according to its natural S-shaped curve, allowing your head to rest in a neutral position.
When you sleep on your side, support your head and neck with pillows in such a waythat your spine remains in a straight line. Your legs should be at a 35- to 45-degree angle and not drawn up in a knot or in the fetal position. You might feel more comfortable with a pillow between your knees to keep your pelvis from tilting to one side.
Let’s Check Out Your Pillow
The type of pillow you use Sunday night can make a big difference in how good you will feel on Monday. Do not use a regular foam pillow. A shaped cervical pillow or a water-based pillow with a pillow-top is best, because the curve of the pillow supports your neck. With the water-based pillow, you can customize the firmness with the amount of water used and the cool water decrease low-grade inflammation in the neck. When your neck is supported, all its muscles, tendons, and joints can relax. As they’re relaxing, the blood sends in healing, rejuvenating, and restorative nutrients. You wake up refreshed.
It’s a bad habit to lie down on the couch, especially with your head propped up on the armrest. Propping up your head results in a cervical-curve angle that stresses out the joints and the muscles of your neck. Every time you engage in this type of activity, you willingly create stress in your neck. Decide that your body wants to be loved and cared for, and never engage in this activity again.
If you prop yourself up to read in bed on your elbows or lying flat to read, this movement stresses out your shoulder joints and puts undue stress on neck muscles and joints. Don’t do it!
The best way to sleep is on your back. When it’s time to rest or sleep, lie on your back or on your side on a firm bed and don’t settle for anything else. Make these changes to get your sleep score down to 0. One month of sleeping with a score of 0 will dramatically improve your health.
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Abilene,TX 79606