Waking up every morning with symptoms of neck pain and numbness is well-known among many people. While a sore neck and body weakness commonly occur during sleep, an individual doesn’t have to live daily with these symptoms, and several lifestyle changes can help.

Foremost, it’s important to evaluate the individual’s sleeping posture. Using a pillow with support under the neck or neck roll can help people who prefer to sleep on their backs. The bigger bulk of the pillow should not be under the head. For people who prefer to sleep on their side, a thicker pillow will help maintain the head in line with the neck. Using feather pillows to sleep on, which tend to become flat during the night or thin foam pillows are not suitable options to avoid waking up with neck pain and other symptoms. In doing so, the body spends an extended amount of time throughout the night in a posture where the head is tilted toward the bed, causing the impingement of the nerves that exit the spine. This is often the major cause of neck pain and numbness in the morning.

Furthermore, many people usually read at night before going to bed. It’s an activity used to conclude the day and help relax the body to fall asleep, but the posture used during this nighttime ritual can also strain the neck and lead to symptoms of pain and numbness. For those who enjoy reading books before bed or even other activities which result in an improper posture, various accessories can help hold books or electronics at a specific angle to avoid bad posture and prevent the head from constantly looking down.

 

And last, an individual experiencing neck pain, numbness, or in some cases, headaches could have an undiagnosed condition. Spine complications, muscular imbalances, and injury are several underlying problems that could cause these symptoms. Spending an extended amount of time on devices, such as laptops, phones, and tablets, can also be a factor pertaining to neck pain. Taking the necessary precautions and seeing a doctor for any condition affecting your health is essential if you wish to alleviate the pain and discomfort in your neck when waking up.

Changing bad habits that cause an improper posture and seeing a chiropractor to treat neck misalignments, among other conditions, is important in order to correct any damage from an improper sleeping position.

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Chiropractic Clinic Extra: Neck Pain Treatment