Sleep is one of the most important parts of the day. Without our proper minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep per night, our health and bodies will deteriorate!
It is one of those rare times in the day that our body can recover and regenerate so that you feel in tip-top condition when you wake up. But far too many of us wake up feeling neck pain after sleeping!
That means we are most certainly starting our day off on the wrong side of the bed and we will likely feel worse off than when we dozed off the night before.
But it’s not all doom and gloom here. There are so many different solutions to fighting off that neck pain from a night of sleeping and we are about to share our top tips with you!
1. Get a better pillow
If our head and neck is not supported properly at night, then we are setting ourselves up for an unsupported neck and likely a neck that is also in pain in the morning! You use your pillow every night, so it is worth it to invest in a quality pillow. The key to finding a quality pillow is to ensure that it forms to the shape of your head and can hold it. Both feather and foam pillows can do the trick. You could also look at getting a body pillow to sleep with as well to encourage you to sleep on your side and get your back and neck in a more suitable position. With a good pillow, your neck will most definitely feel the difference!
2. Topical cream
One of the most effective ways to fight off neck pain after sleeping is to use a quality topical cream designed to help reduce stiffness and inflammation in the body. You can keep it by your bedside table and apply it before and after you sleep, as the skin will soak it up fast and put it to good use! And it is a much better solution than simply popping some aspirin, as while the pain may go away the pills can’t actually reduce the swelling!
3. Stretch, stretch, stretch!
Chances are that your sore neck is also a result of your poor posture that you have had all day. Especially if you work a desk job and are sitting in one place for long periods of time, your neck is likely to become increasingly sore or irritated throughout the day—resulting in the serious soreness you feel the next day! A great way to counter-balance this is to set aside some time to stretch. Whether you stretch while sitting on the couch after dinner or going to a relaxing yoga session to re-align your body, dedicating a small portion of your day to stretching will do wonders to alleviating soreness in your neck!
4. Get more support for your back
Our necks are connected to our spine, so the soreness in your neck may be a result of something else going on lower down in your back. Our body is all connected and often symptoms of issues show up in other parts of our body. If you think your sore neck may be a result of a back issue, go chat to your doctor. It may be worthwhile to also get a support brace aligned for you to sleep in, as it will encourage better posture in your back when you sleep.
With these four solutions, there is no reason to have to start each day off with a sore neck! Try implementing some of these strategies to see if you can get the relief for your body that it so rightly deserves!