Waking up each morning with a sore neck is the absolute worst. It wakes you up in a bad mood and completely ruins your chances of starting the day with a spring in your step.
Luckily it’s usually quite an easy fix, because the problem lies in your pillow. There are loads of great pillows designed to help neck pain and they are an absolutely worthy investment.
Basically, your head should be horizontal with your body, If it’s held to high or sinks in too deep then that’s where you start running into problems.
If you don’t quite understand check out the diagram below from Insomnia.net of the problems a back sleeper can face when he doesn’t have the right support.
It doesn’t matter if you’re on your side or your back, if your neck isn’t held in the proper position you’re going to wake up with a sore neck. But what causes this bad support? It’s usually one of two things:
- Your pillow is old
Old pillows have gone through a lot. Countless nights of having heads flattened down on them, it’s left them flat and lifeless and in need of retirement. Pillows normally last 1-2 years before they need to be replaced.
Now a new pillow is still plump and firm, exactly what you need to keep your head in the right position.
- Wrong Filing
You have to make sure you’re getting the right type of pillow if you’re getting neck pain. A feather pillow, for instance, will offer you next to no support, your head just sinks all the way through. Some synthetic pillows are OK but the real magic comes from memory foam.
Memory foam pillows are firm yet spongy so your head sinks into the correct position while taking the pressure off your neck. Exactly what you need to deal with a stiff neck.
What about sleeping position?
The only sleeping position that can really affect your neck pain is if you sleep on your front. As long as you have the right pillow sleeping on your back or side is the best way to go.
Other Causes of Morning Neck Pain
Of course it could be that there is a medical reason behind your morning neck pain in which you should definitely consult a GP. It could be a case of general wear and tear from a life time of using your neck which is a form of arthritis.
It could even be a pinched nerve or if you’ve ever been in some sort of crash you might have given yourself whiplash. In these cases a better pillow might help relieve pain but it certainly won’t get rid of it so I can’t stress enough that you should consult a doctor if you’re concerned. The NHS website has more information for those who need it.