When Your Neck Hurts From Sleeping Wrong, What Helps?

If you have ever "slept wrong" and woken up stiff and sore, you know that sleep posture strongly influences the quality of your sleep. Poor posture when sleeping can lead to neck pain, and you may also have a headache, arm pain, and shoulder blade pain. There are ways to help improve sleep posture for a more restful sleep and a more comfortable morning.

This article will discuss why your neck may hurt when you wake up, how to relieve and prevent neck pain that results from sleeping, the best positions to sleep in to avoid neck pain, what to look for in a pillow, and what to do if your neck pain is persistent.

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Neck pain in the morning is typically a result of muscle spasms (sharp muscle contractions) caused by muscle strain.

Poor posture, both during the day and at night, can lead to these muscle spasms. Physical and emotional stress, and injuries to the muscle from sport, a motor vehicle accident, or other causes, may also cause neck pain.

Sleeping problems other than posture, such as trouble falling and staying asleep, waking early in the morning, or non-restorative sleep, can also increase the likelihood of neck pain.

One study of 4,140 people found that compared to the participants who did not have sleep problems, those who reported moderate to severe difficulties with at least three of those four sleep problems were significantly more likely to develop chronic musculoskeletal pain after one year.

This may be due to the disruption of muscle relaxation and healing that typically occurs during sleep and the vicious cycle of pain disrupting sleep and disrupted sleep causing pain.

Pay attention to how you feel when you wake up, as it can give you clues to certain health concerns. For example, those with a sleep apnea (when breathing stops and starts during the night) may experience symptoms upon wake-up such as:

It is important to take steps to both treat the current neck pain, and prevent it from happening again. This may include:

The key to good sleep posture is alignment. Sleeping in a neutral position reduces the strain on your neck and back, helping to prevent pain.

In a neutral position, your ears, shoulders, and hips are as aligned as possible. Some ways to help achieve better alignment include:

Choose a mattress that supports the natural curves of your spine and that you find comfortable. You mattress should allow you to wake up feeling rested and without pain or soreness.

Other mattress tips include:

The right pillow helps to keep your spine in the proper position. When choosing a pillow for your head, look for one that:

For the first two days after straining a muscle in your neck, you can apply cold compresses, such as a cold pack, ice wrapped in a wet cloth, a frozen towel, or a bag of frozen vegetables. When using cold on your neck:

If your neck is still sore after 48 hours, you can try applying heat to increase blood flow and help improve healing. When applying heat:

Stretching and strengthening exercises can help relieve current neck pain, and prevent neck pain from happening in the future.

Types of exercises you might try include:

If other measures are not bringing you relief from your neck pain, talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist using over-the-counter (OTC) medications (those not requiring a prescription) that might help. These may include:

Never give aspirin to children or teenagers without first checking with your healthcare provider, as doing so has been linked to a rare but serious disorder called Reye's syndrome.

If OTC medications are still not effective, talk to your healthcare provider about prescription options.

Some things that may help with chronic neck pain include:

Sleep position is about more than comfort.

The best sleep position for avoiding neck pain is on your back, although most people find this position too uncomfortable to get a deep sleep.

When sleeping on your back, put a pillow under your head and neck and another one underneath your knees to help with spine alignment.

Avoid sleeping on your back if you are pregnant, as this decreases circulation to the heart and baby.

Side sleeping is a good alternative for those who can't sleep on their back or who find it too uncomfortable. It also keeps airways open, making it a good position for those with sleep apnea or for people who snore.

While it is often comfortable to sleep in what is known as the fetal position, with legs curled up, this can make for an uneven distribution of weight and lead to back pain and sore joints. It can also lead to hip pain (hip bursitis) and shoulder pain, including shoulder bursitis.

If you can manage it, try to sleep with your legs straight out in a relaxed position and a pillow tucked between your knees. Untuck your chin as well.

Avoid sleeping on your stomach. This position causes you to sleep with your neck turned, which can lead to pain in the upper back and neck. It also affects the natural curve of the spine, putting more pressure on the spine's muscles and joints than other sleeping positions.

You can enhance the quality of sleep by using a good pillow that is suited to your needs and sleep habits and properly supports your neck.

Although it sounds counterintuitive, using your initial perception of comfort to choose a pillow can be misleading and end up causing more neck pain.

Soft pillows tend to rank higher for initial comfort but become more uncomfortable later. Firm pillows, on the other hand, can seem less comfortable at first, but help in the long run by stabilizing the spine and reducing spinal distortion.

While firm pillows can help, avoid pillows that are too stiff or too high, as this can keep the neck flexed leading to pain and stiffness.

Which pillow to choose is influenced by your sleep position, including:

Texture matters too. Two options are:

In some cases, neck pain may mean more is at play than strained muscles from poor sleep posture, such as arthritis, a compressed nerve, an infection, or another underlying problem.

Talk to your healthcare provider if your neck pain is:

Your healthcare provider may suggest further treatment or refer you to a specialist such as a:

A stiff or sore neck in the morning is often caused by muscle strain that leads to muscle spasms. This can be caused by poor sleep posture and other sleep problems.

Some ways to help include sleeping in a neutral position, choosing the right mattress and pillow, applying cold or heat, doing gentle stretching and strengthening exercises, and taking medication.

Unless you have sleep apnea, are pregnant, or have a condition that prohibits it, the best position to sleep in to help prevent neck pain is on your back, with on your side a good alternative. Avoid sleeping on your stomach.

Choose a pillow that supports your neck and head and helps keep your spine in alignment. Use additional support pillows as needed, such as under or between your knees.

Talk to your healthcare provider if you have additional symptoms that suggest you need immediate medical attention or if your neck pain is severe, persistent, or concerning you.

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By Heather JonesHeather M. Jones is a freelance writer with a strong focus on health, parenting, disability,and feminism.