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Home Remedies for Neck Pain from Poor Sleep Posture

Home Remedies for Neck Pain from Poor Sleep Posture - El Paso Chiropractor

Occasionally, people may wake up with neck pain from sleeping in an awkward position throughout the night. While often regarded as a common issue that is nothing more than irritating, the symptom of neck pain associated with incorrect sleeping posture can be extremely painful.

During deep sleep, the head can drop into a position which may place unnecessary amounts of stress on the neck muscles and other surrounding tissues of the cervical spine. After some time in an uncomfortable position, the brain is capable of sensing this disruption where it will then command your body to reposition itself in order for the neck to get some relief. Alternatively, many people can also choose to ignore the agitation, aggravating the strain on the neck further. Consequently, neck pain the following morning is the most common outcome. While there’s a variety of methods to prevent neck pain as well as a variety of treatments for individuals with other neck complications, if you’re already experiencing neck pain symptoms, there’s several simple solutions you can follow before you receive medical attention to find relief for your neck pain.   

Foremost, give your neck a rest. The head weighs approximately 20 lbs. One can consider this to be a lot of weight for the neck alone to support. Through an improper posture, especially during sleep, the muscles are forced to work extra in order to properly hold the natural posture of the neck, causing the muscles and other tissues to overly stretch, ultimately weakening. Give your muscles a break. During the spare time you have before visiting the doctor, lie down, making sure your head is in a neutral position and that you’re using a comfortable pillow. More rest can often be a good remedy even if you’ve just rolled out of bed. Also, it is best to avoid feeling stress in the meantime. Stress can cause tension to build up around the shoulders and neck area, both which are not recommended with the previous presence of neck pain. If the muscles tighten, the complex structures surrounding the cervical spine can become irritated and even inflamed, causing further symptoms of pain and discomfort.

Sometimes, heat therapy, for instance, using a warm damp towel around the affected area, can help increase circulation and is often effective in providing relief to stiff muscles. However, heat can make inflammation worse, and if your symptoms worsen, remove the heat immediately. Alternatively, ice therapy, or using an ice pack around the affected area, can help reduce the inflammation of the muscles and tissues, but for some individuals, cooling can aggravate other more serious issues, if your symptoms worsen, remove the ice immediately. These methods can be effective for relieving symptoms of neck pain but for more serious, chronic neck complications, the effects may only be temporary. If the symptoms of neck pain persist, it’s essential to seek immediate medical attention to diagnose any underlying conditions or severe injuries which could be causing the individual’s neck pain and discomfort.


The following methods are meant to serve as temporary solutions to neck pain from sleeping incorrectly. If an individual had a bad night of rest and they woke up experiencing discomfort, the above methods can be used to find some relief from their symptoms. But, if the individual experiences neck pain as a result of improper sleeping posture or from other sleep complications on a regular basis, it’s crucial for the individual so seek immediate medical attention to properly diagnose any possible injuries or underlying conditions the person might have and follow through with an appropriate treatment to help restore the individual’s natural state of being as well as improve their overall wellness to ensure them a good night’s sleep.

By Dr. Alex Jimenez



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The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, licensed physician, and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified health care professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and support, directly or indirectly, our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request. We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to contact us. Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN* email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com phone: 915-850-0900 Licensed in: Texas & New Mexico*