According to Sleep
Disorders and Sleep Deprivation, human beings spend approximately 33
percent of their lives sleeping. This amounts to about one third of an individual’s
life, roughly the eight hours per day we need to function properly. Because of
this, neck pain and other symptoms present during sleep should be considered a
priority. Poor neck posture can result in constant stress being placed on the
complex structures of the neck which can ultimately lead to complications,
causing pain or an increase in symptoms that can lower the chance of
improvement.
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In healthy
individuals during sleep, the neck is at an increased risk of damage or injury
when the soft tissues become overly relaxed, resulting in strain from poorly
controlled movements and improper support while sleeping. For individuals with
previous neck disorders, the risk is combined with muscle and other tissue weakness
that may have been stretched before.
Improper sleeping posture is described as a form of continuous
stress which can lead to neck pain, shoulder pain and headaches. An individual
who sleeps on their back with a pillow that is too high, forcing the head
forward can create a disruption of the natural curvature in the neck. This
position hyperflexes the neck, stretching the muscles, ligaments, and other
tissues in the back of the neck. The longer a person sleeps this way, the more
damage can be caused, further aggravating neck pain and other sleeping
complications.
In the same way, sleeping on your side with a pillow that is
both too high or too low can ultimately cause issues with the soft tissues of
the neck, affected the structures surrounding the cervical spine, including
nerves and blood flow. When the muscles experience sustained stretching during
sleep, these are forced to work harder in order to prevent instability of the
spine, eventually causing muscle fatigue. This often leads to loss of strength
as well as increase the chance of spinal instability which can have negative
effects on the deeper tissues of the spine, such as the discs between the neck
bones.
Generally, individuals are not completely still while they
sleep as the body tends to normally change positions throughout the night,
however, it can only take a few moments of poor sleeping posture to cause
issues on your neck. In some cases, certain medications allow the body to
remain in a single position longer while in other circumstances, such as a
draft from a window or ceiling fan, can cause the muscles of the neck to
tighten abruptly during sleep, straining the tissues around the cervical spine.
In order to sleep effectively while avoiding poor sleeping
postures that can cause neck complications, utilizing special therapeutic
pillows can greatly help maintain the neck in a more suitable position while
sleeping. These types of pillows have separate areas for back and side sleeping
which are aligned according to the different sizes and height levels of a
variety of individuals.
Regardless of posture, individuals experiencing significant
symptoms of neck pain should seek immediate medical attention to properly
diagnose the presence of any types of injuries or underlying conditions which
may be causing your neck complications. Sleep is essential in order to maintain
the body’s proper function and balance, and if neck issues are causing you to
lose sleep, it’s important to begin treatment as soon as possible to prevent
other complications associated with lack of sleep. Chiropractic care focuses on
restoring the spine’s natural function through the use of spinal adjustments
and manual manipulations to carefully re-align the spine and reduce the amounts
of stress being placed on its surrounding structures as a result of a spinal
misalignment. Chiropractic is an effective alternate treatment frequently used
by many individuals to treat neck and back pain associated with injury or other
conditions.
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
