Millions of Americans suffer from chronic pain daily. Although everyone's source of pain is different, for many, the way they sleep plays a huge role. Like many who suffer from neck and shoulder pain, you may have went out of your way to purchase the perfect mattress & pillow to help ease the pain but to no avail. If you still wake up feeling sore, it may be time for you to adjust how you sleep!
Did you know that most American sleep on their sides? Although some say they can sleep on their sides with no adverse side effects, it is not the best sleep posture. Aside from potentially cause shoulder & hip pain, sleeping on your side can aggravate heartburn. However some sleep experts say that it may not be necessary to change your sleep position if it works for you. If you do sleep on your side, try tucking a pillow under your knees to support your back. On the other hand, if you wake up in pain, try switching up your sleep posture.
There's another category of sleepers who have a habit of sleeping on their stomach. This is possibly the worst sleep posture as it can cause numbness and tingling. If you turning your head to either sides to sleep, it can also cause stiffness and joint paint in the neck and shoulder areas. Some sleep experts advise that if you sleep on your stomach, try putting a pillow on your forehead so that your face is slightly elevated and you can sleep facing downwards. This can potentially help prevent you from getting that crick in your neck.
In one study, statistics show that about eight percent of people sleep on their back. If that's you, apparently this is one of the best sleep postures to manage your shoulder and neck pain. This is a neutral position that helps reduce aches and heartburn, since your head is elevated above your chest. Make sure to choose a pillow that is just thick enough so that your head is level with your body. If you want to give sleeping on your back a try, you can put pillows on both sides and under your knees to help keep you in place so that you don't turn onto your sides. However, if you wake up on your side again, don't fret! It will take some time to adjust.
Of course, if you find yourself suffering from new symptoms after swapping to this position, then perhaps this isn't the sleep position for you. Having a hard time just falling asleep? Then perhaps you are low on magnesium! In fact, nearly 75% of adults are magnesium deficient. Try FarmHaven's Magnesium supplement, which combines two high absorption types of magnesium with Vitamin D3 and magnesium-rich veggies to create the perfect formula to help promote relaxation and support your sleep.