Waking Up With Neck Pain: Your Sleep Position & Pillow Could Be Playing a Role

You go to bed feeling fine, but wake up with a stiff, sore neck that makes turning your head uncomfortable.

Sound familiar?

Morning neck pain is common, and while there's rarely one single cause, your sleeping position, pillow and the amount of time your neck spends in one position overnight can all play a role.

What Happens to Your Neck While You Sleep?

We spend approximately a third of our lives sleeping.

During those hours, your neck can remain in a relatively fixed position for long periods.

If your head is positioned too high, too low or rotated for hours, you may wake up feeling stiff or uncomfortable.

This doesn't necessarily mean you've “damaged” something overnight. Sometimes your neck simply hasn't appreciated spending several hours in that position.

Is There a Best Sleeping Position?

There's no perfect sleeping position for everyone.

For many people, side or back sleeping can make it easier to maintain a comfortable neck position.

Stomach sleeping requires you to rotate your head to one side to breathe, which can become uncomfortable for some people—particularly if they're already experiencing neck pain.

Ultimately, comfort matters.

What About Your Pillow?

The goal of your pillow is to comfortably support your head and neck.

If you're a side sleeper, you generally need enough pillow height to fill the space between your shoulder and head.

Back sleepers may be comfortable with a slightly lower pillow.

Rather than focusing on finding a “perfect” pillow, consider whether your current pillow allows you to relax without your neck feeling excessively bent or rotated.

Your Day Matters Too

Your pillow isn't always the culprit.

Long periods at a computer, looking down at your phone, stress, jaw clenching, training load and reduced movement throughout the day can all contribute to neck discomfort.

Sometimes waking up sore is simply when you notice a problem that has been building throughout the day.

When Should You Have It Assessed?

An occasional stiff neck that improves as you start moving isn't usually concerning.

However, if you're regularly waking with neck pain, experiencing significant restriction in movement or developing symptoms into your shoulder, arm or hand, it's worth having it assessed.

At Align & Restore Chiropractic in Strathmore, we can assess your neck movement and function and discuss whether your sleep setup or other daily factors may be contributing.