Have you ever woken up with a “crick” in your neck that ached for a couple of hours or even all day? Those happen when you’re either sleeping in the wrong position or using the wrong kind of pillow… or both. 

If you’re sleeping in a less than ideal position or using the wrong pillow, it will have a negative effect on your spine. Any kind of strain on your back or neck leads to pain, inflammation, and your body generally not performing at its best. Maintaining top spine performance with consistent chiropractic care is most effective if you are following good habits at home! 

Here are some tips I give clients who complain about good sleep hygiene related to their chiropractic care. 

Choose the right sleeping position

The position you sleep in throughout the night will make a major difference in how well you sleep and how well you feel when you wake up. 

Sleeping on either the left or right side or on your back is the healthiest for your neck. You can optimize your sleep while sleeping on your back by placing a pillow under your knees or a rolled towel under your lower back to maintain the spine’s general curve. 

Sleeping on your stomach, however, can cause multiple problems. It forces you to turn your neck into an awkward position and stomach sleeping also lacks proper support for your lower back. Be aware that this is a common sleeping for younger sleepers and it’s best if you can get them to learn other positions. 

Choose the right pillow 

In most cases, your neck should be in a neutral position while you sleep. You can achieve this by using only one pillow at a time and making sure the pillow is firm. That will allow your neck to stay straight. 

When my patients come in and suffer from chronic pain, I can usually tell what habits at home they are still doing that is causing the pain. Whether it’s a stiff neck from bad sleep habits or other back problems from an unhealthy workstation, I can help you learn better habits and take care of your spine with regular chiropractic adjustments. This will help you feel better and be more productive! Let’s schedule your appointment today.