{"id":2322,"date":"2019-03-15T08:54:24","date_gmt":"2019-03-15T12:54:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/?p=2322"},"modified":"2019-09-28T12:16:19","modified_gmt":"2019-09-28T16:16:19","slug":"for-relief-from-common-aches-and-pains-change-the-way-you-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/for-relief-from-common-aches-and-pains-change-the-way-you-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"For Relief from Common Aches and Pains, Change the Way You Sleep"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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Whether you like to curl up on your side or sprawl flat out on your stomach, you probably have a favorite sleeping position. But did you know that if you suffer from common aches and pains, this familiar position might be aggravating your pain?Here\u2019s how to adapt your preferred sleeping style for pain relief and better<\/em>sleep<\/a>\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neck Pain<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Back-sleeping is often said to be the best position for neck pain<\/a>. But back\u2013sleeping can actually increase<\/em> neck discomfort when using a pillow that\u2019s too thick (which causes the head to flex forward) or too thin (which causes the head to flex backward).For back-sleepers:<\/strong> Be sure to use a pillow that keeps the neck in a neutral position, in line with the spine. When viewed from the side, the ear should be in line with the shoulders or slightly above them.For side-sleepers:<\/strong> Add a thin pillow or rolled-up bath towel between the neck and the mattress in addition to your regular pillow to provide neck support and prevent the spine from bending to either side.For stomach-sleepers:<\/strong>This position is the worst for neck pain because you\u2019ll need to turn your head to one side or the other, which puts strain on the neck. It\u2019s best to try another position, if possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Low-Back Pain<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many people say that their backs feel better<\/a> when they sleep on their backs, particularly if they use a pillow or two to slightly elevate the knees. But side-sleeping often feels more natural.For side-sleepers:<\/strong> Lie on one side in a \u201cstacked\u201d position, with your shoulders, knees and hips in up-and-down alignment and knees slightly bent. Helpful:<\/em> Place a pillow between your knees. This helps to prevent the top leg from rolling over the bottom, which can twist the spine.For stomach-sleepers:<\/strong> This position can strain your lower back. However, if you find it difficult to try the positions above, place a pillow under your stomach to reduce excessive spinal extension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knee Pain<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With knee pain, back-sleeping can be painful because the knees are extended all night\u2026but side-sleeping can cause irritation where the knees touch.For back-sleepers:<\/strong> Try placing a pillow under the knees to prevent them from overstraightening. Note:<\/em> This position can be painful for some people.For side-sleepers:<\/strong> Sleep with a pillow between your knees or use cloth knee pads (such as those that volleyball players wear), turning them sideways so that the area where the knees touch is well padded.For stomach-sleepers:<\/strong> This position can put painful pressure on your knees<\/a>. But if it\u2019s tough for you to switch to one of the above positions, put a pillow under your stomach to take some pressure off the knees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hip Pain<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For back- or stomach-sleepers:<\/strong> People with arthritis-related hip pain often have more pain when sleeping on their back or stomach. It\u2019s best to try side-sleeping (see below). However, a small pillow under the knees (when lying on your back) or under the stomach (when lying on your stomach) may provide some relief.For side-sleepers:<\/strong> Side-sleeping is usually best for arthritis-related<\/a> hip pain. Helpful:<\/em> Keep your knees slightly bent and use a pillow (a body pillow works well) between the knees and thighs to keep the hip in a more neutral position. If lying on one side is more painful than the other, switch sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You Can Change How You Sleep<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you get into bed, start in the position in which you would like to sleep. Then spend about a minute visualizing yourself staying in this position for the night. If you wake up and are out of position, calmly go back to the position you are trying to change to. In most cases, good progress can be made in four to six weeks, but it\u2019s something you\u2019ll need to keep working on\u2014it\u2019s easy to fall back into old habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source:<\/strong> Matthew O\u2019Rourke, PT, DPT, CSCS, OMT, adjunct professor of physical therapy at Simmons University in Boston and a physical therapist in the outpatient clinic at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts. Date:<\/strong> March 1, 2019 Publication:<\/strong> Bottom Line HealthMeasureMeasure
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Whether you like to curl up on your side or sprawl flat out on your stomach, you probably have a favorite sleeping position. But did you know that if you suffer from common aches and pains, this familiar position might be aggravating your pain?Here\u2019s how to adapt your preferred sleeping style for pain relief and … Continue reading For Relief from Common Aches and Pains, Change the Way You Sleep<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-for-your-body","pmpro-has-access"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4MGMb-Bs","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2322","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2322"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2322\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2325,"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2322\/revisions\/2325"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2322"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadershipshape.com\/wardroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}