How to Find the Best Sleeping Posture for Neck Pain Relief
Jan 5, 2025
Waking up with neck pain can ruin your whole day. Suddenly, simple tasks like looking over your shoulder while driving or turning your head to talk to someone become uncomfortable, if not painful.
Finding the best sleeping posture for neck pain can help you avoid these rough mornings. This guide will help you discover how to wake up pain-free and refreshed every morning by uncovering the best sleeping posture to prevent neck discomfort.
Posture AI's posture app offers personalized solutions to improve your posture and sleeping habits to eliminate neck pain. With its engaging platform, you can quickly achieve your goals and find relief. Download for free.
Table of Content
What Is Sleep Posture and Why It Matters
Sleep posture refers to the way a person positions their body during sleep. Like sitting and standing, sleep posture is a type of static posture or how a person holds their body during periods of inactivity. How a person moves when walking, exercising, or working is called dynamic posture. People spend significant portions of their day in static postures. Over time, both static and dynamic postures affect overall health and well-being.
The Importance of Sleep Posture
Posture describes the position of the spine and other bones and muscles in the body. The spine begins at the base of the skull and curves along the neck and back to the pelvis. Maintaining the natural S-shaped curves of the spine while at rest promotes good posture, better overall sleep quality, and many other health benefits.
Factors That Complicate Sleep Posture
Several factors can make it hard to maintain proper sleep posture.
Age
As people grow older, they tend to lose some flexibility in their posture. This can cause the spine to become more curved, making it harder to stand up straight. Older adults are also more likely to develop conditions that affect the structure and health of the spine, like arthritis or osteoporosis.
Mental Health
Some evidence shows that a person’s mental state can affect their posture. People who are depressed tend to curve their spines inwards or slump their shoulders. Both depression and anxiety are often associated with chronic neck pain or stiffness.
Pregnancy
Pregnant people usually must adjust their dynamic and static postures to adapt to a growing midsection. In the later stages of pregnancy, people may need to adjust their usual sleep positions or use additional support in bed to find comfort.
Changes in Weight
Extra body weight can affect the strength of the abdominal muscles and stress the spine. A person’s weight can also lead them to choose sleeping on the side over other positions.
Pain
Both acute and chronic pain can change the way a person moves and holds their body. People in physical pain may need to pay careful attention to their static and dynamic postures to help prevent further injury or delayed recovery.
Sleep Systems and Posture
The Sleep system also influences sleep posture, which combines mattress and mattress support, such as a box spring and bed frame. Sleep systems can vary widely in their material components and levels of support or firmness. Selecting the right sleep system is especially important if other factors may be affecting posture or causing discomfort.
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3 Key Benefits of Good Sleep Posture
Good sleep posture maintains the natural curvature of the spine while a person is lying down. The spine is crucial to body function. It protects the spinal cord and helps balance and distribute weight across the body’s muscles and bones. The spine may become misaligned if a person’s head and neck are not adequately supported or their hips are twisted while they sleep.
Poor sleep posture can lead to neck and back pain, limiting mobility and significantly affecting a person’s quality of life. Good sleep posture, on the other hand, reduces the likelihood of waking up with pain and offers various health benefits.
1. Reduced Back Pain
Back pain is a common ailment amongst adults of all ages, with about 84% of people reporting back pain at some point. Poor sleep posture can cause back pain and aggravate existing back pain by putting extra strain on the upper or lower spine. For example, sleeping in a prone position or on your stomach is associated with neck pain upon waking.
Some sleep postures may reduce the likelihood of back or neck pain. Side sleeping in a curled position called the fetal position, or with one leg supported by bedding, may help prevent or relieve neck and back pain. For some, sleeping in the supine position or flat on your back can also help with back pain, as long as a pillow sufficiently supports the head and neck.
2. Better Breathing
During sleep, the muscles around the airway naturally relax. Sometimes, as air flows through the upper airway, these relaxed tissues can flutter and vibrate, causing snoring. Lying flat on the back increases the likelihood of snoring, possibly due to gravity. This position is also associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep disorder characterized by frequent breathing disruptions due to tissues collapsing into the airway.
For people who snore or have OSA, adjusting the sleep position might alleviate some of their symptoms when combined with other therapies or lifestyle changes. Adults who snore but wish to continue sleeping on their backs might consider using a wedge pillow or adjustable mattress to boost the head and back.
For people with OSA that gets worse in the supine position, turning to sleep on the side can sometimes reduce the frequency of breathing disruptions.
“Sleeping on the left side helps to keep the airways open, reducing snoring and alleviating mild sleep apnea.”
Dr. Anis Rehman, Internal Medicine Physician
3. Improved Sleep Quality
Sleep posture directly affects the quality of a person’s sleep. Poor posture is associated with poor-quality sleep, while good posture is associated with higher-quality sleep. Sleep quality can be measured subjectively by how well-rested a person reports feeling the next day and objectively by how much time is spent in each stage of sleep and how often they wake up during the night.
A person’s mattress and bedding can make a difference in whether they can find a good sleep posture. Research shows that people who sleep on moderately firm mattresses, with bedding that keeps the head and neck aligned with the spine, report better sleep quality, less pain, and decreased stress levels.
Good posture can also induce more extended periods in deep sleep, the stage that helps people feel the most refreshed upon waking up.
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Factors That Can Contribute to Neck Pain
Mattress Support: How Firmness Affects Neck Pain
You won’t find a one-size-fits-all answer to how firm a mattress should be to reduce neck pain. A mattress that is too firm or soft can contribute to neck pain for some people. “It can put stress on your neck as you sleep,” explains Cody Anderson, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Hinge Health. A medium-firm mattress is generally a comfortable option for people, according to a 2021 study published in the Journal of Orthopedics and Traumatology. But remember: A softer or firmer mattress isn’t harmful or wrong if those mattresses are more comfortable for you.
Do you need more or less support? You can try a few experiments. Put a plywood board under your mattress, or place your mattress on the floor. Shopping for something firmer is worthwhile if you notice an improvement in pain or comfort. Try an eggshell mattress topper to see if a softer bed feels better. Or take note of how your neck feels after sleeping in a hotel or another bed.
What’s Your Sleeping Position?
If you sleep with your neck at an awkward angle, you may wake up with stiffness and pain. It helps to note whether sleeping in certain positions consistently impacts your pain. (If not, the sleeping position may not contribute to your pain.) Read more below about tweaks to your sleeping position.
Pillow Talk: Does Your Pillow Need to be Replaced?
Your pillow’s job is to hold your neck and head at the right height. If the pillow is too high or too low relative to what’s comfortable, your neck muscles try to compensate for the lack of support. Sometimes, this can trigger neck strain and pain. Try using a different pillow that is more or less plump for a few nights and see if that helps your pain the following day.
Other Causes of Neck Pain While Sleeping
Here are some other reasons you may have neck pain that disrupts your sleep:
Use your bed or couch as your office. A 2019 study published in Work found that people reported more neck pain after working on a laptop from either location. “Since you’re not in a chair with good back support, you end up sitting slouched, which puts your neck in an awkward position,” says Dr. Anderson.
While that’s not necessarily the sole cause of neck pain, muscles can stiffen up from disuse at night, leading to more pain. While there’s no perfect position or right way to sit at work, getting up often and moving (at least every hour) is essential to give your body a break.
Feeling stressed. According to a 2022 paper published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, stress can trigger or worsen neck pain. “When you’re stressed, your body holds tension in your neck and shoulder muscles,” explains Dr. Anderson. This can persist, even at night.
Cervical spine pain. Certain conditions, like neck arthritis, can cause neck pain that worsens at night (when your neck is in one position for a prolonged period). Other conditions, like whiplash from a car accident, can also contribute to this.
How to Find the Best Sleeping Posture for Neck Pain Relief
The Lowdown on Back Sleeping for Neck Pain
There’s no right or wrong position for sleeping with neck pain, stresses Dr. Anderson. “Most of the time, people end up in the best sleep position for them.” But there are some tweaks you can try making to your current sleeping position to ease neck pain during sleep.
1. Back sleepers
This position suits many people, provided you don’t sleep on a pancake-flat pillow. “Here, some pillow support for your neck is good,” says Dr. Anderson. “If your head is flat against the bed, this may cause neck muscle tension.” You can also place a pillow beneath your knees or thighs to help relax your neck muscles.
Side Sleeping: A Good Option for Neck Pain
2. Side sleepers.
A 2019 review published in the journal BMJ Open found that side sleeping was generally a good option for people who experience neck pain. While that doesn’t mean it’s most comfortable for everyone with neck pain, it can be a good position to try. It might help to use a pillow that’s higher under your neck than your head. You could also experiment using a wedge-shaped pillow or a couple of pillows behind you. (Note: This technique works for some people because it prevents you from rolling around in your sleep. But it can make some feel stiff in the morning because it keeps them in the same position all night.)
The Trouble With Stomach Sleeping
3. Stomach sleepers.
This position can be tricky because you need to turn your neck to one side or the other to breathe, contributing to some stiffness when you wake up. You can help fix this by placing pillows under your chest or body. If it’s still uncomfortable, consider sleeping without a pillow under your head.
Other Tips to Help Your Neck Pain While You Sleep
In addition to the above adjustments to your sleep position, these tips can help ensure you and your neck get the rest you need.
Do some nighttime stretches. As part of your bedtime routine, gentle exercises can help reduce stress, making your muscles less likely to stiffen and tighten during the night, says Dr. Anderson. (See our next section for some specific stretches.)
Practice good sleep hygiene. You may have heard that you should avoid looking at screens like TVs, phones, laptops, and iPads as bedtime approaches since the blue light they emit can make it harder to fall asleep. Using these devices for long periods is also not good for your neck. “Every time you look down at your tablet or phone, you contribute to strain on your neck,” says Dr. Anderson. Opt for old-school books instead.
Apply heat. Use a hot water bottle or damp hot towel on your sore neck for a few minutes before sleep to help relax tight muscles and relieve spasms.
Stay active during the day. A 2020 study published in Psychological Health Medicine found that mood and sleep quality improved among patients with chronic neck pain when they increased their exercise levels. “Physical activity increases endorphins, which helps your body better deal with pain,” explains Dr. Anderson. It also has been shown to improve sleep quality.
Consider physical therapy. If you’ve tried all the above, and your neck pain still impacts your sleep quality, you might benefit from a short course of physical therapy, advises Dr. Anderson. Your physical therapist can help determine what may be contributing to your neck pain and create a tailored exercise and stretching program so that you can get to sleep with minimal discomfort. You can see a physical therapist in person or use a program like Hinge Health to access a PT via telehealth/video visit.
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Improve Your Posture with Our Posture Correction App
Posture AI is an app that helps you analyze and correct your posture using your smartphone camera and artificial intelligence. First, take pictures of your posture from the front and side.
The app’s AI technology scans your photos and generates an instant report summarizing your posture and highlighting any issues. Then, it creates a personalized corrective exercise program to help you improve. You can even track your progress over time.