Have you been waking up with a stiff neck? Read about the causes and solutions

Dhwani Vora | May 6, 2020, 11:46 IST
You can wake up in a jiffy with your alarm ringing right next to your ear or you can simply wake up with a stiff neck because you slept wrong. If it's not both, you're mostly in a mystery about the stiff neck. But all in all, waking up with a stiff neck is a very common experience.

You must be thinking about how your sleeping position went wrong or maybe you pulled a muscle while sleeping which made you wake up sore. But actually a few common mistakes can also lead up to the morning experience of neck pain and stiffness.

If you pay attention to your sleeping positions - sleeping on the belly could be the cause behind your stiff neck. Belly sleeping can create an extreme rotation of the next which can lead to sore neck the next morning.

Over-sized pillows can also be a cause of neck flexion which results in discomfort.

You can try sleeping on your back or your side and invest in a good mattress that doesn't sag. You also need to use a pillow that supports the curvature in your neck.

Your pillow should not be placed just under your head but under your neck too. It should also not be too firm or flat or too large.

Even your daytime habits can be accountable. Poor working postures and excessive usage of phone could cause strain your neck muscles and discs. Daily stress and anxiety could also crease muscle tightness.

- To get rid of neck stiffness, you can use a hot shower as it can loosen up the muscles.

- You can also massage the area as it can alleviate the pain. You can first check with the doctor in order to analyze any kind of risk.

- You need to start maintaining a good posture and try some meditation or gentle stretching exercises to help with the stress and promote muscle relaxation too.

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