Neck pain can make it difficult to get a good night's sleep and enjoy your day afterward. Lack of quality sleep adversely affects your energy levels, mood, and concentration while worsening pain issues. Fortunately, there are some steps you can try to manage or decrease neck discomfort while enjoying a healthy and restful sleep.

How to Improve Your Sleep With Neck Pain

1. Choose the Right Pillow

In general, you want a pillow that supports the natural position of the neck when lying down, an angle that doesn't force the neck into curvatures that compress nerves or muscles and exacerbate pain. For those who sleep on their back, go for a thin pillow. Side sleepers should use a thicker pillow that places as little stress on the neck as possible, holding it up at a level even with the shoulders.

Try not to sleep on your stomach at all, as this position exerts significant pressure when your neck is turned to the side. If you're a committed stomach-sleeper, though, find a pillow that allows you to sleep facedown as much as possible.

2. Apply Heat to the Neck Prior to Sleep

About 15 minutes before bedtime, apply a heat pack to the sore area of the neck. Heat dilates blood vessels and encourages blood flow, helping tight muscles relax.

Reusable heat packs are a wise investment, especially if your neck pain is an ongoing issue; simply put the pack in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up, then wrap it in a light towel or cloth and place it against the neck.

3. Ditch Electronics at Least a Half-Hour Before Bed

The use of electronic devices can aggravate neck pain and make quality sleep elusive. When a person uses a smartphone or tablet, the natural tendency is to hunch the neck and shoulders and bend the head forward. The resulting pain even has its own name: text neck.

Electronics also give off blue light, which may inhibit the release of melatonin, a hormone crucial to the regulation of a healthy sleep cycle. Experts recommend shutting down all electronics at least 30 minutes before going to sleep.

Chronic neck pain should never be ignored. The professionals at O'Fallon Pain Relief Associates are here to help. Serving the St. Charles County, MO, area, they offer a variety of pain relief solutions, including diagnostics, physical therapy and rehabilitation, and nonsurgical spinal decompression. They’re dedicated to helping you find the treatments that allow you to live a full, healthy, and pain-free life. Call (636) 978-3000 or visit their website to schedule an appointment.