2 Worst Sleeping Positions For Neck Pain: How to avoid them
 
If you suffer from neck pain you might be conscious of your sitting posture while you are at work or while doing home chores or driving. But you also need to consider your posture when sleeping to avoid positions that can cause or aggravate neck pain. In this blog we will discuss the 2 worst sleeping positions if you suffer from neck pain followed by 2 tips on how to avoid them. 
 
The first sleeping posture that can cause or aggravate neck pain is sleeping on your stomach. When you sleep on your tummy your neck will be turned to one side or the other. This can cause a lot of stress on your neck muscles, cervical spine, ligaments, etc. These stresses will gradually build up for the six or eight hours that you are asleep. In order to avoid this try and make a gradual transition to sleeping on your side and then (if you wish to) sleeping on your back. Sleeping on your stomach can also lead to back pain. You can read more about it HERE

A simple tip to avoid sleeping on the stomach is to start off sleeping on your side at night and keeping a stack of pillows or a thick bolster in front of your body to avoid rolling on to your stomach in the night. Once you master this side lying position you can then gradually transition to sleeping on your back by keeping pillows on either side of your body when lying on your back. These pillows will prevent you from rolling on to your side and stomach. It is not easy to transition out of tummy sleeping to side lying or back sleeping as this is your ‘comfortable’ position. But try and do this gradually taking baby steps every day. Do not expect it to happen in a matter of day. It may take weeks or months, but is well worth it. HERE are the pillows that I use and recommend.

The second sleeping posture that can cause or aggravate neck is keeping your hand or arm under your head when you're sleeping. This causes a strain on your scapular, arm, forearm, neck muscles and ligaments along with your spine (neck and midback). If you are a side sleeper this usually happens when you use a very thin pillow or do not use a pillow at all. Ideally when you sleep on your side the height of the pillow should be equal to the distance between your earlobe and the tip of your shoulder. If it is thicker then your head will be tilted away from the pillow. If your pillow is thinner then your neck will be tilted towards the pillow. This can lead to tucking your arm or hand under the head to support your neck into a neutral position i.e. a good posture. 

Watch this video to learn more about how these two sleeping postures can lead to or aggravate your existing neck pain:


HERE is a guide to help you How can you avoid neck pain when working from home. It is also applicable whenever you are sitting, whether at work in the office or watching television in the house. 

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MEET SWATI

 
Hi there! 
I am Swati, an Executive Mum Power Coach and a Certified Posture Expert. I use my proven system to help mums of younger kids working in high-stress executive jobs manage their back, neck, and nerve pains, despite low energy levels and brain fog. I do all this without taking away a big chunk of their time out of their already busy day. This enables them to be more productive and capable professionals at work and guilt-free mums who can focus on their kids instead of always being distracted by pain. 



My passion for helping executive mums stems from my own experiences. I have been in the same boat and understand the frustration and helplessness of being in constant pain or being afraid to engage in activities due to the fear of pain. After two pregnancies in the span of three years and juggling my two kids, housework, and a demanding job, I was constantly in pain. The weight gain from motherhood added extra stress to my already overburdened spine and joints. I was stuck in a vicious cycle of weight loss and spinal/nerve pain that I just couldn’t break free from.

On top of the physical pain, I also suffered from adrenal fatigue. I often felt exhausted, waking up groggy even after a full night’s (10 to 12 plus hours!) sleep, and struggled with low energy levels and brain fog. Simple tasks became challenging, and I found myself forgetting things and unable to think clearly. It was incredibly frustrating and made it even harder to balance my professional responsibilities and family life.

My work involved long hours of standing during the day, prolonged hours on the laptop in the evening, and lots of running around and rocking my kids to sleep in between. Despite my knowledge and expertise in pain relief, I still found myself unable to escape the constant daily pain and fatigue.

Sitting at a desk job from 9 to 5, or longer, plus endless meetings that seem to go on forever. The frequent traveling, the uncomfortable hotel pillows that make it impossible to get a good night’s sleep—I’ve experienced it all. I remember not being able to share my discomfort at work because I felt like an imposter, talking about pain relief strategies and focusing on work while I was not able to achieve it myself. I didn’t disclose the extent of my pain and forgetfulness to my colleagues for years. Even though I loved my kids and my job, I couldn’t give 100% to either. The discomfort held me back from reaching my full potential, making me feel guilty as a mum and less productive at work. I felt like I was constantly running on empty, unable to catch a break from the pain and exhaustion.

finally got fed up after years of trying and decided to make a New Year’s resolution to get ‘healthy’ instead of focusing solely on my pain, fatigue, forgetfulness, and weight loss. When I shifted my focus to getting healthier by reducing the inflammation in my body and addressing my adrenal fatigue, the pain started to decrease, my energy levels and focus improved, and the pounds started shedding off too! That, of course, meant a happier spine, nerves, joints, and a happier me! Today, my neck, back, and nerve pain are down to zero, my knee pain has reduced by 75%, my brain fog has reduced drastically and my energy levels are higher than ever. I realized that I had been focusing on the wrong solutions for over a decade!

Now, my mission is to share my knowledge of pain relief and managing adrenal fatigue along with my personal experience with other mums, especially those with younger kids who work in high-stress executive jobs. My goal is to help you find lasting relief, boost your energy, and reclaim your life, just as I did. 

If you can relate to all this, you are not alone. As a mum, I have been there and done that—momma, I got you! I’ve helped hundreds of mums in this situation over the years find their solution to manage spinal and joint pains, low energy levels, and brain fog that hold them back. This enables them to feel confidently in control and empowers them to cultivate that confidence and productivity at work and enjoy being with their kids, to be able to run around with them without the fear of injury or pain.

Are you ready for this journey? Ask me how if you are curious.

Let's DO THIS!
xx Swati
** Executive Mum Power Coach **

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