For executive mums, managing a demanding career along with family responsibilities can often lead to stress accumulating in your neck and shoulders. Extended periods hunched over a computer or constantly lifting children can intensify this discomfort. To combat these pains and ensure a restorative night's sleep, establishing a thoughtful night time routine is essential. In this blog lets discuss how you can alleviate neck and shoulder pain before bedtime.
First, evaluate your sleeping position. When sleeping on your stomach the neck has be turned to either left or right in order to breathe. This forces your spine into an awkward alignment creating a lot of stress around the cervical spine thereby causing neck pain. Instead, opt for sleeping on your back or side, which supports the natural curvature of your spine and reduces strain on your neck and shoulders.
To ease out of stomach sleeping, consider the quarter-turn position, which is a hybrid between side sleeping and lying on your stomach. This position is less stressful for your spine and helps you gradually transition to sleeping fully on your side or back. Additionally, placing a pillow or two in front of you can prevent you from rolling onto your stomach during the night.
Watch more details in this video on “Two easy tips to change your sleeping posture from sleeping on stomach to side or back sleeping”
For back sleepers the height of your pillow should be equal to the distance between your upper back and the back of your head. Side sleepers can benefit from using a pillow whose thickness is equal to the distance between the tip of the shoulder and ear lobe.
Incorporate relaxation techniques into your night time routine, such as gentle stretching or yoga, to relieve built-up tension in the neck and shoulders. Focus on stretches that elongate the neck muscles and ease shoulder tightness. You can also use essential oils to release any tight or achy muscles to enhance the feeling of relaxation.
End your day with a short meditation or deep-breathing exercise to reduce both physical and mental stress, which often exacerbates neck and shoulder pain. A simple technique to try is the 4-6-8 method: breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 6 seconds, and breathe out for 8 seconds or box breathing (square breathing) breathing in for a count of four, holding the breath for a count of four, exhaling for four seconds, and then holding again for four seconds similar to tracing the four straight lines of a square. Start at your comfort level and gradually build up your ability. This practice not only helps in relaxing your muscles but also calms the mind, setting the stage for a deeper and more restful sleep.
For more tips on optimizing your sleeping posture, here is a free guide on "How Can You Maintain a Good Posture While Sleeping." It provides details on the best sleeping positions, postures to avoid, and transitioning to better sleep habits.
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