Did you know your pillow could be causing a sore neck on first waking up?! Time to change it!
How does a bad pillow affect your neck?
Do you have a supportive pillow that can support your neck while you are asleep? If you sleep on your tummy, chances are your head is turned to one side. None of us have beds with holes in them at home, do we? This position of your neck puts your muscles at an awkward angle and strain your neck joints giving you neck pain or headaches on waking up. Bad sitting/standing posture at work will further cause tightening up of your neck muscles. A normal flat pillow will definitely not support your neck at night. You will end up with a sore neck or headache in the morning. This is where contoured pillows come in to play.
What kind should you use?
Contoured pillows have a bump on either side that is designed to support your neck. The bump on the pillow supports the neck whether you are a side sleeper or back sleeper. The curve in the centre of the pillow supports the head which allows for a good sleeping posture for your head and neck. The pillows we have in our clinic also have inserts in them making them adjustable for the height you prefer (lower by taking them out or left in if the height is perfect for you).
If the pillow is supportive, you may not even feel the need to rotate on your tummy! which will of course prevent undue stress on the joints on your beck at night.