Dabbl

              Have you ever woken up just wrong? Maybe your neck or back is sore? Or maybe you woke up with a headache for whatever reason? For some, it happens more often than others. But it’s never fun when it happens to you. There’s a couple tips and tricks I’ve learned to avoid waking up with this awful feeling. There’s also some remedies for after you wake up poorly to get rid of that groggy and sore feeling.

              How we wake up depends on how we sleep. If we sleep throughout the night poorly, that’s most likely how we will feel waking up. If you have soreness waking up, then you slept in a difficult position during the night. If this is your main issue with sleeping, I suggest you take a closer look at your sleep positions at the beginning and middle of the night. The best way to avoid any back or neck soreness is to fall asleep in the right position. If neck pain and headaches are the main issue for you, I recommend staying off your stomach. Sleeping on your stomach may feel comfortable in the short term, but over hours of being on your stomach throughout the night, it is only causing you more soreness than satisfaction. For this reason, I recommend sleeping on your side or back. Side sleeping is in fact the best position for neck or back pain because it keeps your spine and neck aligned. However sometimes this may become uncomfortable after a couple hours so if you are in need of a new position, then the back is the best alternative. Again, avoid stomach sleeping. Spine misalignment is the biggest factor for waking up sore and achy. Side sleeping is best for alignment and back sleeping is next best.

              The next thing to do if you are still waking up sore and achy is to take a look at your pillow. Is it fluffy or flat? Is it hard or soft? I personally like to find a balance where it’s not too fluffy and not too flat. And the firmness of the pillow needs to be just right as well. This could mean you should test out a few to see what you like. If you haven’t been pillow testing in a while, it might be something to think about. You may be happily surprised at what’s out there. Find what’s most comfortable for you. But for neck and back purpose, you want to look for a pillow that is right in the middle of flat and fluffy, and hard and soft. This will make sure your spine doesn’t sink or doesn’t sit at a harsh angle throughout the night.

              Let’s say you already woke up sore and need to know how to remedy it. This is never easy. I’ve woken up with blasting headaches before for no apparent reason other than sleeping wrong. This is the worst feeling. After a bad night’s sleep, I like to stretch my neck and even my back if that’s sore too. The trick is slowly move your head and neck from side to side. Eventually you can use your hands to apply extra pressure to the stretch. By placing you hand on your head, pull your head slowly so your ear is getting closer to your shoulder. This will stretch the sides of your neck. To stretch the back of your neck, take both hands and slowly pull your head down so your chin is getting closer to the bottom of your chest. These neck stretches will make you feel much better and help to loosen up any aches or pains accumulated overnight.

              Waken up sore or with a headache is never fun. And if you are careless about your sleeping position that may be a reason to reassess how you fall asleep at night. Proper sleep position is almost everything when it comes to waking up feeling refreshed. Try to sleep on your side as much as possible, with your spine and neck in alignment. Next, take a look at the pillow you are using and determine if it is causing your neck or back any soreness. Make sure your pillow is not too flat nor fluffy. Make sure it’s in the middle so it helps your neck stay aligned throughout the night. These tips and tricks should help anyone with morning aches and pains to feel better. The first step to having a good day is to get a good night’s sleep. Let’s make sure we do this by taking the proper approach to sleep.