The Best Sleeping Position for Neck Pain, Pinched Nerves, & Arm

You may have heard that the best sleeping position for neck pain or pinched nerves and arm is on your side, but this can be difficult if you need to do something else while lying. Every person has a different sleeping position, and the one which works best for them may not work at all with someone else. Many sleep positions, such as side sleeping or sleeping directly on your back. However, each poses challenges in terms of pain relief, so it is important to find out what suits your body type before getting into bed.

The three most popular ones are:

• Side Sleeping
• Back Sleepers 
• Rolling Over onto Your Left-side

How to Sleep with a Pinched Nerve

For people with pinched nerves in the lower back, bending their knees may help ease discomfort. For side sleepers who experience shoulder pain while sleeping on one side, try an opposite direction instead of lying flat. You may also benefit from a proper bedtime ritual like snuggling a pillow around your shoulders so they’re beneath the injured area or placing small cushions underneath them if needed.

One good thing to do during the day to avoid pain in sleep is to take a rest every few minutes when driving. The best way to be in a resting position is by placing your neck against the headrest where it is comfortable.

How to Sleep with a Pinched Nerve in My Neck?

If you are experiencing neck pain due to a pinched nerve, use a pillow under your head and support it with something soft such as rolled towels or cervical pillows. This will provide comfort and proper spinal alignment in different sleeping postures.

How to Sleep with Cervical Radiculopathy

Radiculopathy is a common condition in which the spinal nerves are compressed. The symptoms can include weakness, tingling, or pain down one side of your body that doesn’t go away even after rest. The pain associated with this condition can cause sleep deprivation which can affect the person both physically and mentally.

A poor sleeping posture may even aggravate the symptoms associated with radiculopathy; fortunately for patients living in Ohio who may experience this condition, our chiropractors at N8 Family Chiropractic can help in identifying ailments related to the neck injury or any other issues that may have caused the discomfort. Additionally, with their expertise, our chiropractors will provide the necessary treatment to help you get rid of the condition.

Below, we’ve compiled four different positions to make you feel more at ease and maintain proper positioning of your head while asleep or awake.

Sleeping on Your Back

The best method for sleeping is to place your head on a pillow that has been specially designed with the proper support. It is recommended that you use a pillow that reinforces the curve of the neck while using flat ones as pillows. This way, the head, and neck are well-rested without tension to the neck joints and bones.

Side Sleeping

The side sleeper’s position is not as preferred, but it does provide better alignment than on their stomach or back. Side sleepers should use a tall pillow so that the neck can perfectly line up with the head and keep the spine straight. Keeping a straight spine helps promote healing and avoid severe pain during sleep.

Sleeping on Your Stomach

Sleeping on the stomach is not advisable for those who are suffering from radiculopathy because this position requires them to twist their neck to rest against the pillow. For those who prefer to sleep on their stomach, the best way to do so is by using thin pillows or no pillows at all. This option provides less stress on the neck joints and maintains them in a neutral position.

Sleeping Upright

Sleeping upright is a great way to get relief from back and neck pain. In fact, it has been used by many pregnant women as an excellent alternative for pillows to prevent the discomfort that can lead to premature labor. Instead of using the traditional fluffy square-kind pillow to cushion the head, use a U-shaped model on the neck and one small underneath pillow around the lower spine. This position will provide enough support to the body while keeping any excess leg weight off the spinal area.

Get a good night’s rest

Sleeping is one of the most important activities we do because this is our body’s way of resting and replenishing. Any form of discomfort we experience while sleeping can lead to an unproductive day, poor health, and mood problems. A person struggling with Neck Pain, Pinched Nerves, and Arm is already in agony, so poor sleep is the last thing that they need.

You deserve to enjoy your life and be pain-free. That’s why we developed the cervical radiculopathy guide with helpful information for you to follow. Schedule an appointment here or contact us if there you have questions about the procedure or if you know someone who may benefit from this.

We’re here to help!

References:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pinched-nerve/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354751

https://www.healthline.com/health/radiculopathy#diagnosis

https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases–conditions/cervical-radiculopathy-pinched-nerve/

https://www.cedars-sinai.org/health-library/diseases-and-conditions/r/radiculopathies.html