People who suffer from sleep disorders and from pain when they sleep often blame their pillow. When they wake up in the morning with a stiff neck or a sore shoulder they will inevitable put the blame on their pillow and their inability to get their pillow into a comfortable position. In most cases, this is actually a problem caused by both the pillow and the mattress on which you are sleeping. But, tackling both is complex, so this article will focus on pillows and supporting yourself properly. Memory foam pillows are an excellent option for many sleep conditions because of the excellent manner in which it supports head and neck in relation to your spine.

 

It is very important to position your head and neck properly in relation to your shoulder position. When you are lying in your bed, you need to remember that you should not let your shoulder get into a position that is 90 degrees to the mattress. In other words if you are a side sleeper, your shoulder should not rest directly beneath your body. Not only will you badly impact proper circulation as you rest all of your weight on your shoulder and arm but you also may trigger trapezium muscle spasms. This will cause pain and discomfort when you wake up because this muscle elevates your head when you are awake and is a muscle that really needs rest when you sleep. This position can also trigger a feeling of needing to elevate your head into an artificially high position. You may then use too many pillows or too large a pillow in the wrong material to prop your head up, which actually only makes the problem worse. Many pillows stuffed with down or poly fil can bunch up poorly and fail to support and "give" when needed to create a good sleeping position. Memory foam, though, contours to your body and alleviates much of this pressure.

 

If you think about spinal alignment, you want your head to be supported so that it continues to rest between your shoulder blades and maintains proper spinal and neck alignment. A pillow that holds your head to high or too low can cause problems because of triggered muscle spasms and cervical neck problems that develop because the muscles, joints, tendons and muscles are not getting enough rest in sleep.

 

If you have a pillow that puts too much pressure on your neck is the side sleep position, you can compromise the C2 and C3 vertebrae. The pressure irritates the muscles and joints in the upper neck, causing pain and discomfort and this can ultimately cause permanent disc and muscle injury. If you have a pillow that exerts too much pressure when you sleep on your back, you may aggravate your lower neck, in the C6 and C7 positions and that pain can cause severe problems in your shoulder muscles and all down your arms if the consistent problem causes disc problems.

 

Shoulder and neck problems are usually intimately related so if you suffer from one, you are likely to suffer from the other. If your head is properly supported in sleep, whether in the side sleep position or the back sleep position, you will eliminate many of these problems and maintain a healthier spine and musculature.

 

Although the right pillow, especially a memory foam pillow, will conform to your head, neck and shoulder position, can help – it is typically also an issue of your choice in mattress. If you suffer from consistent neck and shoulder pain from sleep, you should first purchase a memory foam pillow which will certainly alleviate some of the stress. Your next step should be to consider one of the many specialty sleep mattress options you have available to you. If memory foam is not the right choice, a high quality air bed or latex mattress might be the right choice.

 

No matter your ultimate choice, pay attention to your sleep position, especially to where your head is resting in relation to your shoulder and body. If you are out of alignment, do whatever you need to do to correct the issue. Your body will thank you in the morning.