So, one of the issues that annoys clients in pain is the issue of SLEEP; the lack of it, the quality of it and the best sleep set up.
So, for neck and shoulder issues you need to address head and neck position, aim for your head to be in line with your shoulders. Your pillow should not be too thick or too thin, this is all personal choice, my personal preference, would not be yours, so you need to be prepared for some trial and error. You are aiming a pillow that fits between head and shoulders. I normally find that two pillows are too much.
Also, how do you sleep? Are you a side sleeper? Do you sleep on your front or back, all of this must be considered.
The next most common issue with sleep in Low back pain.
If you are a side sleeper, put a pillow between your legs, this keeps your pelvis in a neutral position. If you sleep on your back put the pillow under your knees, like we do in clinic, this again helps put your pelvis is a nice comfortable position.
The other issue, people complain about is waking up in the night, particularly early in the morning at around 4-5am, this happens as our cortisol naturally dips at this point in our sleep cycle, so we experience pain more acutely. We also tend to “catastrophise” at this point in the morning, where normal rational thought goes out of the window. The answer to this is breathing. I realise that you probably have mastered breathing, as a normal functioning adult. But I am talking about conscious breathing, it’s much more effective than counting sheep.
The entry level technique, that I give to clients, is the double breath count. So, you breathe in for three and out for six. Inhale & Exhale.
Simple
This starts to reverse that anxiety driven, panic of waking up in the middle of the night/morning, by balancing your nervous systems; the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system, it is simple and very effective. This helps to regulate the “flight or fight” anxiety driven, shallow, rapid breathing, which in turn, relaxes us.
Your goal is then progress to the inhale for the count of 4 and exhale for the count of 8, then in for 5 and out for 10, which is harder than is sounds.
Why not give it a try!
Let me know what changes you make to your sleep set up…
Sleep well.
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