# Sleeping is a pain in the neck **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 11, 2006, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-is-a-pain-in-the-neck/364066 "2006-07-11T18:31:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2006, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-is-a-pain-in-the-neck/364066/1 "2006-07-11T18:31:25Z")
Literally. I’m a tall guy with broad shoulders. At some point in my life I seem to have gotten into the habit of sleeping on my side. Occasionally, this seems to cause me to wake up with pain in my neck, shoulders, and upper back (usually in the shoulder blade area). It used to only happen occasionally, but now it seems like it’s getting more frequent. Sometimes, not even sleeping on my back helps. Has anyone else had problems like this? What can I do to prevent it? If the answer is as simple as “sleep on your back”, how do you train yourself to not roll over in your sleep? Grumpily and stiffly yours, **vibrotronica** ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2006, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-is-a-pain-in-the-neck/364066/2 "2006-07-11T18:54:46Z")
I’ve had the same problem on and off. I’ve found that it’s somewhat correlated to the age of my pillow. I bought a new firmer, thicker one, and it seemed to reduce the frequency of painful mornings. ---
**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2006, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-is-a-pain-in-the-neck/364066/3 "2006-07-11T19:02:28Z")
Woah, you’re a guy? For some reason I always thought otherwise. I have problems with neck, shoulder, and upper back pain, mostly stemming from when I broke my collarbone years ago and arthritis in my cervical vertebrae (the ones closest to the skull). I’ve tried every pillow in existence, with little change. Going to the chiropractor has helped temporarily, but I don’t have the kind of money to go as often as I’d like. One thing that has consistently helped though, is sleeping on the floor. We don’t have concrete under our floors, which helps. We pile a couple of comforters on top of our flocati rug and make camp there when our backs are acting up (my boyfriend has similar issues). Also, I try to stay away from really soft, squishy pillows. If you find you need more neck support, a good trick is to roll up a small towel and place it inside your pillowcusion toward the bottom, so your head rests on the pillow and the towel supports your neck. It makes a huge difference. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2006, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-is-a-pain-in-the-neck/364066/4 "2006-07-11T19:18:33Z")
Corollary question: Why do people on the SDMB always think I’m female? ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2006, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-is-a-pain-in-the-neck/364066/5 "2006-07-11T19:20:11Z")
Oh, and thanks for the answers, y’all! I’m definitely trying the towel trick! ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2006, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-is-a-pain-in-the-neck/364066/6 "2006-07-11T19:36:46Z")
> [@vibrotronica](#): > > Corollary question: Why do people on the SDMB always think I’m female? Because names ending in “ca” are almost always female, and names ending in “a” usually are. ---
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2006, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-is-a-pain-in-the-neck/364066/7 "2006-07-11T19:57:46Z")
> [@vibrotronica](#): > > Corollary question: Why do people on the SDMB always think I’m female? Because your name makes them think “Veronica”. It’s the same phenomenon that makes it possible to read the following paragraph: > [@](#): > > I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdgnieg The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer inwaht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt! so mcuh for sleplscchek! ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2006, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-is-a-pain-in-the-neck/364066/8 "2006-07-11T20:01:26Z")
It makes me think of a combination of vibrator and Veronica. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2006, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-is-a-pain-in-the-neck/364066/9 "2006-07-11T20:16:12Z")
OK, I can see the Veronica thing. FTR, my username comes from a villian in a “Space Ghost Coast to Coast” cartoon. And my neck still hurts. ---
**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2006, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-is-a-pain-in-the-neck/364066/10 "2006-07-11T20:38:35Z")
Personally, I liked to think of you as a vibrator-wielding action hero. I suppose I still can, with a few key anatomical edits. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2006, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-is-a-pain-in-the-neck/364066/11 "2006-07-11T21:48:17Z")
I have the same problem but dunno how to fix it. I have tried various pillows and sometimes a new firmer pillow helps for a while, but not for long. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-is-a-pain-in-the-neck/364066/12 "2006-07-12T15:26:12Z")
I tried the towel trick last night, and I found it surprisingly comfortable. I still have some pain this morning, but I think it’s residual from yesterday. The only thing was that when I wanted to roll over and sleep on my back (I’m an athletic sleeper, apparently) I had to adjust the pillows. Perhaps I can learn to do that in sleep. > [@](#): > > Personally, I liked to think of you as a vibrator-wielding action hero. I suppose I still can, with a few key anatomical edits. Hello, ladies! ---
**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-is-a-pain-in-the-neck/364066/13 "2006-07-12T15:47:40Z")
Another trick I’ve read, to keep from sleeping on your back is to sew something like a tennis ball to the back of a shirt and wear that to sleep. A tennis ball sounds rather obtrusive (and I guess that’s the point), but you might be able to modify this idea in some way. Haven’t tried it yet myself though.