How to Sleep With A Crick In Your Neck

Sore neck?

Neck pain, stiffness, and cricks are, unfortunately, common issues. Studies show that between 10% and 21% of people, especially office and computer workers, experience neck pain each year (Hoy et al., 2010).

A crick in your neck isn’t just annoying—it can wreck your sleep, making it tough to find a comfortable position or stay asleep.

However, there’s a solution in sight. Proper sleep posture can aid recovery, as it helps to remove neck strain, promote muscle relaxation, and ensure restful sleep, amongst other health benefits.

Keep reading to find out how to sleep with a crick in your neck now.

How Your Sleeping Position Affects Neck Pain?

Your sleep position plays a crucial role in managing neck pain. If you’re not careful, it can even worsen the pain.

Research has found that people with neck pain and stiffness in the morning spend more time in sleep positions that could aggravate the problem. In fact, over the last 25 years, the number of those with cervical spine neck pain has increased by 21% (Cary, Jacques, and Briffa, 2021).

Poor posture caused by sleeping on your stomach or with a misaligned pillow or mattress can strain the neck and worsen a crick.

On the other hand, sleeping on your back or side with proper pillow support can help maintain spinal alignment and alleviate pressure on the neck. It’s all about maintaining a healthy sleeping posture!

So, choosing the right sleeping position and supportive pillow can make all the difference in preventing neck aches and promoting better sleep.

Best Sleeping Positions for a Crick in Your Neck

Sleeping with a crick in your neck is no fun, but the right position can relieve this stress.

Here are the best sleeping positions for a crick in the neck and what to avoid:

• Back Sleeping — Sleeping on your back with a supportive pillow that maintains the natural curve of your neck helps keep your spine aligned and reduces strain. 
• Side Sleeping — Another great option is side sleeping. However, you must make sure your pillow is the right height to keep your neck in a straight line with your spine.
• Stomach Sleeping — While comfortable, you should avoid sleeping on your stomach, as it can twist your neck and worsen pain.

Training yourself to get used to a new sleeping position isn’t always easy. However, it’s worth it if you can unlock better sleep quality and a pain-free neck.

You don’t have to do it alone, either.

Research shows that using pillows designed for neck support, like adjustable or body pillows, can help maintain proper alignment while sleeping.

Adjustable pillows allow customization to support the natural curve of your neck, while body pillows provide full-body support to reduce strain. Both options help alleviate pressure, promoting better sleep and less discomfort, especially if made from memory foam.

Extra Help For Sleeping With A Stiff Neck

Knowing how to sleep with a stiff neck goes further than choosing the right sleeping position.

There’s also a range of at-home remedies and lifestyle changes you can make to reduce and clear the pain. Here are some of the best ones:

• Cold or heat therapy before bed — An ice pack or hot water bottle can help to reduce pain right before you count sheep.
• Supportive pillows and mattresses—Specialised pillows and mattresses made from memory foam ensure your body is in a healthy position throughout the night. But remember to choose the right firmness for your body!
• Over the counter pain killers — Paracetamol, ibuprofen and pain relief gels can help to manage pain. However, they shouldn’t be used for long periods.
• Massage therapy — Research is beginning to show that massage is linked to pain reduction (Mak et al.,2024), so self-massage and professional massage therapy can benefit a neck crick.
• Avoid stomach sleeping — We’ve already mentioned this in the section above, but it bears repeating! Don’t sleep on your stomach, as this can cause or worsen neck pain.
• Gentle stretching — Carefully stretching your neck in the evenings and mornings can reduce neck tension and pain. But consult a physiotherapist if you’re unsure how to tackle these exercises.

When To Go To A Professional

If you’re searching how to sleep with neck pain because you’ve been suffering for over two to three weeks, it’s time to book an appointment with the doctor.

Neck pain comes and goes. However, when it stays for weeks or doesn’t disappear with lifestyle changes, you should consult a professional medical opinion to rule out underlying conditions.

If the pain is extreme, causes numbness in the extremities, or stops you from daily tasks, you should seek urgent care.

Final Words & CTA

Sleeping with a crick in your neck is downright unpleasant, so knowing how to prevent and relieve the pain is vital for better sleep and a more comfortable morning experience.

Next time you head to bed, remember that sleeping on your back or side with supportive pillows can help maintain alignment and reduce strain.

For ultimate comfort and neck support, try the Groove Adjustable Pillow—a 100% height adjustable memory foam pillow designed to keep you pain-free and well-rested.

Jump back to the Groove blog.

References

• Cary, D., Jacques, A. and Briffa, K. (2021). Examining relationships between sleep posture, waking spinal symptoms and quality of sleep: A cross sectional study. PLOS ONE, 16(11), p.e0260582. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260582.
• Hoy, D.G., Protani, M., De, R. and Buchbinder, R. (2010). The epidemiology of neck pain. Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology, 24(6), pp.783–792. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.berh.2011.01.019.
• ‌Mak, S., Allen, J., Meron Begashaw, Isomi Miake-Lye, Beroes-Severin, J., Gerardo De Vries, Lawson, E. and Shekelle, P.G. (2024). Use of Massage Therapy for Pain, 2018-2023. JAMA network open, 7(7), pp.e2422259–e2422259. doi:https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.22259.

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