About a third of all life a person spends on sleep. It is very important that at this time it turns out to have a good rest and relax. But there are diseases in which it is very important to choose the right posture and accessories for sleeping. We are talking about cervical osteochondrosis, which can cause insomnia and headache.
A bit about the disease
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine - a pathology associated with a violation in the process of nutrition of the spine. With the disease, a gradual destruction of the cartilage tissue in the region of the discs or intervertebral cartilage in the neck occurs. The cervical region has a weak muscle corset, therefore, it is prone to injury.
When is it necessary to check whether there is a disease? If it is hard to turn your head, there is a tingling sensation, heaviness in the back of the head, then you should not delay with going to the doctor and write off everything for fatigue, perhaps this is cervical osteochondrosis.
According to statistics, people at the age of 30 to 40 years are at risk, regardless of gender. In urban residents, cervical osteochondrosis is much more common than in those who live in the village. According to some reports, from 60 to 80% of urban residents suffer from cervical osteochondrosis.
Possible complications
Observing the characteristic symptoms of the disease, few people rush to the doctor, but in vain. Osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebra is a serious disease. In the last stages, the pain syndrome does not even allow you to fully sleep. In addition to pain, pathology can cause the appearance of a hernia of the spine, protrusion can begin, which will lead to a protrusion of the vertebrae.
In addition to conservative therapy, patients with such a diagnosis should know how best to sleep with cervical osteochondrosis in order to rest, rather than harm themselves.
What is the best sleeping position?
At the moment when a person takes a horizontal position, the load on the spinal column decreases by 2.5 times. And for a dream to bring only relaxation, it is necessary that the spine maintain its natural bends.
How to sleep with cervical osteochondrosis? With this pathology, it is best to sleep on your side. In this case, the shoulder should rest on the mattress, and not on the pillow. In this case, the spine is in a natural position, and the joints are completely relaxed.
Only the head should be on the pillow, shoulders should always be placed on the mattress.
If there are problems in the sacrum or lower back, it is better to sleep on your back, and put a roller under the knee joints. With thoracic osteochondrosis, you can sleep both on your side and on your back.
And another position of the body, which allows you to best relax and does not harm the spine - "embryo pose". In this position, blood circulates well, and the muscles relax as much as possible.
What pose is better to forget
How to sleep with cervical osteochondrosis? In order to sleep well, in no case should you sleep on your stomach. This pose is not recommended even to healthy people.
In this position, when the head is turned to the side, large blood vessels are compressed precisely in the cervical spine. And this is a huge risk of stroke on the background of a violation of the blood supply to the brain.
Bed requirements
How to sleep with cervical osteochondrosis? In addition to the correct posture of the body, the choice of bed is of great importance. Do not think that the harder the bed, the better. In fact, with this type of disease, the bed should be semi-rigid. On a very firm bed, not only is it not comfortable to rest, but also the muscles cannot completely relax.
A very soft bed is also not a good choice. The body will bend like in a hammock, and this is an abnormal anatomical position.
An ideal choice is a semi-rigid orthopedic mattress. It can be with or without springs. If the mattress is without springs, then it must be multilayer of latex and coconut coir.
With or without a pillow?
A fairly stable, but incorrect opinion - sleeping without a pillow with cervical osteochondrosis is useful. Indeed, you can get used to sleeping without a pillow, but the simplest reason not to do this is a banal inconvenience. During sleep, the head should be at least on a small elevation, which should be soft.
If there is no pillow, then there will be a constant tension in the back of the neck, as the muscles will have to be in a tense state to support the neck. In addition, in this position, saliva can enter the respiratory tract, a reflex cough will begin, and as a result, spontaneous awakening.
The absence of a pillow leads to the fact that too much blood rushes to the head, because a person sleeps almost “upside down”. This can cause swelling on the eyelids.
Often, sleeping without a pillow causes snoring, a head thrown backwards leads to a retraction of the tongue and a decrease in the clearance in the airways. And the most dangerous thing is that the absence of a pillow during sleep can cause osteochondrosis in the cervical vertebra. The neck is in an unnatural position, the process of feeding the vertebrae is disrupted, muscle swelling appears, the nerve roots are compressed and dystrophic processes in the cartilage and bone tissue begin over time. Therefore, if you sleep without a pillow, then you can only earn osteochondrosis, and if it is already diagnosed, you can worsen the condition.
Pillow requirements
On which pillow to sleep with cervical osteochondrosis? The most important requirement for a pillow is that it should not violate the anatomical bends of the spine, but it must support the head and neck well.
For people who prefer to sleep on their backs, the pillow can be almost flat. And if you sleep mainly on your side, then its height should be equal to the width of the shoulder.
Pillow selection principles
How to sleep with cervical osteochondrosis so as not to feel headache and dizziness in the morning? In addition to the correct posture for sleep, you should choose a pillow.
This sleep accessory must meet a number of characteristics:
- have medium hardness;
- have the shape of a square or rectangle;
- height should be from 5 to 9 centimeters;
- the width of the pillow should be the same as the width of the shoulders or be slightly larger
A pillow in the form of a roller or horseshoe is suitable only for a short rest and is not recommended for a night's sleep. If worried about a periodic exacerbation of the disease, then the parameters of the pillow should be discussed with your doctor.
How to sleep with cervical osteochondrosis and choose the right pillow? The standard pillow sizes are 40 x 50 and 50 x 70. Orthopedic pillows can be rectangular with 1 or 2 rollers. Functionality does not depend on the number of rollers, and in order to choose the best option, you just need to lie down on each of them and choose the one on which it is more comfortable.
Varieties of pillows depending on the filler
How to sleep with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and what to look for when choosing a pillow? To date, orthopedic pillows are made of natural and synthetic materials, the most popular include:
- Buckwheat husk. This filler completely repeats the bends of the head, improves blood circulation and has a light massaging effect.
- Bamboo fiber. This type of filler does not require special care, has deodorizing properties, and dust does not accumulate in it.
- Latext. It has antibacterial properties and is ideal for people with allergies.
- Mini springs. In such pillows, all springs are independent and support the spinal column well.
- Cooling gel. It is thanks to the liquid that the entire load is distributed evenly, but you will have to get used to sleeping on such an accessory.
How to understand that the wrong pillow is selected?
How to sleep with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and really relax? Orthopedic pillows are quite an expensive pleasure, but if there is a problem in the cervical vertebra, it is better not to save. In addition to the assurances of pillow manufacturers, you should pay attention to the following points, which will allow you to evaluate whether the accessory for sleep is correctly selected:
- the pillow should not be deformed;
- if you constantly have a desire to put your hands under the pillow, then its height is chosen incorrectly;
- if in the morning there is a symptom called "wooden shoulders", then again, the height of the pillow is not taken into account, that is, this figure is too small.
If during sleep a person often changes posture, the chosen pillow is completely unsuitable. Even if you take into account all the recommendations of a doctor, the right pillow for osteochondrosis can only be experienced.
Preventative measures
Look at the photo, how to sleep with cervical osteochondrosis, try to take such poses to prevent the development of the disease, sleep on your side or on your back. Discard the belly posture. If possible, it is better to purchase an orthopedic pillow.
With a sedentary lifestyle, it is recommended to engage in physical therapy daily, perform a set of exercises for the neck, at least for 10 minutes.
Eat correctly, in the diet should be present in sufficient quantities of magnesium, calcium and iron, which prevent the appearance of problems with bones and joints.
Self-massage in the neck area is periodically recommended. Light massaging movements improve blood flow.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a serious disease that threatens the development of pathologies in the brain and leads to other malfunctions in the body. All recommendations for patients with this diagnosis are equally suitable for healthy people. Using them, a person will reduce the risk of developing the disease.