Person sleeping comfortably on their side with a supportive pillow

Best Sleeping Position for Neck Pain (and How to Choose the Right Pillow)

Short answer: the two best sleeping positions for neck pain are on your back and on your side. Harvard Health calls these the easiest positions on the neck. Sleeping on your stomach is the hardest, because your head stays turned to one side for hours and your lower back arches. Whichever position you use, the goal is the same: your pillow should keep your head in line with your spine, not tilted up, down or sideways.

Why do I wake up with a stiff neck?

The usual cause is a neck held at an awkward angle for several hours. A pillow that is too high pushes your head forward or sideways. One that is too flat lets it drop. Cleveland Clinic points out that either one strains the muscles and small joints of the neck overnight, and you feel the result when you try to turn your head in the morning. Stress-related muscle tension, a draught on the neck and falling asleep on the sofa are common contributors.

How should I sleep on my back with neck pain?

  • Use a fairly low pillow that fills the curve of your neck without pushing your chin toward your chest.
  • A contoured or cervical pillow, with a raised roll under the neck and a dip for the head, does this well. Harvard Health suggests a rounded pillow for the neck with a flatter pillow for the head, or a pillow with built-in neck support.
  • Placing a pillow under your knees flattens the lower back slightly and helps many people relax the whole spine.

How should I sleep on my side with neck pain?

  • Use a pillow that is higher under your neck than under your head, thick enough to fill the space between your ear and the mattress. Broad shoulders need a higher pillow.
  • Your nose should line up with the centre of your chest. If your head tilts toward the mattress or the ceiling, the pillow is the wrong height.
  • A pillow between the knees keeps the hips and lower spine level and stops you rolling onto your stomach.

Why is sleeping on my stomach bad for my neck?

You have to turn your head almost 90 degrees to breathe, and it stays there. That end-of-range twist loads the joints on one side of the neck all night. If you cannot fall asleep any other way, use a very thin pillow or none under your head, and try hugging a body pillow in a three-quarter side position as a stepping stone to side sleeping.

What is the best pillow for neck pain?

  • Memory foam contour pillows mould to the neck and keep their shape through the night. They suit back and side sleepers.
  • Feather pillows conform well but flatten. Harvard Health notes they need replacing about once a year.
  • Very high or very stiff pillows are worth avoiding: they keep the neck flexed all night and often cause morning stiffness.
  • Travel: a horseshoe-shaped pillow stops your head dropping sideways when you sleep upright in a car or plane.

See our sleep support range for contour pillows and knee pillows, and our neck pain collection for daytime relief.

What else helps neck pain at night?

  • Heat before bed. Fifteen minutes with a warm neck wrap relaxes tight muscles. Read heat or ice for pain for the details.
  • Gentle stretches. Slow side bends and chin tucks in the evening, never forced.
  • Screen height in the day. A neck that spends eight hours looking down at a laptop will complain at night regardless of the pillow. Our guide on posture correctors covers daytime habits.
  • No reading or scrolling propped on several pillows. It holds the neck sharply bent forward.

When should I see a doctor about neck pain?

See a doctor if neck pain follows an accident or fall, if it travels down an arm, if you have numbness, tingling or weakness in an arm or hand, if it comes with fever and a severe headache, or if it has not improved after a couple of weeks of self-care.

Key takeaways

  • Back and side sleeping are kindest to the neck. Stomach sleeping is the hardest on it.
  • The pillow's job is to keep your head level with your spine.
  • Back sleepers need a lower pillow with neck support. Side sleepers need a higher one that fills the gap to the shoulder.
  • A pillow between or under the knees helps the whole spine relax.
  • Heat, gentle stretches and better daytime posture make the nights easier.

Sources

This article is general wellness information and is not medical advice. It does not replace an examination by a qualified healthcare professional. If your pain is severe, sudden or getting worse, please see a doctor.

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