Here is a great article about what could be causing you to get up in the morning with a sore back or neck. They talk about something that we always ask our patients – what kind of bed do you have? That is much more important than most people think and it is almost always overlooked.

Have you noticed lately that you are waking up stiff and sore in the morning?  This can be related to many issues.

My first question for people is “how old is your bed”?  If it is over 10 years old or if it is sagging in the place you usually sleep, it is definitely time to replace it.  Even if it is a fancy Select Comfort or Tempurpedic guaranteed to last 20-25 years, I have had both models replaced due to warranty failure within 10 years.  My Select Comfort caused me to constantly tilt to the middle of the bed and my Tempurpedic excessively softened 13 years too soon.  Tempurpedic was great with their warranty  and I now have a new one.  I sold the Select Comfort on ebay.  Beds don’t last forever, even at the crazy prices they are sold for today.

Second question…  What position are you sleeping in?  All my stomach sleepers would spend much less money in my office and feel an awful lot better if they changed to sleeping on their side or back.  It is possible to change.  How do I know?  I have done it.  I had to start shoving pillows on one side of me to start the rolling over process and I had to be really intentional about waking myself up and flipping over in the middle of the night if I noticed I was on my stomach.  It’s a hard habit to break and you may be a little bit miserable from your lack of sleep for awhile.  Long term, your back and neck will thank you.

Third question…Is this an underlying issue that is just becoming obvious when you don’t have anything to think of other than sleep?  Is your neck or back hurting and are you simply ignoring it versus dealing with it?  Your body may be taking an opportunity to wake you up and let you know that you need to get back to a regular schedule at the chiropractor.  If you have never been, now may be a good time to start.  If the issue has been going on longer than a couple days, I would find a reputable, highly reviewed chiropractor and at the very least give them a call and ask a few questions over the phone.

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