Neck pain at night can be frustrating. It can make it hard to sleep and leave you feeling sore and tired the next morning. If you’ve ever woken up with a stiff or aching neck, your sleeping position might be part of the problem.
Neck pain can come from many sources. It might be caused by soft tissues like muscles, tendons, or ligaments. Sometimes, the problem is deeper and involves the bones in your neck, such as the facet joints or discs. Injury, repetitive overuse, or poor posture during the day can lead to pain. But one of the most overlooked causes is how you sleep at night.
When you lie down to sleep, your head and neck should be in line with the rest of your body—just like when you’re standing or sitting with good posture. If your pillow is too thick or too thin, your head can tilt up, down or side-to-side, causing strain on your neck muscles and spine. This strain can lead to pain that builds up night after night.
If you sleep on your side, the issue can be even worse. Your shoulder presses into the mattress, and your head rests on the pillow, but your neck often doesn’t get enough support. This creates a “hammock” effect, where gravity allows your neck sags between your head and shoulder. That sagging can put pressure on your neck and spine, leading to discomfort or pain over time.
Home-Solutions for Neck Pain at Night
You might think about buying a special contoured pillow to fix the problem. These pillows are shaped to support the neck better, and some people do find relief using them. However, contoured pillows can be expensive. And if the shape of the pillow doesn’t match your body, it might not help at all—or it could even make your neck pain worse.
Luckily, there’s a simple and low-cost solution you can try at home: a rolled towel.
This remedy is easy to make and customize. Start by taking a bath towel and rolling it into a tube shape. You can try different towel sizes or thicknesses to find what works best for you. Once you have a towel roll you like, place it inside your pillowcase, near the end that’s closest to your shoulders when you lie down. The roll should fit in the curve of your neck—the space between your head and shoulder.
This towel roll adds support to your neck and helps keep your spine in a healthy position while you sleep. It’s especially helpful if you sleep on your back or your side. You may need to experiment a little to get it just right. If the towel roll is too firm or too soft, or if the roll diameter is too thick or too small, it might not feel comfortable at first. Give yourself a few nights to adjust, and don’t be afraid to make small changes until it feels just right.
Even though this remedy works for many people, it may not solve every neck problem. If you keep having neck pain after trying the towel roll for several nights, it might be time to talk to a professional. The team at Regenerative Spine & Joint Center can help you figure out what’s really causing your pain and offer more treatments that don’t involve surgery.
In the end, the goal is to help your neck rest in a natural, supported position—just like when you’re standing with good posture. With a little trial and error, a simple rolled towel might be the key to better sleep and a pain-free neck. So before you spend money on an expensive pillow, try this easy remedy and see how much better you can feel.
