Get a great nights rest and wake up pain-free!

There's no substitute for a good nights rest. Here are a few tips to sleeping well and waking pain-free:

1. Before Bed Stretching - Before jumping into bed, try a few stretches to relieve muscular tension accumulated throughout the day. Reducing muscular tension will increase relaxation and decrease joint pressure and pain.

2. Proper Sleep Position - 

* Back - The BEST position is sleeping flat on your back. Place a pillow under your knees to support your lower back. Use a small, flat pillow for your head so the head is not elebated in front of shoulders &/or tucking chin towards chest. 

* Sides - The second BEST position is on either side. Switching sides is important to reduce pressure on the shoulder and hip on the down side. Place a pillow between the knees to keep hips stacked upright. Hug a pillow to keep shoulders stacked upright. Pillow height for the head should span the distance between base of neck and shoulder.

* Stomach - AVOID sleeping on stomach to reduce neck and lower back pain.

3. Mattress Firmness & Age - 

* Firmness - For back sleepers, a firmer mattress is ideal to support the curvatures of the spine. Side sleepers, medium to firm to keep the alignment of the spine.

* Age - Bed longevity will vary. Check the bed info or ask your bed salesperson to estimate longevity of bed materials.

4. Box Spring - The box spring provides proper support and maintains life of the mattress.

5. Pillow Type - There are many different types of pillows. The right one for you is the one that will allow you to be most comfortable and place you in the proper positions. See #2 for positions.

6. Avoid Over-sleeping - Over-sleeping extends the time that your spine and body is not moving. A lack of movement increases your risk factors for neck and back pain.

7. Exercise - Daily exercise allows your body and brain to function efficiently throughout the day as well as throughout the night. It also allows you to burn off daily mental stress!

8. Avoid Stimulants - As the evening winds down, stay away from sugars and caffeine.

9. Avoid Electronics - Avoid TV, mobile phones, and IPAD's usage. These items emit frequencies that disturbs the brain's ability to fully shut down for quality sleep.

10. Morning Stretching - Before jumping out of bed in the morning, try a few stretches to increase muscle circulation and length of the muscles. Tight muscles place more pressure upon the joints increasing the degeneration of those joints.