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If you’re starting your mornings with neck or back pain, your sleep setup might be to blame. In this episode, Dr. Paul Rieselman of Northstar Integrated Health & Physical Medicine Center breaks down exactly what happens to your spine while you sleep and why the wrong mattress or pillow can cause serious discomfort over time.
Dr. Paul walks listeners through what to look for when evaluating their current sleep surfaces, including common mistakes people make when choosing a mattress firmness or pillow height.
Whether you’re a side sleeper, back sleeper, or somewhere in between, this episode gives you practical, actionable guidance to help you wake up feeling rested and pain-free.
Hey there, and welcome back. I’m Doctor Paul, and you’re listening to the Northstar Integrated Health and Physical Medicine Center podcast, coming to you from right here in Lisle, Illinois. Today we’re talking about something that affects pretty much every single one of us, and that’s sleep. Specifically, what’s happening to your spine while you sleep. Because here’s the thing… if you’re waking up stiff, achy, or with neck and back pain, your mattress and your pillow might be the culprits. And most people never even think about that.
So let’s dig in.
Now, think about this. You spend roughly a third of your entire life in bed. That’s a lot of hours. And during all those hours, your spine is either being supported properly, or it’s being stressed. There’s really no in between. If your mattress is too soft, your body sinks in, and your spine curves in ways it shouldn’t for hours at a time. If it’s too firm, you get pressure points on your hips and shoulders that throw everything out of alignment. Neither one is doing you any favors.
Here’s what I see in my office all the time. Someone comes in with low back pain or shoulder pain, and we work on them, they feel better, but then a few weeks later they’re back with the same thing. And when I start asking questions, we often trace it right back to their sleep setup. It’s like trying to fix a leak without checking where the water is coming from.
Now let’s talk about pillows, because this is a big one that gets overlooked. Your pillow’s job is to keep your head and neck in a neutral position while you sleep. Neutral means your ears are roughly in line with your shoulders, your neck isn’t bent forward, and it’s not cranked sideways. When your pillow is too thick, too thin, or worn out and flat, your neck spends hours in a stressed position. And then people wonder why they wake up with headaches or a stiff neck. This is why.
Side sleepers need a thicker pillow to fill the space between their ear and the mattress. Back sleepers generally do better with a thinner pillow that keeps the head from being pushed too far forward. Stomach sleepers… honestly, that’s the position I’d love to help you move away from, because it puts a lot of rotation stress on the neck. But if you’re a stomach sleeper, at minimum try using a very thin pillow or even no pillow at all.
So what can you do starting today? First, pay attention to how you feel in the morning versus later in the day. If your pain is worse when you wake up and then loosens up as the day goes on, that’s a really strong sign your sleep setup is contributing. Second, look at how old your mattress is. Most mattresses have a lifespan of around seven to ten years. After that, the support starts to break down even if it doesn’t look worn out. And third, take a good look at your pillow. If it’s flat, lumpy, or more than a couple years old, it’s probably time for a new one.
Now, here’s the thing about mattresses and pillows. There’s no single perfect option for everyone. It really does depend on your body type, your sleep position, and any existing conditions you might have. That’s where a professional evaluation can make a real difference. Because sometimes what feels comfortable in the short term is actually reinforcing a problem.
If you’ve been dealing with morning stiffness, neck pain, headaches, or low back pain, and you’re not sure where it’s coming from, come in and see us. At Northstar Integrated Health and Physical Medicine Center, we take the time to look at the whole picture, not just the area that hurts. We want to understand your daily habits, your posture, your sleep, all of it, because that’s how we get to real, lasting results.
You don’t have to wake up in pain every morning. That’s not just part of getting older, and it’s not something you just have to live with. A lot of the time, small changes make a genuinely big difference.
Thank you so much for listening today. If you found this helpful, share it with someone who’s always complaining about waking up sore. And if you’re ready to take the next step, give us a call or visit us right here in Lisle. We’d love to help. I’m Doctor Paul, and we’ll see you next time.
