For those who have tried many pillows, whether soft or firm , latex or memory foam, hoping to find a pillow that can directly solve their neck pain problem, but ultimately being disappointed because they still wake up with the same symptoms.
To help you find the "right" pillow for you, we'll take you through the causes of neck pain after waking up, along with how to choose a pillow to relieve neck pain.
Why do I wake up with a sore neck?
Here are some of the main reasons why we wake up with neck pain:
Incorrect sleeping position
Sleeping position greatly affects the health of the neck and back. People who sleep on their stomachs are at high risk for neck pain because they have to turn their head to one side all night, causing the cervical spine to twist. For people who sleep on their sides, a pillow that doesn't fit properly in the hollow of the neck is a major cause of neck and shoulder pain. For people who sleep on their backs, the pillow must be slightly propped up against the shoulders to support the last cervical vertebra. If only the back of the head is supported, the neck can easily protrude and the shoulders can easily tighten.
Using a pillow that is not suitable for your body shape
A pillow that is too high will cause your neck to lift too much while sleeping on your back and easily create a gap between your neck and the pillow, resulting in cervical spine degeneration. A pillow that is too low can cause your neck to droop and tilt unnaturally, causing pressure between the joints and resulting in pain in the cervical spine. The main cause is that the imbalance of the cervical spine position causes the neck muscles to work hard throughout the night, and when you wake up, you feel sore. A pillow that fits your body will keep your sleeping angle at a safe angle (0-15 degrees) to fill the gap between your neck and reduce pressure on joints and bones during the night.
Muscle tension from daily behavior
Daily behaviors, such as looking down at your phone, sitting in the wrong position, driving for long periods of time, or carrying a heavy bag, all cause tension in the neck and shoulder muscles. If you don't stretch the muscles properly, and choose an unsuitable pillow at night, your neck muscles will work harder while you sleep, preventing them from relaxing. This can lead to more severe pain.
Accumulated stress
Mental stress can affect the body, causing muscles to tense and tighten. This is due to the release of the stress hormone (Cortisol). This directly affects muscle function while resting, stimulating constant muscle activity, especially in the neck and shoulders. Sleeping with a pillow that doesn't properly support the neck can further increase tension in already tense muscles, leading to neck pain upon waking up. Many times, this also affects breathing.
Certain health conditions
Neck pain after waking up can be caused by health problems such as osteoarthritis, a slipped disc, or a past injury. Choosing the right pillow for your condition is crucial. For each condition, a pillow should not only provide comfort but also be appropriate for the specific health condition. If you experience these symptoms, replacing your pillow is only part of the solution and you should consult your doctor for proper treatment.
Why are pillows important for neck pain?
Pillows are designed to support your head and neck while you sleep. If you choose the wrong pillow, such as one that's too high or too low, or one made from materials that don't fit into the body's physiological spaces, it can cause your neck to be in the wrong position all night. This can cause joints to become tense or compressed, causing the muscles in your neck and shoulders to work too hard, leading to chronic inflammation or stiffness, and ultimately, persistent neck pain.
How to choose a pillow to relieve neck pain. What should you look for?
To choose the right health pillow for neck pain relief, you need to consider several factors, as follows:
The height of the pillow must be suitable for your sleeping position.
The height of the pillow is one of the first factors we need to consider because the right height will help keep the cervical spine in line with the rest of the spine, not looking up or down too much. It can be measured in degrees between 0-15 degrees from the mattress level.
- For back sleepers, choose a pillow that is high enough that the tip of your chin doesn't press into your chest or point up towards the sky, and it must have a natural cervical lordosis curve to support the neck properly.
- For side sleepers, choose a pillow that is high enough to fill the space between your head and shoulders to keep your cervical spine in a straight line. The height of a side sleeper pillow increases with each person's shoulder width.
- For stomach sleepers, choose a pillow with a low height to support the head to reduce hyperextension of the cervical spine, which can cause pressure and inflammation. A normal pillow should also be used to support the torso and abdomen to reduce hyperextension of the cervical spine.
The tightness must be just right.
When supporting the weight of the head, a soft pillow will collapse, causing the neck to arch down too much, while a pillow that is too hard may cause the neck to lift unnaturally, resulting in neck pain. Therefore, the appropriate firmness must support the weight of the head just right. The appropriate neck level should not increase or decrease even after sleeping all night. Checking the appropriate pillow level from a sleep coach is an important part of ensuring that the pillow you choose can support the weight of your head.
Material that reduces pressure and returns to shape well
Another important factor in choosing a pillow is that it should be made from materials that effectively distribute weight and pressure on the neck, and must not easily deform to ensure continued use. Distributing and providing adequate resistance is a key factor in ensuring that the pillow fills every space in the body. When filled, muscles and joints work less, resulting in complete rest.
Ergonomically designed
A good health pillow should be designed to follow the curves of your neck and head. This helps maintain a natural spinal alignment and allows your muscles to fully relax. This reduces stress on your joints and reduces muscle activity, which affects blood circulation. This effectively reduces neck pain upon waking up.
Size and suitability for bed
Pillows should be the right size for your bed and body. A pillow that's too big or wide can cause you to sleep in an awkward position without realizing it. A pillow that's too small can easily cause your head to slip off the pillow while you sleep. This can lead to improper sleeping postures, which can put stress on your bones and muscles, leading to inflammation and neck pain in the morning.
Find the right neck pain relief pillow with the BestFIT program at mr.big.
If you no longer want to go through trial and error with pillows, mr.big's BestFIT program is the answer you've been looking for. The BestFIT program analyzes your body, sleeping patterns, and health issues to recommend the most suitable pillow size for you.
Interested individuals can choose a health pillow to relieve neck pain at any Mr. Big branch. Consult with a Sleep Coach, a sleep specialist, to find the right bedding for you, helping you sleep comfortably and wake up pain-free. Alternatively, you can purchase the product online.
References:
Jiao, Rui, et al. "The impact of pillow height on neck muscle activity: a pilot study." Sleep and Breathing 29.1 (2025): 1-7.
Lindenmann, Sara, et al. "Kinematics of the cervical spine under healthy and degenerative conditions: a systematic review." Annals of Biomedical Engineering 50.12 (2022): 1705-1733.
Liu, Shuo-Fang, Yann-Long Lee, and Jung-Chin Liang. "Shape design of an optimal comfortable pillow based on the analytic hierarchy process method." Journal of chiropractic medicine 10.4 (2011): 229-239.
