2 Sleeping Positions You Must Avoid (Updated)

Summary

Bob and Brad, known as the 'most famous physical therapists on the internet,' discuss common causes of neck, shoulder, and back pain during sleep. They share tips on maintaining neutral spine positions to reduce discomfort. They explain how prone (stomach) sleeping strains the neck and shoulders, while offering solutions for side sleepers to minimize shoulder and back pain. They introduce simple tricks, like pillow placements, to improve sleeping posture. Additionally, newer tips for alleviating pain are shared by Mike. The video aims to educate viewers on how to sleep comfortably and reduce pain with practical, easy-to-follow adjustments.

Takeaways

• 😀 Bob and Brad are the 'most famous physical therapy team on the internet,' known for their expertise in addressing common pain issues.
• 😃 The main topic of the video is waking up with back, shoulder, or neck pain, and how sleeping positions affect these areas.
• 😁 They emphasize that joints, like those in the neck and back, should be kept in a 'loose pack' or neutral position to avoid pain.
• 😄 Sleeping on your stomach (prone position) is discouraged as it forces the neck into an uncomfortable end range and may contribute to headaches.
• 😆 Side sleeping is common, but can cause shoulder pain if too much pressure is placed on the joint. They suggest adjusting shoulder positioning.
• 😉 For side sleepers, placing a pillow between the legs or using a sleep roll can help support the lower back and maintain spinal alignment.
• 😊 Using pillows to create a space for the arm can relieve pressure on the shoulder and make side sleeping more comfortable.
• 😋 They offer solutions for prone sleepers, like placing a pillow under the waist to support the lower back and adjusting neck positioning to prevent strain.
• 😎 Mike introduces updated tips, including using a pillow to support the hips and a secondary pillow for neck alignment in stomach-sleeping positions.
• 🤓 The video encourages viewers to share their favorite sleeping positions and additional tips to help improve sleep comfort.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video?

The video focuses on providing tips to alleviate neck, shoulder, and back pain that can occur while sleeping. It discusses sleeping positions and suggests adjustments to prevent discomfort.

What is the 'loose pack' position, and why is it important?

The 'loose pack' position refers to keeping joints in a neutral, relaxed position rather than at an end range, where they are fully extended or compressed. It's important because staying in a neutral position helps reduce the likelihood of pain or discomfort during sleep.

Why is sleeping on your stomach generally discouraged in the video?

Sleeping on your stomach is discouraged because it can put your neck and back in an uncomfortable end-range position, leading to potential pain. It can also cause shoulder strain if arms are positioned overhead and may contribute to headaches.

What is a simple way to improve side sleeping posture?

A simple way to improve side sleeping posture is by pulling the shoulder out slightly to avoid putting direct pressure on it. Additionally, using a pillow between the legs or under the lower back can help keep the spine in a neutral position.

What is the purpose of using a pillow between the legs while side sleeping?

Placing a pillow between the legs helps keep the spine aligned and prevents the lower back from sagging, which can reduce pressure on the hips and lower back, leading to a more comfortable sleep.

How does a cervical pillow benefit side sleepers?

A cervical pillow provides support for the neck, keeping it in a neutral position and preventing it from sagging or being tilted at an uncomfortable angle. This can reduce strain on the neck and upper spine during sleep.

What is the 'Eerie Canal Theory' mentioned at the end of the video?

The 'Eerie Canal Theory' is a humorous reference to a method that Bob uses to alleviate shoulder pain while sleeping. The method involves positioning the arm in a specific way to reduce shoulder pressure, but no water is involved, despite the playful name.

What are the adjustments recommended for stomach sleepers experiencing hip or back pain?

For stomach sleepers with hip or back pain, placing a pillow under the waist can provide relief by slightly flexing the hips and lower back, which can be especially helpful for those with spinal stenosis.

What can stomach sleepers do if they experience neck pain?

Stomach sleepers who experience neck pain are advised to use two pillows to avoid cranking their neck to one side. Instead, they can place one pillow under their chin at a 45-degree angle to reduce strain on the neck.

How can side sleepers alleviate hip pain while sleeping?

Side sleepers can alleviate hip pain by placing a pillow under their rib cage and another pillow under their foot. This adjustment helps rotate the hip in a way that reduces pressure on the lateral side of the body.

Outlines

00:00

👋 Meet the Hosts and Today's Topic

Brad and Mike introduce themselves as the famous internet physical therapy duo, with Bob behind the scenes. They humorously assert their popularity and encourage viewers to subscribe. The focus of today's episode is waking up with back, shoulder, or neck pain, which Brad admits to experiencing currently. The episode will revisit an older, popular video with tips for addressing pain and offer a few new tips at the end.

05:01

💡 Understanding Joint Positions and Pain

The duo explains that pain in the neck, shoulders, and back often arises from poor sleeping positions. They emphasize the importance of maintaining the joints in a 'loose pack' position (a neutral and relaxed state) as opposed to the 'end range' (extreme positions that cause strain). This principle applies to the neck, shoulders, and spine, where twisting or bending can lead to discomfort. They outline the need to preserve the natural 'S-shape' of the spine while sleeping.

10:04

🚫 Avoiding the Prone Sleeping Position

Sleeping on the stomach (prone position) is discouraged due to the strain it places on the neck and back, pushing joints into end range. Brad demonstrates the common mistake of rotating the head to one side for long periods, which can lead to discomfort and headaches. Additionally, this position can compress nerves, causing numbness in the arms, as Bob shares an embarrassing personal experience of waking up with both arms numb.

🛌 Sideline Position and Shoulder Pain Solutions

The sideline position, though common, can also cause pain, particularly in the shoulder. Brad advises shifting the shoulder slightly forward to avoid direct pressure on the joint. They also suggest using a pillow to support the arm in a comfortable, neutral position. Bob mentions how sleeping on the side can cause the lower back to sag, and recommends using a rolled towel or specialized sleep roll to maintain spinal alignment.

🛏️ Sideline and Pillow Adjustments

Bob and Brad continue explaining how to adjust pillows when sleeping on the side. Using a thicker pillow under the neck helps maintain alignment, and placing a smaller pillow in a canal for the arm reduces shoulder pressure. They show how to support the arm with extra pillows to avoid shoulder pain, and they recommend using a towel roll for additional support. They emphasize the importance of keeping the neck in a neutral position for comfort.

📏 Specialized Pillows and Rolls for Better Sleep

Brad introduces the idea of using memory foam pillows or cervical rolls for improved neck support during sleep. They explain how such pillows help maintain the neck's natural curve and prevent sagging. They also discuss how a simple towel roll can be used as an alternative, providing comfort and support in a cost-effective way.

❌ Prone Position Problems & Solutions

For stomach sleepers, Mike provides two remedies: placing a pillow under the waist to relieve pressure on the hips and low back, and using an additional pillow under the chin to prevent excessive neck rotation. These tips are particularly helpful for people with stenosis or neck discomfort, as they reduce strain on the spine and neck while sleeping in the prone position.

⚖️ Sideline Hip Pain and Alternative Solutions

To address hip pain for side sleepers, Mike suggests placing a pillow under the ribcage and another under the foot to reduce pressure on the hips. This adjustment helps maintain neutral spinal alignment, relieving discomfort and allowing for more restful sleep. Brad adds that these adjustments can also be beneficial for low back or neck pain, as they help keep the spine properly aligned.

💬 Share Your Sleep Tips & Outro

Brad and Mike wrap up the video by inviting viewers to share their preferred sleeping positions or tips that might help others. They encourage interaction and suggest viewers watch another video on how to alleviate shoulder pain while sleeping. They humorously mention Bob’s unique method to eliminate shoulder pain, leaving viewers curious to learn more.

Keywords

💡Neutral Position

The neutral position refers to the ideal alignment of the spine, neck, and other joints during sleep, where there is minimal stress on muscles and ligaments. In the video, Bob and Brad emphasize the importance of maintaining a neutral position to avoid pain, particularly in the back, neck, and shoulders. For example, they discuss how a curved spine or twisted neck can lead to discomfort over time.

💡End Range

End range describes the extreme positions of a joint, where it is fully stretched or rotated. Bob and Brad warn against sleeping in end range positions, like when the neck is twisted too far to one side, as this can cause strain and discomfort. They use the example of how laying with the neck turned for long periods can lead to pain and stiffness.

💡Loose Pack Position

Loose pack position is the optimal resting position for joints, where they are relaxed and not under stress. Bob and Brad mention this position as ideal for reducing strain during sleep. For instance, keeping the shoulder slightly elevated rather than compressed in a sideline position helps maintain a loose pack and prevents discomfort.

💡Prone Position

The prone position refers to lying face down on the stomach. The video explains that this is generally a bad sleeping position because it places the neck in an uncomfortable twisted position, often leading to pain. Bob and Brad mention that prone sleepers are likely to experience headaches due to poor neck alignment.

💡Sideline Position

Sideline position is when a person sleeps on their side. While common, Bob and Brad highlight several issues with this position, such as pressure on the shoulder joint and sagging of the spine. They offer tips for improving comfort, like using a pillow to support the neck and back and adjusting the shoulder’s placement to avoid pain.

💡Cervical Pillow

A cervical pillow is a specially designed pillow that supports the neck’s natural curve. In the video, Bob and Brad recommend using a cervical pillow to help maintain neutral alignment of the neck during sleep, preventing it from sagging or tilting awkwardly. They also discuss alternatives like using a rolled towel to achieve similar support.

💡Brachial Plexus

The brachial plexus is a network of nerves that runs from the neck down to the arms. The video warns that sleeping with arms in certain positions, like overhead, can compress these nerves, leading to numbness or 'dead arms.' Brad shares a personal story of waking up with both arms numb due to nerve compression.

💡Subluxation

Subluxation refers to the partial dislocation of a joint. Bob and Brad explain that laying on the point of the shoulder in a sideline position can cause the shoulder joint to sublux, resulting in pain. They advise adjusting the shoulder’s position to prevent this from happening during sleep.

💡Spinal Curvature

Spinal curvature refers to the natural S-shaped curve of the spine. Bob and Brad discuss how maintaining these curves, particularly the slight inward and outward bends, is important for preventing back pain while sleeping. They recommend avoiding positions where the back is too straight or overly curved, as this can cause discomfort.

💡Stenosis

Stenosis is a condition where the spaces within the spine narrow, often leading to pain due to pressure on the spinal nerves. Brad mentions his personal experience with stenosis and explains how using a pillow under the waist while sleeping on the stomach can relieve discomfort by flexing the lower back and hips.

Highlights

Introduction of Bob and Brad as 'the most famous physical therapy team on the internet.'

Discussion on waking up with back, shoulder, or neck pain as a common issue.

Explanation of 'loose pack' position and why it's important for joint health.

Why sleeping in a neutral position is critical for maintaining spinal health.

Laying on the stomach (prone position) puts the neck and back at end range, causing discomfort.

Sleeping on the stomach increases the risk of neck and shoulder pain, as well as headaches.

Shoulder pain can be reduced by shifting your body slightly when sleeping on your side.

Using a rolled towel or a sleep roll can help maintain proper spinal alignment while sleeping.

Strategies for preventing back sagging while sleeping on the side, including using a support pillow.

Tips for keeping the neck neutral while side-sleeping to avoid neck pain.

Recommendations for using memory foam pillows or cervical rolls for better neck support.

Demonstration of how to relieve shoulder pain by supporting the arm with pillows in a side-sleeping position.

How to improve comfort for stomach sleepers by placing a pillow under the waist or chin.

Using a pillow under the ribcage and foot for side sleepers with hip pain to relieve pressure.

Encouragement for viewers to share their favorite sleeping positions and sleep tips.

Transcripts

- I'm Brad. - I'm Mike.

And behind the scenes we have Bob.

And together we're the most famous

physical therapy team on the internet.

- Well, in our opinion, of course, Mike.

- And if you're new to our channel,

make sure to subscribe.

We appreciate all of you joining our community.

Now, the topic of the day is,

do you wake up having back, shoulder or neck pain?

'Cause Brad certainly is right now.

- Oh yeah. Well, we're gonna talk,

and actually take a trip down memory lane.

We have a video that has viewed by millions,

and very appreciative of our tips.

Plus, we're gonna show a couple new tips

at the end of the video to amend it.

- So, go back in time.

- Woo woo woo woo woo.

♪ Bob and Brad ♪

♪ The two most famous ♪

♪ Physical therapists on the internet ♪

It's not that easy.

We just can't say don't do this and don't do that.

- We gotta give 'em a reason.

- We're here for a little education

so that once you become educated,

you understand, and then you do.

There's a whole philosophy. - Sure.

- But we don't want to get into that.

But the biggest areas that cause,

that are complaints of pain,

are neck, shoulder, and back. - And back.

- Right. Those are probably the most common areas

that become irritated and painful throughout the night.

So we've gotta take care of this,

and address and understand it a little bit.

First of all, joints in general,

whether it's your, the joints in your spine,

or your shoulders, or your back,

or whatever it may be, your neck,

wanna stay in what we call the "loose pack" position.

- Right. And I like being at the end range.

- Right. So my shoulder here would be loose packed.

Up here would be end range.

- Right. - Okay?

- Or back here would be end range.

- Right. - So I wouldn't sleep

like this either. - Right.

So neck, if we put our neck over to one side this way,

or one side that way,

all the joints in your neck

are pushed to the end range we call it.

And that's uncomfortable after a period of time.

Initially it may not be a problem,

but, you hold your neck over like this for,

you know, 20 minutes or more, it becomes uncomfortable.

So, keeping that in mind,

the next thing we wanna do is look at the spine.

And not just look at it,

but understand the spine moves,

and it twists and whatnot.

But we wanna keep it in a neutral position, Bob.

- Correct. - Okay.

So a neutral position is actually

where there's a little curve in the back here.

There's a curve in the other direction in the-

- So we've got a curve in, curve out, curve in.

- Right. - Yep.

- Yep. So we want to keep-

- Kinda S shape. - Yep.

Keep these curves in,

in that kind of a general shape, you know?

- Yeah. - So we're not going way out.

And if you look at it from the front view,

now that, you typically want to keep straight.

- Right. - So the curves

are looking from the side,

and this is looking straight.

So this will all come to play

when we look at our positioning with sleeping.

So, anything else that I missed?

- No, you got it right, Brad.

- Alright. So- - For once.

- Let's look at the position...

Yeah, for once.

Well, it happens, I was up studying late last night.

- Here we go.

- So the first position is we're gonna talk about prone.

- Okay. - Laying on your stomach.

- So this is a bad position.

- Right. - Right.

This is, this is a position

because it breaks a number of the rules

we just talked about that create pain,

gives you outta that neutral position,

or puts you at end range.

So if I'm gonna lay here,

let's just take a regular pillow, Bob once.

- Sure.

- And there are people who sleep prone,

and they have for a while,

and they do okay with it.

But the problem that can really occur when you're,

when you're on your stomach,

you almost have to have your head one position over,

over to the right or to the left.

And that puts my neck at end range,

and I'm laying there for a long period of time.

Now, I'm assuming people who sleep like this,

that don't have pain throughout the night,

turn their head right to left.

- Well, the other thing is though,

and I didn't see a study on this,

but we did do kind of an informal survey

of this at a classroom one time.

We asked how many people have headaches.

- Yep. - And a hundred percent

of the people that laid on their stomach had headaches.

- Sure. - During the, you know,

- Throughout the day?

- Throughout the day or throughout the week.

You know, I mean, had a higher incidence of headaches.

- Okay. Sure. - So that's something

to consider is that if you are

especially having those headaches

that start from back here- - Yep.

- You know, the neck headaches.

- Yep. - I would,

that's one of the things

I would definitely look into. - Sure.

And I think, you know, if you're,

if you are a prone sleeper,

you may or may not have a pillow.

I guess without a pillow,

it puts you more in a neutral position.

But you know, still,

if you can avoid the prone position,

for your neck, it's gonna be better.

And then the other thing,

is if you lay in your stomach and with your shoulders,

if you lay like this,

that puts your shoulders at end range,

and it also puts your, your brachial plexus-

- [Bob] Brachial plexus.

- and they can get pinched off,

and actually cut the circulation

off into your arms or pinch the nerves,

and you can wake up with numb or-

- [Bob] I have.

One time I woke up,

both my arms were numb to the point I couldn't,

and I was trying to turn the alarm off,

so I'm going like this.

(Bob and Brad laugh) It's just-

- Yeah. - it's a little embarrassing.

- Right. So, and that's,

you know, there's a name for that, Bob.

- [Bob] What is it?

- When you put your arms up like this.

Working overhead.

- [Bob] Sure. What is it?

- I can't remember.

(Bob and Brad laugh)

- I know there's honeymoon syndrome where,

if your, you know, spouse falls asleep on your arm,

that becomes numb then. - Right.

- So. - So, next position, Bob.

I'll think of that in just a little bit.

- Alright.

- Sideline. Now this is, you might say,

"Well everyone sidelines."

- Right. - Most people do,

which I do myself.

But, oftentimes a shoulder problem will happen

when you're laying on the point of your shoulder

if you will.

And the joint, when you relax,

you can sublux or actually push the ball, the joint,

shoulder joint out slightly,

and can put pressure on the ligaments and the capsule,

et cetera in your shoulder and cause pain.

So laying like this on the shoulder

can really create some pain.

So what you'll wanna do is pull this shoulder out

a little bit so you're actually on

a little bit of a slant here, versus here.

- And you actually, yeah,

then you're getting more on the meaty

part of the shoulder that

can handle it on the back there.

- Yep. And that's gonna help reduce that.

So the sideline can be a problem,

but if you do these little twerks

that we're talking about,

it'll help you out.

- We show way we can do another thing for that too.

But Brad, the other thing,

while you're in this position,

the other thing is your back is sagging a little bit.

- Sure. When you're in this sideline position.

- Yeah. Let's get the spine out and show that.

- So here, you know, it's straight,

but now it's gonna sag a little bit

right here in the low back.

- Yeah. Right. - And so if you're having

back problems and if you,

especially you sleep like this a lot all the time,

you should take like a rolled towel like we did here,

and you can put it in that position.

Or there's actually a sleep roll you can buy.

- Yeah. - We have it

in our Amazon section there by Mackenzie.

And this one you can actually tie around your waist,

so it's in your back when you sleep on your back,

or it's on your side when you sleep on your side.

- Right. Yep. - So.

- And, and you know, in my case,

I know I can sleep on my side for about 10 minutes.

I never even get to sleep,

'cause my back starts to hurt,

then I have to go to my my back.

But that's just 'cause of my spondylothesis.

So this is how this works.

This one's a little bit small for me.

It doesn't wrap around.

But people who have a disc problem,

often they use something like this,

so that here you have the support on your low back

in the lor, in the lordotic section.

And then when you roll to either side,

you also have that hollow spot being filled in.

- There's another possibility right here

besides it being too small for you.

Maybe your waist is too big for it.

- Yeah, there you go. (Brad laughs)

- Just point out that possibility.

- Should we- - Let me-

- Should we show 'em the trick with the pillows?

- Yeah, sure. Let's do that.

- Let's pull this right here.

- Yeah. - So this is a

cervical pillow here.

But another way, I'm gonna put this on this side Brad,

just for my mic purposes here.

So, you know, generally when you're on your side,

if you're gonna lay on your side,

you want to have a thicker pillow.

- [Brad] Yep. - So that your neck

isn't going like...

Why don't you take it out once Brad.

It isn't going like this. - Right.

- You want to have your neck right in the middle too.

So this is almost a little bit-

- Yep. - This one would actually

need to go up a little bit.

- Right. So, but the other key,

we've showed this many times,

is actually you take a pillow,

a lot of times it's more of a throw pillow,

and that's what I use. - Sure.

- And I just create the little canal here.

- [Brad] Yep. - And you can put

your arm right in there.

And now there's not nearly

the pressure on your shoulder there was before.

- So this is that sideline making sideline tolerable

and acceptable to keep the shoulder pain from waking you up.

- And now if you're having pain in this shoulder,

and you don't wanna lay on it,

which is good, then you should actually,

besides the canal, well you might not even need the canal.

- Right. - But you would

put a pillow here, and another pillow here,

and support the arm like this.

- Right. Right.

- And again, it puts that shoulder

in that loose packed position that Brad was talking about.

It's not any end range,

and it's kinda a little bit forward.

- Sure. - And it's not,

it's not going to cross the body like this.

which is also bad.

- Right. Because then you're getting

towards that end range, and you know, irritating them.

- Right here in the middle.

That's where you want to keep it at.

It's gonna do it well.

- Right. And the last thing is sideline.

A lot of people will get a pillow like this

that actually has the form, and it's a memory foam.

- Right. So get put in and there's a gap for the neck.

- Right. So you get the neck in a neutral position.

- Sure. - And that's not necessary.

You can use a regular pillow.

And some people, you know,

I'll have some people try just a towel roll

to fill in that gap to get

that neutral position in the neck.

So if I lay here now with the towel roll,

see how it's, it really cradles my neck nicely.

- Right. - So, and now we don't

have the neck sagging either.

- Right. - So,

that's actually pretty comfortable.

- Yeah. If this works, but it's not quite as cushy,

you may wanna invest in the memory foam.

They cost a little more but-

- Or there's the cervical roll too.

- Oh yeah. The cervical. - We got all sorts of good-

- Yeah, there's a, there's a lot of things

to keep you comfortable.

- Mackenzie makes a roll here with

cervical where you can put it in there.

- Sure.

- And if you find the towel works well,

and you don't want to keep using the towel,

you can go and get one of those.

- Right.

- So what it boils down to,

we got two positions to avoid, the prone,

which we don't have any solutions for.

And sideline, which we have a number of solutions for

that we just went through.

So you know, we're helping you out at least on half of the-

- We're half smart. - Right.

Whoa! And the time machine returns to 2024,

and we have Mike with us today.

These are in for three positions

that weren't mentioned in that film,

and Bob said we've gotta mention these to make this updated.

Mike, what are the three?

- Well it's only two positions, but three remedies.

- Oh. - So first,

two are for stomach sleepers,

and then we got sideline.

So the first one,

if you are a stomach sleeper,

but you are having some hip or low back pain,

take another pillow, place it under your waist,

and you're gonna lay on that pillow there.

What does this do, Brad?

- Well it actually flexes the hip and the low back.

And if you have stenosis in particular like myself,

this makes a tremendous amount of different in comfort.

Simply put it there,

adjust it up and down where it feels comfortable,

and you'll know, 'cause it'll just feel

a night and day difference if that's what you need.

And what about the neck?

- If you're having some neck pain in your stomach sleeper,

I typically use two pillows.

I sleep in all positions 'cause I'm a weirdo.

Anyway, you place this here,

you don't want your neck to be cranked

all the way to 90 degrees like this.

I've woken up like this, and it's very uncomfortable.

So oftentimes if you put another pillow

kind of underneath your chin,

and more at a 45 degree angle,

and I'm half talking in the pillow right now,

so don't mind me,

it's much more comfortable.

Obviously you can't sleep like that.

So, 45 degree angle if you're having some neck discomfort

and you're a stomach sleeper.

- Right. We don't say cranked, we say rotated by.

This is a, this is a family show, and a therapy show.

- It's a, it's a medical term, "cranked."

- Anyway. - Anyways.

- Last one, if you're having some hip pain,

side hip pain and you're a side sleeper,

what you can try to do is place a pillow

underneath your rib cage,

kind of above the hip,

above the hip, A bove.

Anyway. And then you can also

put a pillow underneath your foot.

This is gonna help rotate your hip in a different way,

taking the pressure off your lateral side.

- That's right. A lot of these will help

get the spine back in the neutral,

whether it's in the low back or the neck,

making it much more comfortable,

so you can sleep and relax to position.

- Now if you watch this whole video,

we would like to know.

Comment down below, your favorite sleeping position,

because we're very curious, aren't we?

- Right. Or if you've got another hint

that other people will benefit from,

make sure you let us know about that as well.

So we help each other out.

And we've got another video

that will be helpful as well with more detail.

- Yeah, so if you're having shoulder pain,

I don't think we addressed it much

in the old video or this one.

You can click the video link on a screen,

"How to stop shoulder pain in bed."

- That's right, and the famous Bob's Eerie Canal Theory

and Method to eliminate shoulder pain.

And that's what he uses.

So if you wanna find out what it is, check it out.

It's very, very new.

- No water is involved.

(Brad chuckles)

♪ Bob and Brad ♪

♪ The two most famous ♪

♪ Physical therapists on the internet ♪