Expert tips & exercises against back pain after sleep

Back pain and neck tension can not only disrupt sleep, but can also be caused by poor sleep at night. Fitness and health expert Prof. Dr. Stephan Geisler explains how you can avoid muscle tension after sleeping and reveals his best tips and fitness exercises for back pain in the morning.

Table of contents

1. back pain in the morning
2. Prevent tension
3. Causes & Development of Neck and Back Pain
4. Three tips to combat back pain after sleep
5. The best exercise after an uncomfortable night
6. Conclusion

1. Back pain in the morning

Who hasn’t experienced it? You sleep in a strange bed or with a different pillow for just one night and zack you wake up the next morning with tense neck or a stiff back. We already know that existing muscle problems can disrupt sleep and cause a painful feeling in the morning. A sleep study by the Techniker Krankenkasse in 2017 showed that muscle and back pain can be a key cause of sleep disorders, accounting for 54% of cases.

But how exactly does it happen the other way around that we develop nasty muscle tension almost overnight, even though we hardly move during sleep?

2. Causes & Development of Neck and Back Pain

The causes of back pain are very different and often remain unexplained. Most diagnosed back pain is attributed to what is known as MFS (myofascial pain syndrome). This means that most of the pain comes from the muscles themselves and/or the connective tissue that surrounds and infiltrates them. A common cause of muscular problems is tension, which can be counteracted with targeted stretching exercises and thus experienced quick and effective pain relief. So one could assume that "poor sleep" is quite capable of giving us back pain. How can this be prevented?

3. Prevent tension

In my opinion, there are two things you can actively do to prevent nasty tension in the morning and reduce pain:

Firstly, you should try to optimise your sleep. The room environment, the bed and your pillow should be the best fit for you. However, as I am not an expert in this area myself, I would like to refer you to other articles in the sleep magazine where you can find tips for a good sleeping environment and the search for a suitable Pillow find.

On the other hand, you should also strive for a certain level of physicality so that you stay fit and healthy and your muscles stabilize your body. If your musculoskeletal system, joints and muscles work together optimally, you may even be able to allow yourself to sleep on the floor and wake up without any significant back pain. To do this, you should train and stretch your muscles regularly. I can highly recommend sports such as yoga or targeted fitness training.

4. Three tips to combat back pain after sleep

In case you still get a cold in the morning and your day starts with diffuse back pain, I'd like to give you a few tips.

Tip #1: The Cat Cow Stretch

To do this, get down on all fours and round your back like a cat by pulling in your stomach and arching your back upwards. Then make it long/hollow like a cow.Repeat this movement as often as possible, ideally between 30-50 times, and your back will almost certainly feel a little better.

Tip #2: Heat & Movement

Take a warm shower and move your spine a little. The combination of heat and movement is unbeatable for back pain and helps to mobilize the vertebrae, joints and bones.

Tip #3: Exercise in everyday life

Despite tension, try to go about your day with “normal” movements and avoid any kind of protective posture. Although these may provide relief for a short time, they only make things worse and can, in the long run, lead to even more pain.

The best exercise after an uncomfortable night

Finally, I would like to recommend an exercise that is particularly effective against pain between the shoulder blades at the level of the thoracic spine and has already helped many thousands of people. So if you have pain in this area of ​​your back after an uncomfortable night or after sitting for a long time at work, you are welcome to try it out. I will give you simple and quick instructions in this video!

You can find these and many other exercises for acute relief and prevention of back pain in my book "Healthy Back".

If you follow these tips, you will probably be able to manage back pain that you wake up from sleeping. However, if the pain does not improve or if it gets worse, you should definitely consult a doctor or physiotherapist.

Conclusion

• Back pain in the morning is often caused by muscle tension, which can be caused by an incorrect sleeping environment or an unsuitable pillow.

• The cat-cow exercise, a warm shower and avoiding protective postures help against acute back pain after sleep.

Best regards and see you next time!