While research is limited, anecdotal reports show that sleeping without a pillow can help reduce neck and back pain for some sleepers. Stomach sleepers are generally best suited for going pillowless, because the lower angle of the neck encourages better spinal alignment in this position.
In contrast, your neck and spine may appreciate the straighter sleeping position that forgoing a pillow provides. Stomach sleepers can also achieve better spinal alignment with a thin, soft pillow that lets the head sink lower into the mattress.
What is the best sleeping position for neck pain? Two sleeping positions are easiest on the neck: on your side or on your back. If you sleep on your back, choose a rounded pillow to support the natural curve of your neck, with a flatter pillow cushioning your head.
Try sleeping on your side. But if that isn't possible, you can modify your stomach-sleeping position by placing a thin pillow or folded towel under your pelvis. The point: By elevating your pelvis, you'll reduce the arch in your low back.
It adds stress on your back and neck, making it hard for your spine to maintain its natural curve. Sleeping without a pillow can keep your head flat. This may reduce some stress on your neck and promote better alignment. But this doesn't apply to other sleeping positions.
If neck pain is your problem, a flatter pillow may be the better option. In one study, higher pillows created more cranio-cervical pressure (that's at the spot where the head and neck join) and a greater cervical angle, meaning your head isn't lined up with your spine.
Your head and neck should lie comfortably on the pillow to ensure that the spine is elongated. Like the back sleep position, your shoulders should fall just beneath the pillow and rest comfortably on the surface of the bed.
Causes of a stiff neck
Causes include sleeping in an awkward position (yes, this includes stomach sleeping) or tossing and turning throughout the night. Pillows are common culprits, whether you use too many or one that offers little to no support. Sometimes, though, your neck was tightening up before you hit the hay.
There's nothing wrong with wearing a bra while you sleep if that's what you're comfortable with. Sleeping in a bra will not make a girl's breasts perkier or prevent them from getting saggy. And it will not stop breasts from growing or cause breast cancer.
Situating a pillow between your lower half helps keep the knees aligned on top of one another, which in turn keeps your hip and pelvic area aligned. It can also reduce stress on the hips: A firm pillow between the knees can prevent the upper leg from pulling the spine out of alignment.
Considering all this, the right sleeping position to prevent sagging could be your breast facing upward. In this position, your breast will not experience much downward pull due to gravity. If you want to sleep on your sides, support your boobs with the pillow on both sides while sleeping.
Use two pillows, with the top pillow staggered slightly back of the bottom pillow. Try to lie on your side or back. Have the bottom pillow supporting your shoulders and the top pillow supporting your neck. Hug a pillow, as this will put your top shoulder in an open position.
Your neck should remain at a 90 degree angle from the line of your shoulder (as depicted above).
Pick Your Position
Back and neck pain: When it comes to alleviating pain, sleeping on your back is a mixed bag, Salas says. For people with neck pain, sleeping face up can sometimes make the pain worse. But many people find back sleep is helpful for alleviating low-back pain.
Effects on Posture
Adding a pillow risks putting the neck at an even sharper angle, which is why many stomach sleepers feel comfortable sleeping without a pillow. Side and back sleepers usually require a pillow to maintain proper spinal alignment.
As for how long it'll take to see the hump dissipate, that comes down to the hump's severity. If it's mild, two or three weeks of doing these stretches every day should do the trick. For other people, it may take longer. Either way, get your stretch on.
Can you reverse or cure a dowager's hump? Dr. Wilson says depending on your age and the severity, you often can improve or reverse this problem. You can accomplish this by strengthening the upper back muscles; increasing tone helps pull up the shoulders and the head.
Physical therapy and massage
A physical therapist can help you work with your body, advising some specific neck hump exercises and massages to correct your posture and reduce that buffalo hump.
“My favorite exercise to reduce the appearance of a neck hump is a pec stretch with neck extension,” says Dr. Liza. “With this exercise, you are looking up to stretch the muscles at the front of the neck that get tight with poor posture and causes anterior head carriage.
Tilt your head forward gently, touch your chin to your chest, hold for five seconds, then release. Rotate your head to the left until you feel a mild stretch. Hold for five seconds, then repeat to the right. Push your head forward until you feel the stretch through your throat.
Tucking the pillow under the shoulders will position the head further up on the pillow, so the neck is not flexed (bent forward). This position may feel as though the head is more extended slightly, and may be more comfortable for those with muscle pain in the neck.
Your head and neck should lie comfortably on the pillow to ensure that the spine is elongated. Like the back sleep position, your shoulders should fall just beneath the pillow and rest comfortably on the surface of the bed.