Painful shoulders make for restless nights. A rotator cuff injury or frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) will naturally affect your sleep but sometimes your sleeping position itself can contribute to shoulder pain. Long-term ailments such as a shoulder impingement are made worse by the pressure caused by those nightly hours spent crunched up in sleep. Many conditions arise through performing the same movements year in, year out, inevitably causing the shoulder tendons and muscles to develop tiny tears and become weaker. This is a natural result of ageing but it doesn’t mean you have to put up with shoulder pain. Come and get the underlying causes of pain checked out because a diagnosis and personalised treatment plan are the quickest ways to get better.
Can Your Sleeping Position Cause Shoulder Pain?
Yes – but watch out for those underlying conditions in the shoulder joint or arm. Sleeping on your side with your shoulder tucked in tightly will put pressure on the joint and can exacerbate conditions like bursitis. This is an inflammation of the fluid-filled cushion which protects the bones of the joint. Injuries will lead to an increase of bursal fluid and therefore swelling and pain. Other shoulder problems which require a change from that habitual tucked-in position are rotator cuff injuries and various forms of tendonitis in the shoulders. Shoulder impingement, for example, is a common cause of restricted movement and pain. It’s characterised by a dull ‘tooth-achey’ pain, which gets worse when you raise your arm above your head.
As there are many possible underlying causes of shoulder pain, it’s important to get the diagnosis right and that’s why we recommend a visit to Sundial. The shoulder is a complicated joint and thorough investigation is needed to narrow down the cause of your pain. Our physio can suggest gentle exercises to incorporate into your bedtime routine before sleep and when you get up in the morning to ease your shoulders into movement.
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How To Sleep Better With Shoulder Pain
It might sound obvious but you need to avoid sleeping on the affected side. If you’re a habitual side-sleeper, begin the night on your back and follow some of the tips below to discourage rolling onto the painful shoulder.
- Mattress – make sure it’s not too soft. It’s uncomfortable to sleep on your back on a soft mattress and you’ll be unconsciously seeking a more comfortable position as soon as you drop off to sleep.
- Pillows – position these on either side of your body and under your knees as well as under your head to make it difficult to turn over onto your side. Make sure your pillow supports your neck and doesn’t elevate your head uncomfortably by being too high.
- Sometimes lying on the good side can cause discomfort on the uppermost shoulder. If so, rest the arm on a pillow so it doesn’t pull on the bad shoulder.
- Place a tennis ball or angular object under the bedsheet on the side you want to avoid sleeping on – this will remind you not to roll over in that direction.
And of course come and see us for a check up to find out what’s really going on in that shoulder joint.