How to Sleep With a Neck Brace

While wearing a neck brace can be challenging during the day, it is at nighttime when that neck brace can really start to irritate a person. If your injured neck requires a neck brace that you must keep on at all times, you can expect to have difficulty sleeping unless you have a plan to make your neck brace as least noticeable as possible. Follows these steps and sleep well tonight.

Ask you doctor if your neck brace is even needed at night. Depending on your condition, there are certain pillows that you can buy that act to stabilize your neck during the night. Or, you might be able to wear a softer collar at night.

Be sure that your neck brace is adjusted on the right setting. If you keep it too tight, you will be uncomfortable, no matter what position you rest in.

Find a comfortable armchair to sleep in. Make sure the armchair reclines and has plush cushions. Sleeping in a chair may seem difficult at first, but you will avoid all of the tossing and turning that comes with sleeping in a bed.

Place one pillow behind your head for stability. More than one pillow will put too much pressure on an already injured neck.

Situate other pillows on the chair in places where you need more comfort. If the armrests on your armchair are too hard, rest your arms on pillows. If your legs are uncomfortable, put a pillow underneath them.

Warnings

Do not put on a neck brace without a doctor's recommendation. Neck braces are becoming less common as doctors realize that they are making injured necks even stiffer.