People get uncomfortable doing the same things day after day. They sit in chairs most of the day and don’t move all that much. With a stiffening of their joints and a tightening of their tendons, pain and stiffness skyrockets.
Stretching or disciplines like tai chi and yoga are good solutions. Unfortunately, like meditation, they can take up part of the day that one just doesn’t have to spare.
If that’s the case, consider adding sleep stretches to your routine.
Sleep stretches are a half-solution that can be used to mitigate your pain and discomfort.
What are sleep stretches?
They’re body positions that you can sleep in where you can get a light stretch.
They’re not stretches that you do before sleep. You’re stretching while you’re in bed.
Lift your leg until you feel a light stretch and leave it. Tell yourself that when you adjust yourself in the middle of the night, that you’ll do the opposite side. When it’s time to sleep, you need to prioritize sleeping. You’re in bed to rest. You can, however, position your arms and legs in a way that provides a light stretch to your joints and tendons. As you relax and sleep, the tendon will also relax.
Another sleep stretch is to place a small pillow in the small of your back. Then relax. Make sure that the pillow is small enough so that you’ll roll off of it when you turn to one side or another.
Remember how you can get back pain from assuming the same position all day long? If a person ignores their posture and hunches forward at their desk for hours at a time, they may develop back pain.
If you sleep on a mattress that’s caved in, you’re likely to develop back pain unless you stay to one side or the other, away from the hole. Sleep stretches use that same principle to benefit you.
How do you finish up from a sleep stretch session?
While you can use your subconscious to put yourself through a mild stretch session, sleep stretches are a half-measure, a half-solution. Be sure to finish up. When you wake up, stand up and touch your toes. Take your foot and hold it up to the opposite buttock. Then do the other side. Lift your arms above your head. Lean to the left and then the right.
You can quickly finish up the sleep stretches in a matter of minutes.
Sleep stretching won’t make you as limber as a stretching program or taking up yoga. The mild stretches might, however, help you stay flexible and limber, getting you the benefits you need, like pain relief and injury prevention.
Also on the blog:
Isometric Exercises Before Bed
4 Types of Exercise To Get In the Evening Before Bed For Awesome Sleep
Swimming Can Help You Sleep Like a Log
Don’t Work From Your Bed or Bedroom
Walking Is An Awesome Exercise Before Bed
James Cobb RN, MSN is the founder of the Dream Recovery System, a top sleep blog dedicated to teaching about the power of sleep and dream journaling.
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