Sleeping with your partner without aches and pains: Sleep tips series 6/6

Sleeping with your partner whilst avoiding aches and pains:  The last of our six sleep tips blog series…

In our previous blogs we have discussed the general tips to getting the best out of a good night’s sleep and also our advice for those sleeping on their front , on their side and on their back. We’ve also given some tips on what to expect when changing your posture.

This blog goes a little bit left of field in helping those sleeping with their partners to get a better sleep posture. Unsurprisingly all of the advice we’ve previously given applies, but what about if you’re sleeping together in a cuddle position?

The following video was filmed late in 2018. It’s cheesy, it uses our old branding, but we hope you like it… See you on the other side for more information…

Sleeping with your partner sounds romantic, but the big passion killer is waking up in the middle of the night with a sore shoulder or numb arm

Why does this happen? How can you stop it from happening? How does this relate to posture?

Why does this happen?

When your partner is lying on top of your arm there are two things that are happening. The first is more to do with sleep posture and the other is to do with your partner.

First, your partner. Having the weight of your partner on your arm over the course of an evening will stretch muscles, ligaments and connective tissues. This can in turn compress a bundle of nerve and blood vessels called the neurovascular bundle. This is what gives you that numb feeling in the middle of the night.

Second, you are more likely to be sleeping on the front or back of your shoulder instead of being on the shoulder tip which will add to these compressions. See our side sleeping advice for more information on this.

How can you stop it from happening?

Sleep on the tip of your shoulder, following our side sleeping advice and remove your arm from under your partner before you fall asleep.

What about your partner’s posture when falling asleep

Your shoulder is one thing, but think also about the effect of your arm on your partner’s neck posture. Read our post on getting the correct posture for back sleepers for more information.

How does this relate to posture and aches and pains?

Sleeping with your partner can lead to aches and pains if you allow your postures to create compressions or twists in your body overnight. Whilst many of these are shortlived, they can contribute to biomechanical changes within your body.

Solutions to aches and pains

Movement tends to help perfuse blood back into your joints as does adopting better sleeping postures.

If aches and pains tend to last longer, book into see us for an initial consultation so we can check what is going on and offer help.

The Author and Sleep tips vlog speaker

Dr James Harrison (Chiropractor) LL.B(Hons), MChiro, MMCA, LRCC Owner and Principal Chiropractor at Connective Chiropractic