How to stop waking up with a stiff neck

You spend a third of your life asleep, so the position your neck is in overnight matters. If you often wake up stiff, small changes can make a real difference.

1. Get your pillow height right

The goal is to keep your neck in a straight line with the rest of your spine. Side sleepers usually need a firmer, higher pillow that fills the gap between ear and shoulder. Back sleepers need something lower with support under the curve of the neck. Stomach sleeping twists the neck for hours — if you can, try to switch.

2. Don't scroll in bed

Lying propped up on your elbows looking down at a phone is one of the worst positions for your neck — and the light keeps you awake longer. Put the phone down 30 minutes before sleep.

3. Build a 15-minute wind-down

• Dim the lights and put screens away.
• Do a few slow shoulder rolls and gentle neck side-bends.
• Spend 15 minutes with gentle warmth on your neck and shoulders — a warm shower or a heated pillow on the sofa.
• Then move to bed. Don't sleep with a heat source switched on.

4. Mornings matter too

If you do wake up stiff, move gently rather than staying still: slow head turns, shoulder rolls and a warm shower usually help it ease within an hour or two.