The best morning stretch routine for joint stiffness, aches, and pains! Stomach, back, and side sleeping is discussed with morning stretches for neck, back, hip, and leg pain shared. Stretches for back sleepers, stomach sleepers, and side sleepers shared by a physical therapist to stop morning pain and stiffness!

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THE BEST SLEEPING POSITION FOR BACK PAIN, NECK PAIN, AND SCIATICA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qxmc4E7IwA

HOW TO SLEEP WITH SHOULDER PAIN: https://youtu.be/2-hS6mo7x4k

BEST SLEEPING POSITIONS FOR NECK PAIN RELIEF: https://youtu.be/xZfIn_OHADI

THE ACTUAL BEST SLEEPING POSITION FOR YOU: https://youtu.be/enXQmuCBaco

FOLLOW-ALONG STRETCHING ROUTINE FOR PEOPLE WHO AREN’T FLEXIBLE: https://youtu.be/FI51zRzgIe4
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It is recommended that we get up to 8 hours of sleep at night. While most of us move and roll and switch positions at least a little bit, we all have a position that we tend to gravitate towards while we sleep. Whether it be on our stomachs, on our backs, or on our sides - 8 hours is a long time to spend in one position!

Oftentimes we wake up with joint stiffness, body aches, and pains that can last into the morning and even throughout our day.

That’s why in this video I wanted to share with you some simple stretches that you can do first thing in the morning to alleviate some of this tightness and pain and get back to doing those things you love.

IS IT IMPORTANT TO STRETCH IN THE MORNING?
As mentioned above, 8 hours is a long time to spend in one position. Depending on your preferred sleep position there can be certain muscles/joints that will shorten and tighten based on whatever position you sleep in. Addressing these muscles and joints with the proper stretching when you first wake up in the morning is an excellent way to alleviate this tension and help you out of the pain you may experience first thing when you wake up.

STRETCHING BASED ON POSITION
The unique thing that you’ll find in this video is that the stretches I present to you are based on the position that you prefer to sleep in. Different joints and muscles are stressed different ways depending on what position you prefer to sleep in. Meaning someone who sleeps on their stomach will probably have different pains and stiffness in the morning than someone who sleeps on their side solely because of the position they sleep in.

In order to achieve maximum efficacy and pain relief, these differences should be addressed with unique and individual stretching for each different sleep position.

Below you will find a list of the three main sleep positions - stomach, back, and side - as well as the relevant stretches for each position.

Use the times stamps below to jump straight to that part of the video above.

0:00 INTRODUCTION
2:33 STOMACH SLEEPERS
4:46 BACK SLEEPERS
7:27 SIDE SLEEPERS
10:57 DON'T MISS THIS!

️ BEST STRETCHES FOR STOMACH SLEEPERS: the two main issues I see in individuals who prefer to sleep on their stomachs are cervical (neck) rotation and bowing (extension) through your lower back. The stretches I’ve chosen address those two issues:

1. CHILD’S POSE (PRAYER STRETCH): the goal is to round your back the opposite direction as what you slept in. Great flexion stretch for the entire spine.

2. NECK AND UPPER TRAPS STRETCH (EAR TO SHOULDER STRETCH): stretch both sides of your neck out laterally to alleviate tension and pain in your neck.

️ BEST STRETCHES FOR BACK SLEEPERS: the two most common issues I encounter from people sleeping on their backs is lower back discomfort and neck/upper back pain. This is usually due to tight hip flexors pulling on your back when your legs are out straight and from tight neck muscles due to pillows that are too full to sleep on your back.

3. PELVIC TILTS: Lay on your back and rock your pelvis forward and backward. This is a great way to work some motion into that area after not moving it at night.

4. CERVICAL AND THORACIC EXTENSION STRETCH: extend through your neck and upper back to look up at the ceiling and open your chest/shoulders up as well.

️ BEST STRETCHES FOR SIDE SLEEPERS: sleeping on your sides in the “fetal position” can cause tightness through your hip flexors and also through your hamstrings. Those are the two areas we will address with our stretching.

5. HIP AND BACK EXTENSION STRETCH: great way to extend through your hips and your back and work out some of that flexion tightness your may be experiencing.

6. HAMSTRING STRETCH: hamstrings are a very common site for muscle tightness. Stretching these out helps alleviate low back and hip pain.

Performing these stretches in the morning as instructed above is a great way to alleviate aches, pains, and stiffness you might be experiencing.