The Best Sleeping Positions

Send us Fan Mail Why does your lower back or neck only hurt first thing in the morning? You aren't necessarily waking up sore because your mattress is bad—in reality, a lack of overnight support is simply exposing an underlying mechanical weakness already trapped inside your spine. In this episode of Ask the Chiropractor, Dr. Brant Hulsebus explores the structural biomechanics of sleep and outlines the best sleeping positions for back pain. As a Palmer College of Chiropractic graduate and the team chiropractor for the Rockford IceHogs, Dr. Hulsebus breaks down how to maintain a perfectly neutral spine while resting. Learn why stomach sleeping places dangerous rotation on the upper neck, how to properly size a pillow between your knees to protect your hips, and why structural chiropractic adjustments must always precede a trip to the mattress store. **In this episode, you’ll discover:** - The true anatomy of a resting spine and how to match your body's natural standing posture in bed. - Why stomach sleeping causes twisted neck joints, hand numbness, and severe tension headaches. - The side-sleeper blueprint: Sizing a knee pillow to prevent spinal rotation and hip strain. - Pillow diagnostics: Why firm, shape-retaining pillows outperform soft feather or down options. - The science of morning stiffness: Why inflammation pools when you stop moving for eight hours. - Hybrid mattress mechanics: Finding the ideal balance between memory foam comfort and structural coil support. Have a question about sleep posture, pillows, or morning back pain? Leave a comment or message on our platforms, and you might be featured as our next question of the week! 👉 **New Patients:** Save time at the clinic by submitting your intake paperwork online here: https://hulsebuschiropractic.com/patient-intake-form/ 📍 **Visit Hulsebus Rockford Chiropractic:** - **Address:** 1877 Daimler Road, Rockford, IL 61112 - **Phone:** 815-398-3434 - **Website:** rockforddc.com www.rockforddc.com