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Sleep is one of the most important physiological activities of the human body, it can not only eliminate fatigue and restore energy, but also regulate the nervous system, enhance immunity, and promote growth and development.
When sleeping, we usually use pillows to support the head and neck to maintain the natural curvature of the spine and blood circulation.
However, some people are used to sleeping without pillows, or use pillows that are too low or too high, what effect does this have on the body?
Xiao Wang is a programmer who usually works under pressure and often works overtime. Since he was a child, he did not like to sleep on a pillow, and felt that it was more comfortable and easier to fall asleep without a pillow.
He believes that this will relax the neck muscles without affecting health.
However, as he grew older, he found that he often experienced symptoms such as dizziness, tinnitus, insomnia, memory loss, and often felt stiffness and soreness in his neck and shoulders. He thought that these were all caused by work pressure, so he didn't care.
Until one day, when he was working overtime, he suddenly felt chest tightness, shortness of breath, panic, cold sweat and other symptoms, thinking that he had a heart attack, and hurriedly went to the hospital for examination. As a result, the doctor told him that he did not have a heart attack, but cervical spondylosis.
It turned out that sleeping without a pillow for a long time caused his cervical spine to straighten the curvature, degeneration and herniation of the cervical disc, compressing the carotid and vertebral arteries, affecting the blood supply and oxygen delivery of the brain. This is what causes him to develop various abnormal manifestations of the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
The doctor advised him to change his sleeping habits as soon as possible, choose a suitable pillow, and do some neck exercises and physiotherapy. Otherwise, if it continues unimproved, it may lead to more serious consequences, such as stroke, paraplegia, etc.
What problems can be caused by not pillowing pillows for a long time?
Sleeping without a pillow can cause the curvature of the cervical spine to straighten
The human spine is S-shaped from the side, in which the neck has a slightly forward curve, which we call "neck curvature".
Cervical curvature can maintain the normal pressure distribution of the cervical disc, buffer external impacts, and ensure the patency of the carotid and vertebral arteries.
If you do not sleep with a pillow, or use a pillow that is too low or too high, it will put the neck in a state of excessive elevation or excessive flexion, and in the long term it will cause the neck curvature to become straight or arched.
Cervical spine lesions compress blood vessels and nerves
Herniated or calcified cervical discs compress blood vessels and nerves in the neck, affecting blood circulation and nerve conduction in the neck.
The carotid artery is the main artery that supplies the head and intracranial, and if it is compressed, it will lead to head ischemia and hypoxia, dizziness, tinnitus, insomnia, memory loss and other symptoms.
The vertebral artery is an important artery that supplies the hindbrain and cerebellum, and if compressed, it can cause dysfunction of the hindbrain and cerebellum, resulting in symptoms such as vertigo, nausea, vomiting, and blurred vision.
Cervical spine lesions can affect the cardiovascular system
Cervical spine lesions affect not only the blood vessels and nerves of the neck, but also the cardiovascular system. Because the neck has some important reflex zones and baroreceptors, such as the carotid sinus and carotid body, they can regulate heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing through nerve reflexes.
If cervical spine lesions compress these reflex areas and receptors, it can lead to disturbances of the cardiovascular system, resulting in symptoms such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, palpitation, and cold sweat. These symptoms can easily be mistaken for heart disease or other medical conditions, delaying proper diagnosis and treatment.
How can it be prevented?
Choose the right pillow
In order to prevent or treat cervical spine lesions, the most important step is to choose a suitable pillow. In general, the height of the pillow should be comparable to shoulder width to maintain the natural curvature of the cervical spine. If it is customary to sleep on your back, the pillow should be slightly lower, about 6-8 cm;
If it is customary to sleep on your side, the pillow should be slightly higher, about 10-12 cm. The material of the pillow should also be soft and moderate, able to adapt to the shape of the head and neck, and have a certain elasticity. It is not recommended to use pillows that are too hard or too soft, nor to use pillows that are too large or too small.
Do some neck exercises
In addition to choosing a suitable pillow, you can also do some neck exercises to relax the neck muscles, increase the mobility of the cervical spine, and improve blood circulation. Here are some simple neck exercises:
Neck flexion and extension: sit upright or stand and slowly bring your chin closer to your chest until you feel a slight stretch at the back of your neck; Then slowly lift the chin up until you feel a slight stretch on the front of your neck; Repeat 10 times.
Neck rotation from side to side: Sit upright or stand and slowly turn your head to the left until you feel a slight stretch on the right side of your neck; Then slowly turn your head to the right until you feel a slight stretch in the left side of your neck; Repeat 10 times.
Left and right lateral neck flexion: sit upright or stand and slowly bring your left ear closer to your left shoulder until you feel a slight stretch in your right neck; Then slowly move the right ear closer to the right shoulder until you feel a slight stretch in the left side of your neck; Repeat 10 times.
Neck rotation: sit upright or stand, slowly rotate the head clockwise once, then slowly rotate counterclockwise; Repeat 5 times.
These neck exercises can be done once a day in the morning and evening, each lasting 5-10 minutes, pay attention to the movements should be slow, smooth and rhythmic, do not use too much force or too fast, so as not to cause discomfort or injury.
Get some physical therapy
If the cervical spine lesion is already serious, pillow adjustment and exercise alone may not be enough to improve the symptoms, then some physical therapy can be considered, such as massage, cupping, acupuncture, physiotherapy equipment, etc.
These physiotherapy treatments can stimulate acupuncture points and nerves in the neck in different ways, promote blood circulation and metabolism, eliminate inflammation and edema, and relieve muscle spasms and pain.
However, these physical treatments must be performed under the guidance of a professional doctor and should not be tried on their own to avoid adverse reactions or complications.
Epilogue:
People who sleep without pillows, sleeping without pillows will cause the curvature of the cervical spine to straighten, cause cervical spine lesions, compress blood vessels and nerves, and affect the function of the nervous system and cardiovascular system.
In order to protect our cervical spine health, we should choose suitable pillows and do some neck exercises and physical therapy.
At the same time, we should also pay attention to balancing work and rest, avoid a long time to bow or raise the head posture, and maintain good living habits. Only in this way can we have a healthy body and a clear mind.
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