Do you snuggle under a thick eiderdown when you go to bed in your air-conditioned room?
Well, you may regret it, because if you get too toasty under your duvet, you could wake up with stiff muscles.
But how so? Doesn’t heat relax muscles?
“If you start to perspire, you could push the bed covering off you and unintentionally get chilled – the perfect recipe for muscle tension and soreness,” explains André Alesi, a health and sport scientist with the Campaign for Healthier Backs (AGR), a German association that promotes research and public information on back-pain prevention.
The same thing can happen if your blanket is too small, by the way.
If your entire body isn’t covered, exposed skin could be caught in a draught, cool down and perhaps lead to muscle stiffness.
If you’re planning to buy a new blanket, the AGR advises choosing a temperature-regulating one.
Ideally, it will contain special fibres that wick away moisture and allow heat to dissipate.
What if your blanket provides just the right warmth, but you wake up with stiff muscles anyway?
Then it might be a good idea to take a look at your pillow, which could be the wrong type for your preferred sleeping position.
“Side sleepers need a firmer pillow that keeps their head propped up and aligned with their neck and spine,” points out Alesi.
Back sleepers, on the other hand, should have a softer, thinner pillow that keeps the cervical vertebrae in their natural position.
A mattress that’s too firm can also cause muscle stiffness and pain, he says.
This is as it can put excessive pressure on your shoulders and pelvis.
If you’re buying a new one, it’s best to get personalised advice. – dpa
