– mindbodygreen

A couple of tiny1 study2 from 2010 indicate that shoulder pain may be due to resting for long periods of time on a hard surface, particularly if sleeping on your side.

However, before you blame the shoulder pain entirely due to your mattresses, you should consider taking a look at a few possible culprits. Chiropractor Cameron Yuen, DPT, CSCS, director of rehabilitation and education at Bespoke Treatments Physical Therapy in New York City, suggests review your day-to-day routine. “Shoulder pain when sleeping is usually caused by an issue that affects the joint. It could also be due to the soft tissues in the shoulders (or more frequently, the neck, specifically when the pain is in the shoulders).”

Yuen emphasizes the importance of having a good pillow. “A important starting point is to make sure that the pillow is able to help the natural curves of your neck while helping your head stay in place,” he adds.

However, he does agree that if you’re getting up every day with shoulder pain, there’s a great possibility that your mattress is the cause of the cause. “You are likely to want to lessen the pressure on your shoulder. That may mean changing to a more comfortable mattress. The aim is to spread the strains throughout your body in a more even way and so the stress that was primarily at your shoulder is now distributed to the other side of your body.”