Reading in Bed
The Habit You Must Stop If You Want To Protect Your Spine
How many of you read in bed?
Huge amounts of people love to read before going to bed. These days it’s even more common with the influx of smart phones and tablets. Using one of these devices has its own set of issues in regards to light exposure but that’s not the focus of this article.
Reading before bed has become so habitual for some that they find it absolutely necessary in order to be able to sleep. But there is a significant drawback and it’s something that must be handled if you want your body to feel as good as it can.
The problem lay in the postures that people adopt when reading in bed. Most have their heads propped up on several pillows with the book on their chest. Either that or you’re lying with several pillows stacked under your back and your body is curled forward in a c-shaped position. Sound familiar?
In ABC™ (our technique of choice) we are concerned with misaligned bones that the body can’t self correct as there is no muscle pulling in the direction needed to do so. This posture will inevitably force vertebrae in that direction.
This sets about creating an imbalance in your structure that might cause a range of issues. If you’re undergoing care in our practice it can slow your progress by misaligning things that we have to keep correcting. If you’re not under care, it can develop into poor posture and create problems in the long term.
If this sounds familiar you must avoid doing this immediately. I have discussed this with enough people over the years to know how difficult that can be. It’s part of a routine that either gets you to sleep or is the one time in the day you get some reading in.
The good news is it doesn’t mean you have to stop. You can still do it, just pick a better environment or position. Different options include;
Sitting in a good quality chair with you book placed in front of your face rather than resting on your lap.
If you still want to read in bed then try sitting upright. Bring your backside up close to the headboard, rest you back against the headboard and sit crossed legged
Some prefer to lay on their belly to read. Whilst better, this is still not a great option so I don’t recommend it. If you must do this, use a small pillow under your belly to prevent you back arching.
These are more balanced positions for the body and will less likely create misalignments.
Give it a try and you’ll see how much better you feel. If you’re struggling to make the change for any reason mention it to your chiropractor and we’ll see what we can do to help. You never know, it might be the thing that makes a huge difference with your progress.
Dr Ben Coupe
There is no need to put up with pain any longer
Schedule your first appointment with our expert ABC™ Chiropractors and get back to doing what you love.