You might be unknowingly contributing to poor posture and other health problems, according to a specialist.
Sleeping is now added to the list of activities you might be doing incorrectly.
This is the perspective of physical therapist Sammy Spiegel, who often shares insights into health issues through her social media channels.
In a TikTok video uploaded on her account, Samspiegs, she cautioned against the use of two pillows while sleeping.
She referred to a problem she calls ‘two pillow syndrome’.
Although she acknowledged that the term is not found in scientific studies, she maintains that it is a genuine concern.
Before dismissing her claims, it is worth noting that Spiegel, based in Missouri, has been in the field for over 13 years, and has observed a range of avoidable conditions gradually afflicting people.
“What is happening to us in daily life is we are falling into this position,” she demonstrated while adopting a slouched posture.
She elaborated: “If we are here all day and then lie down with the two pillows, what that does is that it lifts up to our head, conforming to our curve that is occurring over time with poor posture instead of our neck and spine stretch back into a nice straight position.”
https://www.tiktok.com/@username/video/7465366460047641902
Why is this potentially significant?
Spiegel suggests it could lead to or exacerbate a condition known as dowager’s hump. This manifests on the upper back near the neck’s nape and is sometimes called a neck hump or hunchback, among other terms.
In any case, this refers to the ‘excessive curve of your spine’, as described by health specialists at the Cleveland Clinic, with poor posture being the most frequent culprit.
Spiegel further explained that prolonged hours of sleep in a poor posture will inevitably accumulate.
She emphasized that sleeping in a position that mirrors the desired daytime posture is crucial.
Spiegel stated: “I’m already fighting bad posture enough as it is, I don’t want to lie down in bed and have a pillow just put me in bad posture.”
“When you go to bed at night, use gravity to your advantage to stretch you straighter, if you can tolerate it,” she advised.
To reinforce her message, after suggesting exercises to enhance posture, she concluded her video by advising viewers to ‘avoid two pillow syndrome’.