If you find yourself waking up with body aches and pains, you’re not alone. That stiffness where it feels like you can hardly move in the morning, we’ve all felt it – but how can we make it go away?
Aches and pains often seem to increase in the winter with colder temperatures, too, so we hope this finds you at just the right time to improve your body’s aches and pains. Due to our pain receptors becoming more sensitive in the cold, less activity, and increased pressure in our joints, winter causes us to search for relief from achiness after sleeping.
Aches and pains after a night’s rest can be due to a variety of reasons, including an old mattress, a heavy workout the previous day, or even a recent injury. If that’s the case, there may not be much you can do to change the morning aches.
However, there could be other underlying health reasons you’re unaware of, too! Here are some suggestions on what could potentially be causing your aches. If you don’t know the underlying cause or suspect a more serious health condition, it’s important to visit your primary care provider.
Possible Reasons for Aches and Pains after Waking:
1. Stress
Stress causes inflammation in your body, which could be the cause of your muscle aches. To help reduce stress, take care of your mental health. Whether meditating daily, exercising and spending time outside, or talking with a licensed therapist, your mental health plays a large role in your physical health, and finding ways to ease tension is important. Be sure to find stress management techniques that work for you.
2. Dehydration
Dehydration causes several problems in your body and takes a toll on your physical health. Because water is required for most of your body’s functioning, being dehydrated can cause muscular aches and pains. Be sure you’re drinking enough water and electrolytes throughout the day.
3. Infection or illness
Being sick causes inflammation in your body, making your muscles ache. If you have a cold or flu this winter, expect a few muscle aches. Be sure you’re giving your body ample energy to fight your sickness by getting adequate rest, eating a healthy diet, and hydrating. If your symptoms don’t improve or go away, be sure to visit your doctor.
4. Vitamin D Deficiency
Especially during the winter months, we’re not able to spend as much time in the sun soaking up Vitamin D, which our bodies then use to make calcium. Calcium is needed for a lot of organs and your bones to work properly, so when they feel this deficiency, it can result in aches and pains. If you’re considering adding a supplement to your routine, even if just during the winter, we recommend reaching out to your primary care provider to ensure safe dosage.
To help with aches and pains, spend a few minutes in the morning performing light stretches to get your blood flowing and loosen up your muscles! While some may think it’s just a part of aging, know you can work to reduce aches and pains, especially after waking, with safe and appropriate exercise, stretching, diet, and lifestyle habits.
If you’re experiencing aches and stiffness more often, consistently, or for extremely long periods of time, we recommend visiting with your doctor. Several autoimmune or chronic conditions manifest themselves through aches and pains, and it’s important to seek a medical professional’s care and treatment.