The sleeping posture of a famous actor in the drama has caused heated discussion among netizens! Sleeping like this is equivalent to hanging 16 bottles of mineral water around your neck, which may cause big problems

Recently, the TV series "You Are My Human Firework" starring the famous actor Yang Yang is on the air, and many scenes in the series have been trending on the Internet, causing heated discussions. Among them, Yang Yang's "serious" sleeping posture in the series has also sparked discussion.

It turns out that compared with the sleeping posture of ordinary people, Yang Yang sleeps very "properly", with his head, neck and shoulders stretched into a straight line!

After this scene was broadcast, netizens started a heated discussion: My neck feels very tired when I sleep like this...

So, how much pressure will Yang Yang's cervical spine bear? Some netizens calculated it based on the principle of leverage, that is, the gravity torque of the head is equal to the traction torque of the neck muscles.

The weight of an adult's head is about 5kg. The arm of the head's gravity in the figure is about 2/5 of the head's length, which is about 8.8cm. The arm of the neck's traction force can be calculated from the length and angle.

According to the formula, how much force did Yang Yang's neck bear? You can pick up a pen and do the math. The result is that in this sleeping position, Yang Yang's neck bears a force of about 80N, which is equivalent to carrying a weight of 16 kilograms, or 16 bottles of mineral water hanging on his neck!

Improper sleeping posture can cause systemic diseases

"The cervical spine is the most precious part of the human body. It supports the head above and connects to the torso below, playing a role of connecting the upper and lower parts. Therefore, once there is a problem with the cervical spine, if it is not taken seriously, it may affect other parts of the body." Wu Lianguo, director of the Second Department of Orthopedics at the Second Hospital of Zhejiang University of Chinese Medicine (Provincial Xinhua Hospital), said that improper sleeping posture can induce diseases such as cervical spondylosis, hypertension, arrhythmia, and stomach disease.

"Sleeping posture like that of actor Yang Yang in the drama, with 'empty neck and tense muscles', can easily induce cervical spondylosis." Wu Lianguo said that this sleeping posture is equivalent to only half of the pillow sleeping, which will keep the neck suspended and stiff, and the cervical spine cannot be supported, which is not conducive to maintaining the normal physiological curvature.

Some sleeping positions are signals of disease

"Some sleeping positions may indicate that there are problems with the cervical spine." Wu Lianguo said, for example, the "surrender position," with hands raised above the head. This is because the soft tissues of the neck and shoulders are too tense. Raising hands high can relieve the difficulty in falling asleep caused by muscle tension and slowed blood circulation.

"Some people's heads are not on the pillow when they wake up in the morning, they repeatedly suffer from stiff necks, they feel more comfortable sleeping on their stomachs, they feel more tired the more they sleep, or their necks feel tight when they wake up, and they like to use high pillows. These are all caused by continuous tension and spasm of the neck muscles, or sprains, deformations, or lesions," said Wu Lianguo.

From the perspective of cervical health, the correct sleeping posture requires both maintaining the normal physiological curvature of the cervical spine and ensuring the natural relaxation of the muscles, ligaments and other soft tissues throughout the body. The best sleeping posture is supine, which can best maintain the natural curvature of the cervical spine.

"When lying on your back, you can place a cushion under your neck, waist, and popliteal fossa of the knee. This will better support the curvature and relax the muscles." Wu Lianguo said that people who are accustomed to sleeping on their side can put a quilt or pillow between their legs. The pillow should be at the same height as the shoulders, and they need to alternate between sleeping on both sides to avoid sleeping on one side for a long time, otherwise scoliosis is likely to occur.

To protect the health of the cervical spine, in addition to the correct sleeping posture, it is also important to choose a suitable pillow.

"Generally speaking, a pillow height of 10 to 15 centimeters is more appropriate, and the specific size depends on each person's physiological curvature. The general principle is that after falling asleep, the part of the pillow that supports the curvature of the cervical spine is 3 to 5 centimeters higher than the part that supports the back of the head. This allows it to both support the head and adapt to the height of the neck." Dr. An Zhongcheng from the Department of Orthopedics II explained.

"In terms of the material of the pillow, you can choose some common fillings in traditional pillows, such as buckwheat husks, cassia seeds, rice bran and other natural plant materials. It is not easy to collapse, and it can not only support our cervical curvature well, but also keep it fresh and breathable, ensuring smooth blood flow and relaxing tense muscles." An Zhongcheng believes that common "memory pillows" and high-end latex pillows are also very good choices.

According to relevant research literature, pillows are arranged in order of comfort from high to low: latex pillows, traditional pillows such as buckwheat husks, polyurethane memory pillows, and down pillows.

I have cervical spondylosis

Why not try combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine?

Experts from the Second Hospital of Zhejiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Zhejiang Xinhua Hospital) pointed out that it is advisable to combine traditional Chinese and Western medicine for the treatment of cervical spondylosis. Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes that "pain occurs when the spine is blocked, and pain is relieved when the spine is unblocked". Western medicine believes that opening up the spinal canal and loosening the spinal nerves can promote blood circulation and the flow of nutrients. The two views coincide with each other.

Dong Liqiang, deputy director of the Second Department of Orthopedics at Zhejiang Xinhua Hospital, said that patients with cervical spondylosis should choose conservative treatment or surgical treatment under the guidance of a doctor according to their condition. At present, the most commonly used surgical method for treating cervical spondylosis is anterior cervical decompression and fusion internal fixation, or ACDF. Generally, patients can sit up to eat and drink water on the evening of surgery, and walk and exercise on the next day.

"The use of Chinese herbal fumigation that promotes blood circulation and removes blood stasis can promote the growth of cervical bones and nerve repair in patients. It is recommended that patients with cervical spondylosis undergo a period of Chinese herbal fumigation treatment after surgery." Chen Zhe, director of the Orthopedic Spine Center and chief physician of Zhejiang Xinhua Hospital, said that minimally invasive surgery plus fumigation treatment is a typical combination of Chinese and Western treatment methods. Patients can also buy a small fumigation machine themselves and fumigate at home regularly in the morning, noon and evening every day, but they need to go to the hospital for regular follow-up visits and adjustment of prescriptions.

"Patients with cervical spondylosis can use ear acupoint pressure therapy, cupping therapy, mild moxibustion therapy, scraping therapy and other methods to treat cervical spondylosis." Yi Hongmei, director of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Day Treatment Center of Zhejiang Xinhua Hospital, said that in the treatment of cervical spondylosis, traditional Chinese medicine can use acupuncture, massage, scraping, cupping and other methods according to different pathogenesis to stimulate meridians and acupoints, stimulate the body's positive energy, and achieve the purpose of harmonizing qi and blood, promoting metabolism, unblocking meridians, and eliminating diseases and health care.

Jin Jing, reporter of Metropolis Express and Orange-Persimmon Interactive

Correspondent Xin Xuan