Chiropractor Questions Chiropractor

Why does my son have muscle tightness when he sleeps?

My 17 year old son has muscle tightness when he sleeps. He is under a lot of stress from COVID-19. Could that cause muscle tightness during sleep?

6 Answers

This issue could be more than a sleep problem. Typically, our skeletal muscles are paralyzed during dream sleep. Muscle tightness means many things to different people. Psychological stress can cause muscle tension, most commonly in the neck region.
Possibly-
Yes! Stress tends to settle in children and teenagers in the muscles. Keep up his physical activity during this time and that should help with relieving tension in the muscles. Chiropractic adjustments also help to activate the calming side of the body's functions.
Sometimes the body/muscles with tighten up when in rest and loosen up with motion or activity. Stress could be the main factor in your son. It would be a good idea to have him assessed by a chiropractor to see if it may be an option to help with his discomfort. With all the changes since COVID-19, maybe he isn't as active as he would be if he were in school. Encourage him to do some outdoor activities to get his muscles moving again.
Stress absolutely plays a large role in muscle tightness and pain. I would recommend he spend about 30 minutes in the sun daily between 11am and 3pm. I also recommend he drink at least 64oz of water daily, and practice deep breathing especially when he is under stress. All of these recommendations with improve his mood and decrease his muscle tightness.
Muscle tightness a lot of the time can be a sign that there is something else going on in the spine, especially when there are increased stressing times like this such as COVID 19.