Are you a drama lover who sacrifices sleep for screen time? Hong Kongers lead a hectic and stressful life, but that does not stop them from turning to dramas to unwind. Some people are so into dramas that they can watch them anytime, anywhere, as long as they have a smartphone.

With the convenience of electronic devices, it is easy to watch your favourite dramas, especially before bedtime. But using electronic gadgets before sleep can affect your sleep quality. Poor sleeping postures can also affect your spinal health and function over time. This can cause frequent acute wry neck, headaches, insomnia and other conditions, resulting in daytime tiredness and difficulty focusing on work.

Cervical subluxation is a common condition that can cause headaches and insomnia. When viewing the spine from the rear, it should look straight; when observing from the side, it should have natural curves in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. These curves can distribute stress, absorb shock and give the spine flexibility. If you always lower your head to look at the smartphone screen, the weight of your head will shift to the front, doubling the pressure on your cervical spine. What’s more, if you often sit or stand in improper postures or seldom change postures, this will tighten certain muscles and keep the cervical vertebrae in an improper position, therefore altering the natural curve and triggering cervical subluxation. If the first three cervical nerves (C1-C3) are compressed, cervicogenic headaches may develop, triggering insomnia in severe cases.

Generally, lying on the back exerts the least pressure on the spine, therefore is the most relaxing posture when sleeping. But most people can hardly maintain the same posture throughout the night. So, whether you prefer lying on your sides, on your back or alternating both postures, the key is to maintain the natural structure of the spine. If you can keep your spine straight when lying on your side, or maintain the natural curves in the cervical and lumbar spine when lying on your back, both postures can keep your spine aligned. Yet, if you often sleep on your stomach, lie on your side on a sofa, sleep with your partner pressing your arm, or doze off during bus rides, these can overstretch the neck and shoulder muscles and cause inflammation. These will inflict problems on your cervical spine and shoulder joints, leading to cervical subluxation and nerve compression in severe cases. Patients will suffer from symptoms such as shoulder, neck and arm muscle pain, numbness in fingers especially the little finger, and restricted range of motion, especially when they lie on their sides.

In fact, as long as you pay more attention to your posture and get rid of bad habits, watching dramas can also help relieve stress, which in turn boosts your sleep quality. Celebrate World Sleep Day in March by following these tips for watching dramas the right way and improving your sleep quality:

1.Beware of your sitting and standing posture when watching dramas to protect your spine. You should sit upright with your back against the chair, and avoid tilting your head to the front, sitting with legs crossed and lying on the bed to watch dramas for a long time.

2.Watch dramas on TVs or desktops instead of phones with small screens to avoid lowering your head or tilting your head to the front. Use a stand for a tablet to significantly reduce the stress on the neck and hands.

3.Do not use electronic devices for a long time. Take a rest after watching each episode, walk around a bit and lightly stretch your neck and lower back to reduce the pressure on the spine.

4.Avoid sleeping upright or sleeping at your desk as these could strain the neck muscles. Use a U-shaped neck pillow to fix your neck in a stable position, which reduces the pressure on neck muscles and helps you nap in a more comfortable posture.

5.Maintain a healthy body weight to relieve pressure on spinal joints. A moderate amount of exercise can boost your mood and glucosamine absorption, which can repair damaged cartilage and slow down joint deterioration.

6.Do some stretching exercises before bedtime to relieve fatigue and help you fall asleep faster.

Stretching exercises to protect your spine after watching dramas

Shoulder rolls

Raise your arms with elbows bent. Rotate your shoulders backwards, and tilt your body to the side at the same time. Repeat 10 times on each side.

Effects: Strengthen neck muscles, lower back muscles and deltoid muscles.

Neck stretches

Sit upright on a chair. Touch your back with your left hand and put your right hand on your head, slowly pull it to the right and hold for 10 seconds. Switch sides and repeat the set.

Effects: Stretch lateral neck muscles.

Chin tuck

Sit with your back against a chair. Keep your lower back straight and pull your chin backwards. Press a finger on your chin to fix it in place for 10 seconds. 

Effects: Stretch posterior neck muscles.

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