Neck pain is a widespread complaint in the information age, with many more of us spending a great deal of time glued to a computer, tablet or phone, or sitting in front of the TV. It’s also a common disease of aging, due to increasing wear and tear on the spine’s (脊椎) joints and tissues. At any given time, an estimated 39 percent of people over 65 have discomfort in their necks. Assuming an injury or potential disease isn’t causing the condition, here are some tips from some experts for managing the discomfort, as well as the best stiff (僵硬) neck remedies.

Sleep off a stiff neck. If you’re looking for stiff neck relief, getting a good night’s sleep — which represents roughly a third of your day — is a good place to start. Choose a relatively firm mattress (床垫) and use only enough pillows to keep your head level with the rest of your body — one is usually sufficient. For sleep that is even more neck-friendly, try lying on your back with pillow support under your knees. This will flatten and relax your spinal muscles.

When it comes to computer use, make sure the monitor is at arm’s length and eye level. Laptops have poor posture built into their designs: if the keyboard is near enough to be comfortable, then the screen is too close, and if the screen is positioned correctly, the keyboard is too far away, forcing you to bend forward. You can solve this problem by placing the device on a bunch of large books or a laptop stand and using a separate keyboard and mouse.

There is evidence to suggest home exercises may be effective against short-term neck discomfort (lasting for 12 weeks or less). “There are many possible reasons for neck pain, including stress, poor posture and organ aging,” explains Dr Michael Westaway, a musculoskeletal clinical specialist. “Treatment is often varied and may include an exercise program. For severe cases, there are painkillers, injections and surgery. However, resist the urge to immediately take aggressive measures, since simpler steps will often ease this everyday pain,” Michael Westaway warned.

Doctors say you had better use it before you lose it. The more you sit each day, the more chance you have of getting sick.

Richard Rosenkranz of Kansas State University was among the researchers. He said people who sat for long periods were at great risk of diseases when compared with those who sat less. He said that was especially true for some chronic (慢性的) diseases.

Richard Rosenkranz studied the relationship between sitting and chronic diseases in middle-aged Australian men. He worked with researchers from the University of Western Sydney. They examined the heath records of more than 63,000 men from New South Wales. The men were between the ages of 45 and 65. The men reported about what diseases they had, or did not have. And they kept record of the amount of time each day that they sat.

The study also showed that exercising every morning for 30 minutes did not reduce the health risk if you spend the next eight hours sitting at the desk. Mr. Rosenkranz said it was important to make sure you exercise. But he said it was also important to find ways not to sit so much during the day.

Many jobs today require sitting and working at the desk all day. James Levine works at the Mayo Clinic in the United States. He suggests working while standing at high table some of the time instead of sitting at a desk. Dr. Levine also suggests standing while using the telephone or eating. Or he advises walking with the people you work with for an on-foot meeting. And he notes that if you spend more time on your feet, you may have muscle activity that helps burn fats and sugars in your body.

Exposure (暴露) to more light during the day and less light at night is important for healthy sleep because it helps to keep the right body clock, the study team writes in Sleep Heath. The results suggest that in the office environment, being exposed either to daylight or electric lights may be important for the health of workers. “Many office buildings may actually be moving in the direction of reducing light,” said Figueiro. “Much has been done to reduce light levels to promote energy efficiency, which is important, but we may be going too far in this direction. ” She added, “We need to start thinking about how we light our daytime environment. ”

To see whether office workers get enough light to improve their sleep-wake cycle, the study team found participants (参与者) in five government office buildings across the country. A total of 109 people working at the offices wore something that could measure light for one week in summertime, and 81 of these participants repeated the experiment (实验) in winter as well. The office workers wrote down their sleep and wake time and completed a form of questions about their mood and sleep quality at the end of each study period.

Researchers found that people exposed to greater amounts of light during the morning hours, between 8 am and noon, fell asleep more quickly at night compared to those exposed to low light in the morning. People getting more morning light were also less likely to report feelings of stress. Office workers exposed to high levels of light all day, from 8 am to 5 pm, also reported lower levels of sleep disorders.

A lack of good quality sleep has been connected with mental and physical health problems, including those with mood, thinking and the immune system. There are many easy things we can do during the day to increase our exposure to sunlight that could have beneficial effects on mood and sleep, such as looking out of the window, seeking light during the day, especially during the morning, and going out during lunch time.