Eli5 why do adults get back/body pain when they sleep wrong but not children?
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Our nervous system is protective of our spine, because it’s highly susceptible to catastrophic injury. This is true for children, but it becomes more significant as we get older, our nervous systems more fully develop, and we develop the strength to hurt ourselves. This is what results in the common back aches of adults — we sleep in a funny position, lift something heavy with bad form, etc., which irritates the nerve/muscle and causes the nervous system to react to shut us down.
Also, as we develop and get stronger, we trade strength for flexibility. On top of that adults have had decades sitting in chairs and otherwise taking positions that throw off our posture, range of motion, etc. and various types of accumulated damage to our spine and muscles.
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