Muscle strain or sleep pain?

The way to prevent muscle soreness after working out is to stretch well AFTER the exercise, It has to be immediately after, at the end of the work out. You have to move the build up of lactic acid outof the muscles, and stretching helps to do that. The stretching helps with working the muscle, but if you have injured, pulled, or strained the muscle that is completely different.

If the pain you speak of was happening from your bed, it would happen whether you worked out or not. Only you can narrow down the cause by paying attention to when it happens and what you did.

Are you sure that the pain s muscular in nature? Chest pain could have other causes. Should you go to a doctor?

Go see a doctor and rule out you’ve not torn any muscle or connective tissue.

I have had similar pains throughout my back and neck. I tried different pillows and even bought a memory foam pad for my bed. I also do pilates and play tennis, so I thought it was something I did working out, but these pains were different then the pains doing pilates. (I am sure you know what I mean) I am a side, back and sometimes stomach sleeper. I finally decided to go see my chiropractor. Turns out I had a neck strain.
He said it can’t be from working out since I have been doing that for sometime and these pains were fairly new. To make a long story short..I got rid of the memory foam pad which made my bed firner again. I finally found the perfect pillow with a gusset for more neck support. I went through 10 pillows to find the perfect one for me. Make sure the pillow is tucked between your neck and shoulder so there is no gap. Avoid sleeping on your stomach. It was hard the first few nights, but made a difference in the morning. If you are able to see a chiropractor. Adjusting your back and neck will help. Good luck!

Like already mentioned. Stretching helps. You must do it before and after. Also make sure you are well hydrated and bone up on fruits. It could also be a sprain. For now take some asprins to help you sleep tonight.
Your description of your pain also reminds me of whip lash I once had from some water sports I particpated in. For a few day it was really hard to move around. I could only sleep flat on my back without a pillow till I felt better and take asprin and a lot of bengay rubbing ointment.

Just a comment about stretching before, I personally do very little of it. I am not very flexible, and cannot stretch very far without warming up a little first, so that is what I do, I make sure my body is very warm before I stretch a little. Stretching before does not do much for muscle stiffness and pain that occurs hours after the exrecise. Stretching before can help not injure a muscle, such as preventing a pull, but for me I can easily pull a muscle stretching while cold, so it’s a balance, only you know your limits and what is comfortable.

Pilates works the muscles hard, holding positions that tax the muscles. It is very common for people to have back pain and other pain from pilates. Even when I was actively taking ballets 2 to 3 times a week, pilates was very difficult for me, and both disciplines use similar muscle groups. It is not as easy to stretch your back and chest, like it is to stretch your legs and arms after a work out. Pilates focuses a lot on core exercises, and I would suggest not to do exercises that are paimful. I am not a believer in pain to gain. There is good “pain” and then pain where you know it just isn’t feeling good.