Proper Sleep Posture For Lower Back Pain

Proper sleep posture: did you know it was a “thing”? Yes! It actually is, and how you maintain your sleep posture at night can help play an important role in your overall health and well-being, as well as living pain-free life during the day.

Proper sleep posture can help alleviate back pain that may have been brought on during the day by your normal activities and/or overexertion of your back or back muscles. Our bodies are designed to recuperate and rebuild overnight while we rest and sleep. For this reason, a neutral position — with your head, neck, back, and spine all aligned — is typically mentioned as the best position for sleep.

One of the worst sleep positions you can be in is sleeping on your stomach. This is due to the unnatural twisting of your neck in this position. It can cause neck and upper shoulder and back issues as well.

Here are two sleeping positions for proper sleep posture to help alleviate lower back pain.

Side sleeping with pillow between your knees

Sleeping on your side with a pillow between your knees can be beneficial if you are experiencing lower back pain. This will help take some of the pressure off of your lower back. Try it for a night and see if your pain is better, or gone, in the morning.

Fetal position sleeping

If you have a herniated disk, you may benefit from sleeping in the fetal position. In this position, you are also laying on your side, but with your knees drawn up toward your chest. 

A herniated disk means that the cushion in between your vertebrae is moved from its normal place, which can cause pressure or pinching on a nerve. Laying in this position allows for more space in between the vertebrae and some of that pain to be alleviated.

Your mattress can also play a role in sleeping with or without back pain. If you have certain conditions, such as sleep apnea or pregnancy, different recommendations may apply. Always take the advice of your physical therapist or chiropractor on which sleep position is best for you, based on your health and condition.

If back problems are keeping you awake at night, contact us for an appointment today to get back on the road to pain-free nights.