Sleep and Back Pain

Many people struggle with sleep positions. While most orthopaedic physicians will ultimately defer to comfort and personal choice, the way you lie can be a significant factor in the quality of your sleep. An uncomfortable position can worsen pre-existing pain, insomnia or other health problems associated with sleepless nights. For the best sleep – and to ease back pain – use pillows and supports to fill open spaces and to ease the tension on your muscle tissue.

Sleeping Well on Your Side

Most people sleep on their side, and it’s a strong choice, with two important caveats. Sleeping with your bottom arm under your pillow or your top leg stretched out can lead straight to shoulder and neck pain. Side sleep can also put pressure on your stomach and lungs, but for the most part it’s a safe and popular choice.

Sleeping on your side is...

There’s nothing better than lying in bed after a long day and being able to rest, recuperate and start the next day refreshed.

But when the act of lying in bed causes aches and pains, you’re not only compromising your sleep, but you’re guaranteed to wake up with pain that can put a huge damper on your day – and who has time for that? By making a few adjustments to your sleeping position, you can decrease your chance of morning aches. Here are two sleeping positions that can help your spine get a good night’s rest, and one that can be a total nightmare.

Lying on your side

This posture is the best choice for back health. However, you need to position yourself properly to avoid waking up with pain. You can do this by:

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  Making sure...

I have always slept on my side. However, knee pain kept interrupting my sleep. I tried a pillow as well as several knee pillows on the market. They were either uncomfortable, or got lost during the night. So, I developed my own. What a shock to discover that it also cured my back pain! I had thought that at 63 years old, the back pain was normal for someone of my age, who was picking up their grandchildren, running and playing with them.

To my surprise, all the literature explained how important it is for side sleepers to use a pillow between their knees to align their hips, and prevent back pain. I didn't know that!

I no longer have back pain, and I sleep so well, that my grandkids no longer have to worry about "taking it easy on Grandma", when we play chase or hide and seek. What...