Sleeping with Back Pain

Many people struggle with back pain while sleeping. If you find your mornings accompanied with back pain on the regular, it may be time to take a closer look at what could be causing your issues and learning about what you can do to prevent it while you are sleeping.

To start, what can cause back pain? Well, there are a number of factors that can increase the risk of back pain. If you are between the ages of 35-55, you may have a higher chance of having back pain while you are sleeping. It is more common in women, and those that are overweight.  A few other factors that may have an influence include stress, anxiety or if you are a smoker.

How can you prevent it?

Trying to minimize the amount of back pain you experience while sleeping doesn’t have to be difficult. Simply making a few adjustments can absolutely help your pain. Be careful when you are getting in and out of bed. Try to be conscious of the movements you are making, and don’t make any rapid jerking motions or twist your back. Get out of bed by rolling onto your side first, facing the edge of the mattress. Bend your knees and swing your legs to the floor while supporting yourself with your hands.

If you’ve already paid close attention to your movements getting n and out of bed, you can also try to adjust your sleeping positions. Certain positions can put some extra pressure on the lower back, neck and hips, which can increase the back pain you might be feeling. If you’re a back sleeper, try to place a pillow under your knees while you are sleeping. This can help with aligning your spine properly. If you are a stomach sleeper, try to place a pillow underneath your lower abdomen.

Another great way to try and prevent back pain is to visit the gym. Working out can help you sleep better overall. Having a stronger and more flexible core can help to reduce back pain as well as muscle spasms overnight.

If none of the above remedies seem to be helping to prevent back pain, it may be time to try a new mattress. Choose something that is on the firmer side can help with back pain, however we recommend testing out the mattress before making a purchase!

Sources

https://www.sleep.org/articles/prevent-back-pain-while-you-sleep/

https://www.amerisleep.com/blog/reducing-back-pain-while-sleeping/