Highlights of Changing How You Sleep
- Good sleep starts with a preventive daily routine: stand as much as you can, and avoid slouching.
- Use your pillow to improve your sleep position.
- Improve the quality of your mattress and pillow.
Back pain is known for causing sleep disturbances, but you can alleviate your discomfort by changing your nighttime position.
Last year, the Asian Spine Journal assessed over 3000 individuals, revealing that almost one in three (32%) subjects with lower back pain (LBP) experienced sleep interruptions, awakening two times or more nightly. The scientists additionally determined that LBP sufferers reported the highest degree of discomfort during the last five hours of the day – 7 PM to midnight.
Positions that exacerbate back pain
If you want to prevent pain during the night, don’t sleep on your stomach.
Stomach-sleeping flattens our spines, which are naturally curved, explains Cleveland Clinic sports medicine physician Dr. Santhosh Thomas. This position progressively strains the back over an extended period. You should also consider what you have to do with your neck: it must be twisted to the side, which leads to pain in the upper back.
Pain at night isn’t just about your position, though. It is also heavily impacted by a sedentary lifestyle. Physical therapist Paul Grous of Good Sheppard Penn Partners notes that back pain often arises when we spend long hours in our chairs: “We sit too long and we don’t sit properly — we sit slouched with our backs rounded.” Stand as often as you can every day, and work on maintaining a healthy posture.
Positions that reduce back pain
Consistent sleep quality relies on consistent comfort. However, it’s not always easy for us to change our sleeping habits.
Dr. Thomas mentions that you can use a pillow to improve any position:
- On your back – Stuffing a pillow beneath your knees will help your spine achieve its ideal “S” shape.
- On your stomach – In this case, you want the pillow beneath your pelvis and lower abdomen.
- On your side – Bend your knees, and place a pillow in between them.
The selection process
You can also improve your sleep by purchasing a higher quality mattress and pillow. Dr. Thomas notes that you should listen to your own body as you make this decision. To determine whether a softer or firmer mattress would be preferable to you, “perhaps sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag may mimic a firm surface, and sleeping on a couch may mimic a softer surface,” Dr. Thomas says.
Grous suggests buying a contoured pillow. He also advises only putting a single pillow under your head.
If the above advice to reduce back pain is insufficient, Dr. Thomas suggests talking to a doctor. At Weston Medical, our mission is simple: to get you out of pain as quickly as possible. Get relief now!
