HOW TO RELIEVE LOWER BACK PAIN WHILE SLEEPING: CHANGE YOUR POSITION!

Want to know how to relieve lower back pain while sleeping? The answer is quite simple: change up your position.

That’s right, improving your back pain overnight can be as simple as that.

You’d be amazed how many people sleep in the wrong position, a position that either causes back pain or worsens existing pain. Just making one tiny switch can make a world of difference in their comfort level, and can make back pain vanish.

We’re going to look into how to relieve lower back pain while sleeping in the right position, as well as what are the “wrong” positions to avoid. By the end of this page, you’ll know exactly how you need to sleep to reduce and relieve your lower back pain!

How to Relieve Lower Back Pain While Sleeping

A lot of people fail to realize just how much their sleep position matters—not just for how easily you can get to sleep, but how well you sleep at night and how much pain you experience.

Think about it: you spend between 6 and 9 hours sleeping every night. That means you’re in the same position (or, if you’re a more active sleeping, the same few positions) all night long. You don’t stay in the same position for that many hours during the day, but you move around to make sure your back is comfortable and supported.

Spending so many hours sleeping in the same position can contribute to lower back pain (or make existing pains worse) for two simple reasons: your spine isn’t getting enough support or its mis-aligned.

Take stomach sleeping, for example. When you sleep on your stomach, the cervical spine (at the neck) is twisted to turn your head to the side (right, left, or both). This means that your upper spine is in a fairly unnatural position. Of course you’re going to wake up with pain in your neck.

Or, take side-sleeping as another example. If you sleep on your side with no support, the weight of your legs will drag your lower body forward, and you’ll actually struggle throughout the night to stop your body from twisting. After a full night’s rest in this position, lower back pain is all but guaranteed.

The key, then, is to sleep in the right positions!

A good sleeping position will not only keep your spine aligned, but it’ll offer the support needed to maintain that alignment all night long. Remember: your muscles relax when you sleep, so they don’t offer support. Thankfully, a good sleep position will give your spine enough support that it stays in a natural, comfortable position for the hours of sleep.

If you want to know how to relieve lower back pain while sleeping, here are the best sleep positions to try:

Side Sleeping – Sleeping on your side is actually highly recommended! Sleeping on your left side, in particular, helps to encourage better digestion at night, encourages healthy flow of fluids through your body, and, of course, maintains excellent spinal alignment with the right support.

If you’re going to sleep on your side, there are three things you need to be aware of:

1. Your neck. Make sure your pillow is thick and supportive enough that it supports your head, maintaining a neutral cervical spine.

2. Your shoulders. If you have broad shoulders, you may find that your upper body tends to tip forward as you sleep. This can strain your lower back and cause discomfort in your shoulder and upper back joints. Consider using an extra-thick pillow (or body pillow) to hug to your chest and “lean on” for support for your shoulders.

3. Your knees. You NEED to add a pillow between your knees to maintain a neutral lower spine position. Without support, your upper knee will pull on your spine, and you’ll feel the pain in your lower back.

Of course, if you find it more comfortable, you can also sleep in the fetal position, with your knees curled up toward your chest. This is a natural position that aligns your spine, provides sufficient support, and even rounds out your lower back to open the space between your vertebrae.

Back Sleeping – When sleeping on your back, there are two things to take into account:

1. Your neck. Make sure your pillow offers good support for your neck, lifting it high enough that you’re comfortable without pushing your head so high that it strains your cervical spine.

2. Your lower back. Your lower back has a natural arch that lifts it off the bed slightly when you sleep flat on your back. This can add more pressure to your mattress, making it sag in the middle faster. It will also increase the risk of lower back pain. To counteract this, place a pillow beneath your knees to elevate your legs slightly. This will straighten that natural spinal curve and give you full lower back support.

These two sleeping positions are the best for those who want to combat lower back pain at night.

How to Relieve Lower Back Pain While Sleeping: Try Back on Track!

If you’re trying to deal with back pain, you should consider giving our Back on Track System a try.

Back on Track is a natural, holistic approach to dealing with back pain. We start by addressing the little-known cause underlying the pain, and work our way outward to improve all aspects of your life so you can live healthier and more pain-free in everything you do. It’s our solution to naturally treat back pain without the need for medication, therapy, or remedies. With Back on Track, we dive deep into your body and teach you how you can take back control of your spine to eradicate the pain that has been making your life so miserable. You’ll learn how to relieve lower back pain while sleeping, walking, exercising, playing, and enjoying life to the full!