Not to mention the fact that it will likely also disturb our sleep. In this blog, we look at the optimum sleeping positions for restful sleep, as well as providing some handy tips to minimise any accidental aggravation of the spine.
Tip 1 – Don’t Sleep On the Affected Side
Our first tip may seem like an obvious one to offer up, but the fact is that when we’re sleepy, we don’t necessarily think very clearly. Sleeping on the affected side can cause unnecessary discomfort, especially if you don’t tend to move much during the night. This can be particularly irritating to back pain when talking about sciatica.
So, if you can, don’t do it. The same goes for sleeping on your stomach, as it places stress on both the pelvis and the spine.
Tip 2 – Try and Keep Your Knees Elevated
For those who like to sleep on their backs, our advice would be to try and ensure that you keep your knees elevated. This can be encouraged by placing a pillow under your knees. This is great for your spine, as it greatly reduces the pressure that’s placed upon your lower back. It also puts your body in a shape that maintains your spine’s natural curvature.
Tip 3 – Place Pillows Between Your Knees
If you’re someone who prefers to sleep on your side, then the most comfortable position for you will be when your hips are kept aligned. Placing a pillow between your knees will help to achieve this and the result is much less aggravation of the lower spine, as the top leg won’t be creating any extra pressure.
It’s also important to support your head with pillows when sleeping on your side to align your shoulders and protect your upper back. Further to this, supporting the lower back (a.k.a. Lumbar region) is a good idea, as it aligns your pelvis and ribs properly. This is easily done by placing either a pillow or lumbar support cushion under your waist.
Tip 4 – Try Not to Curl Up In a Ball
There are those of us that like to curl up into a sideways fetal position when sleeping. However, this should be avoided if you don’t want to undo all the good that any treatment you’re having is doing. Not only does sleeping in this way restrict your breathing, but it puts a lot of unnecessary stress on both the upper and lower spine.
This can prove particularly problematic when talking about back conditions like osteoarthritis, so you should position your pillows in such a way that curling up isn’t easily done.
Tip 5 – Get the Right Mattress
Your mattress plays a big part in back health, so is making sure you have the right kind is really important. Choose one that’s either too soft or too firm and you really can end up suffering. So, it’s important to know exactly kind of mattress you’re looking for to promote your spine’s health.
Typically speaking, the right kind of mattress for anyone with persistent back pain is one that’s medium to firm. One that’s too firm might cause you discomfort by placing too much stress on the neck and shoulders, whereas one that’s too soft can result in your pelvic area sagging under the weight of your body. When shopping for your next mattress, aim for the ‘Goldilocks’ area that’s neither too soft nor too firm.
Tip 6 – Try Low-Level Laser Treatment
Something that many people are finding extremely useful in the treatment of all manner of joint and muscle pain issues is low-level laser treatment (LLLT). It’s a completely non-invasive, painless method of reducing inflammation and healing tissue under the skin in a way that leaves the skin itself completely unharmed.
Used on a regular basis, LLLT can not only alleviate chronic pain associated with conditions like sciatica, osteoarthritis and spinal arthritis but also promote healing and recuperation. It also provides a welcome alternative to the prospect of having to take strong and damaging painkillers over an extended period – something many sufferers would gladly embrace.
Getting Restorative Sleep is Vital
Whichever way you look at it, getting a sufficient amount of restorative sleep is vital in keeping not just your spine in good health, but also for a strong immune system. In order to get this amount of sleep, you need to be comfortable and free from pain, which is why getting the right sleeping posture is such a crucial element of the equation.
Low-level laser treatment can be really liberating to those suffering from chronic back pain and can actually begin the healing process. However, that’s only if all of this healing isn’t undone each and every time we climb into bed.
We recommend that you should a) ensure that you have a mattress that supports you correctly and b) make sure that whichever way you prefer to lie in bed, that your spine is assisted with some well-positioned pillows. Combined with LLLT, this approach should have you moving freely and spared the misery of back pain in no time at all.
