When sleeping, rest and recovery are the priority. Hence, ensuring the opportunity for optimal sleep quality is important for everyday life. Your sleeping position can have a significant impact on your body, particularly if you already have an injury. In this article, we will outline some tips to help stay pain free overnight.
Back Pain Tips
Those who experience back pain may have difficulty sleeping comfortably at night. Ideally the natural curvature of the spine should be maintained and supported throughout the night and your body should be held in a position of minimal stress while sleeping. This optimal position also means that your joints and muscles are resting in a neutral position.
A mattress is very important in ensuring a good nights sleep. Too soft of a mattress may feel comfortable to begin with, but over time will let you sink too much, meaning the curve in the lower spine will be lost. Feeling stiff upon waking up can be a sign that you are using the wrong mattress, On the other hand, a mattress that is too firm can also place your spine in a flattened position throughout the night, which is usually uncomfortable during the night and when you wake up. For most of the population, sleeping on your side helps to maintain the natural curvature however if you prefer sleeping on your back, placing a pillow under your knees can help to maintain your lumbar spinal curve throughout the night. This can also help to reduce hip and knee pain.
Neck Pain Tips
Often the neck is the most vulnerable part of the body if your sleeping setup is not ideal. Those who sleep on their sides may let their neck fall excessively to the side with a pillow that is too high or have their neck elevated too much by having their pillows too high.
An indication that your pillow is too low is if you are putting your arm under your pillow while you sleep. This can put unnecessary stress on the structures in the shoulder joint and should be avoided if possible. Similarly, sleeping on your stomach can place excess stress on the neck as it is turned to the side for an extended period.
Hip Pain Tip
Individuals who sleep on their side often have one leg crossed over the body. This places extra pressure on the structures on the side of the hip, such as tendons and bursa and can impact the health of these tissues as the compression can reduce the blood flow to the area. By placing a pillow under your knee whilst sleeping on your side can help to maintain a neutral alignment of your hip.
Speak to your physiotherapist for more advice on how to improve your sleeping posture and find out if your sleeping setup is right for you.