How to lay with lower back pain?

If you’ve ever woken up with a tingling arm or achy neck, you’ve experienced the negative effects of sleeping in the wrong position.

The key is alignment: When you sleep with your spine in a neutral position, it reduces the strain on your back and neck. It also helps to sleep on a firm surface.

So which sleep positions should you embrace and which should you avoid? Here’s a rundown, from best to worst.

The best position to avoid back pain is lying flat on your back. Even so, many people find it the hardest way to enjoy deep sleep. For optimal spine alignment, place one pillow underneath your head or neck and another underneath your knees. If you’re pregnant, however, you should avoid this position because it decreases blood circulation to the heart and baby.

Side sleeping with your legs straight is the second-best position for avoiding back and neck pain. It’s also a good position for snorers or anyone with sleep apnea because it keeps your airways open. If you can, stretch your legs out straight and tuck a pillow between your knees to keep your spine in a neutral alignment.

Another type of side sleeping — with your legs bent upwards — is less ideal for your back. Known as the fetal position, it may be the most popular sleep style, but it promotes an uneven distribution of weight that can cause back pain and sore joints. Try straightening your body into a relaxed position by untucking your chin and adjusting your knees. If you’re pregnant, it’s a comfortable way to take the weight from your back.

Sleeping on your stomach is the worst position for your spine, according to Raymond J. Hah, MD, a spine surgeon at Keck Medicine of USC and assistant professor of clinical orthopedic surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “This position puts the most pressure on your spine’s muscles and joints because it flattens the natural curve of your spine,” he says. “Sleeping on your stomach also forces you to turn your neck, which can cause neck and upper back pain.”

Research shows that there’s a correlation between pain and sleep, so it makes sense to incorporate simple changes in your sleep style that alleviate back pain — and less pain means better sleep.

Topics

Since many people already have enough trouble sleeping in the first place, adding back issues into the mix can make for a stressful night. But the good news is that adopting the 6 tips below on how to sleep with lower back pain can make a huge difference.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, regular episodes of low back pain can cause a person to sleep more lightly than they normally would and wake up more frequently during the night.

Source: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0103-51502015000400803

To make things simple, let’s look at the biggest “dos” of how to sleep with lower back pain…

The 2 Best sleeping positions For Your low back are On the back & On the side. Let’s dive deeper into these 2 positions and also highlight some common mistakes.

Related: How To get rid of a stiff neck

Jerking yourself out of bed quickly or getting in too fast can exacerbate lower back pain, so make sure you’re careful about doing each.

Much like sleeping positions, there is not one true type of mattress or pillow that will work for everyone with lower back pain, so make sure to experiment with what feels best for you.

Make sure your back isn’t too arched, or too flat throughout the night. You want to be mindful of the neutral spinal position. When you catch yourself deviating from neutral, simply re-adjust!

It’s best to avoid sleeping on your stomach because it places extra stress on the muscles of your neck, as well as puts your spine in hyperlordosis (aka overly arched). If you can’t avoid this position, try to either use a very thin pillow or skip using a pillow all together.

There is a lot of research showing that psychological health can contribute to low back pain. Therefore taking a warm bath, or meditating/doing breath work prior to sleep, can be beneficial. It will help slow down your nervous system and help you mentally prepare for sleeping.

To reduce some of the stiffness you may want to do some light stretching before bedtime. The Cat & Cow stretch is one of the best dynamic stretches you can do to release muscle tension, as well as mobilize your spine and pelvic area. Be sure to check out more low back stretches here.

You also want to do corrective exercises to improve your posture, strength and mobility. The 2 most common posture imbalances you want to address are:

Your pillow should cradle your head and neck and help to support the upper portion of your spine.

If you sleep on your back, your pillow should completely fill the space between your neck and the mattress. If you sleep on your side, try using a thicker pillow to keep your head in line with the rest of your body in this position.

Whatever you do, don’t place your pillow under your shoulders.

For back sleepers: You may do best with thinner pillows and those that have extra padding in the bottom to support the neck.

Memory foam is a good material that molds specifically to your own neck.

A water pillow is another option that gives firm, all-over support.

The best sleeping position for lower back pain is on your side with a partial bend in the knees. View Source . Keeping the knees bent helps balance the body and reduces pressure on the lumbar spine. Many people find it helpful to put a small pillow between their knees to make this position more comfortable.