Our sleeping position can greatly influence not only the quality of your sleep, but also your spinal health, and there is no doubt that certain sleeping positions are better than others at helping with both issues.
If you are determined to fix your lower back pain (and not only), practicing good sleep hygiene is an often underestimated but good first step to take regarding this matter.
The important part when it comes to how we sleep is about proper alignment of the spine while we lay down. In other words, the aim is to keep our spine in a position as neutral as possible, as to not place unnecessary stress on our back and neck.
How sleeping affects your spinal health
Getting a good night’s rest is detrimental not only to our spinal health, but rather to our overall wellbeing. That being said, poor sleep can have a negative impact on our quality of life as well as our spine, leading to various symptoms and issues for the latter.
In a large number of cases, poor sleep and a bad sleeping position tend to go hand in hand. As a result of this, many people may experience soreness and stiffness along with the pain.
Sleeping positions that cause back pain
That is why, unfortunately, there are bad news for stomach sleepers, as sleeping on your stomach accentuates the curve of your spine, with your lower back and neck (the two extremities of the spine) pointing upward, while the mid back is bent down.
Sleeping in this position may lead not only to back pain, but also neck pain and sleep disturbances as it is oftentimes difficult to breathe while in this position.
Best sleeping position(s) for lower back pain
Although not entirely ideal, sleeping on your side may be better than sleeping on one’s stomach, if proper measures are being taken.
If you’re a side sleeper, like 74% of the population, you may want to put a pillow between your knees. Sleeping with a pillow between your knees (either a small pillow or a body pillow) will provide a slight elevation to your hip that is pointed towards the ceiling, and help reduce stress on the spine, allowing it to lay in a more neutral position.
The same advice from above applies for people who choose to sleep in the fetal position, which is a variation of side sleeping.
Alternative treatment options
In some instances, it may not be possible or enough to adjust one’s sleeping position as some people tend to switch between different positions throughout the night, making it challenging to control our body’s posture during sleep.
If that’s the case, it might be worth investing in a good, firm mattress that supports you back and allows it to lay in a healthy, neutral position. Soft mattresses are not recommended as they tend to allow the person to sink into them, meaning that no support is provided for one’s back, and can actually lead to back and neck pain.
However, if the pain persists even after reasonable adjustments have been made to improve one’s sleeping circumstances, it is recommended to seek medical advice as the way one sleeps may not be the reason for one’s back pain.
Alternatively, a spinal decompression device, such as the Backrack, may be of great help in alleviating back pain that is caused by issues related to one’s sleeping posture, as well as other back problems.
