How To Sleep With Back Pain: Sleeping Positions
Although it may seem comfortable, your sleeping position could actually be causing your back problems. All sleeping positions have the potential to increase back pain if held for too long. However, some positions can apply more pressure to your back than others.
It’s natural to move in your sleep so it’s important that you find a position that works for you. Whether you sleep on your side, back or front, we’ve outlined some small modifications that can make the way you sleep the best sleeping position for lower back pain.
Your Back Pain Is Much Worse In The Mornings
If you wake up and your back is sore and aching, but you dont experience that soreness or pain at any other time, then chances are your mattress is causing it. And if the discomfort gradually improves throughout the day, then thats another key sign that your bed could be the main culprit.
According to Dr. Frank Siraguso at the Siraguso Family Chiropractic clinic, if your muscles are working too hard to keep your spine aligned, then they do not have time to rest, your joints are under constant stress, and your discs are not able to decompress and rehydrate, leaving you with pain when you wake up.
Another sign that your mattress is to blame is if stretching for 15 minutes to half an hour after you wake alleviates the pain. Constantly shifting your sleep position in order to get comfy is also an indicator that your mattress is causing your back and hips to ache.
Tempurpedic Mattress Causing Lower Back Pain
HomePainBack PainTempurpedic Mattress Causing Lower Back Pain.
Rob writes:
Hi Peter,We are interested in purchasing a new king mattress. Out current mattress is a Tempurpedic 100% memory foam that we purchased new from Tempurpedic in 2012.
The mattress is comfortable and we sleep through the night, however when we wake in the morning, our lower back is very sore & tight and remains that way throughout the entire day.
It is getting progressively worse, I can no longer sleep in the bed.I am 44 years old, 6’0″, 195 pounds , my wife is 5’8″, approx. 150 pounds. What type of mattress would you recommend for us?
My brother has a standard inner spring mattress with a separate 2-3 inch foam or latex mattress topper.
Shall we go with a firm inner spring mattress with an additional topper, if so, what mattress & topper would you recommend.Thank you, Rob
Ever-Eden 2″ soft Talalay latex topper.
Don’t Miss: How To Relieve Pain In Middle Of Back
Does It Matter If Its A Turn Or Non
The main cause of sagging is simple wear and repetitive pressure being placed on both the springs and fillings. The great thing about a turnable mattress is that every few months, you can simply flip your mattress to sleep on the other side, thus spreading the wear and allowing your mattress to keep its shape for longer.
If Your Mattress Is Causing Back Pain Sleep Natural Has Just What You Need
If you see all the signs you need a new mattress, you owe it to yourself to check out Sleep Naturals Latex Collection. Not only are Sleep Natural mattresses better for your back, but theyre also better for your overall health. We only use plant-based eco-friendly materials like wild-harvested bamboo and natural latex tapped from local rubber trees, and foams that are CertiPUR-US certified so they help you breathe better and are toxin free. Each of our latex mattresses eliminates pressure points, promotes proper spinal alignment, and evens body weight distribution a perfect recipe for pain-free sleep.
The Sleep Natural Integrity Plush Eurotop Hybrid. With over 2300 5-Zoned pocketcoils, 2.4 flexible micro coils, and layers of supportive latex, this mattress is made to keep your spine neutral. Add Kooling Gel Swirl Memory Foam and Outlast quilting with gel foam, and youll sleep cool and comfortable all night.
The Sleep Natural Dream Weaver Plush. Designed to provide comfort for both stomach and back sleepers, it has multiple layers of natural latex and plush foam to make this bed comfy, cozy, and supportive.
TheSleep Natural Starlight ET. A memory foam mattress alternative perfect for eliminating back pain in any sleeping position, side sleepers will notice their shoulders are cradled by the Supersoft and Plush latex, stomach sleepers will notice their hips dont sag forward, and back sleepers will enjoy the pressure relief on the spine.
Read Also: How To Stop Back Pain Fast
Best For Lower Back Pain: Leesa Legend Hybrid
Leesa recommends this mattress for people experiencing lower back pain. It is suitable for all sleeping positions.
This hybrid luxury mattress features two layers of springs for edge support, alongside hip and shoulder support. It also comes with patented premium foam and provides medium-firm support.
The hypoallergenic cover uses 100% organic cotton, moisture-wicking merino wool, and fiber from recycled water bottles. The mattress has CertiPUR-US certification.
It comes with two free down alternative pillows.
The price depends on the mattress size chosen, as follows:
- Twin XL: $1,899
The following are common questions and answers about mattresses for back pain:
Choosing The Best Mattress For Lower Back Pain
Sleeping on the wrong mattress can cause or worsen lower back pain. Lack of support from a mattress reinforces poor sleeping posture, strains muscles and does not help keep the spine in alignment, all of which contribute to low back pain.
Sleep comfort is also sacrificed if a mattress does not match one’s individual preferences. A mattress that provides both comfort and back support helps reduce low back pain, allowing the structures in the spine to really rest and rejuvenate during the night.
See Mattresses and Sleep Positions for Each Back Pain Diagnosis
With the vast variety of mattresses on the market, choosing the right mattress can be difficult. The following practical guidelines are designed to help patients with low back pain choose the best mattress for both back support and sleep comfort:
Don’t Miss: How To Get Rid Of Low Back Pain Quickly
Remedy For Body Aches
The solution for bad mattresses that causes body aches is getting the right one for your bed. In fact, until you get the most popular ideal mattresses, it is time you are going to improve the sleep experience. A good mattress is supposed to offer you full-body support and does not create any pressure on your back and neck to make sure you have a sound sleep. You can also buy a new good mattress from our well-researched list of top 10 best mattresses for back pain.
Read Also:4 Ways A Memory Foam Mattress Causing Lower Back Pain
You Wake Up With Back Pain
While it may seem obvious, morning pain is one of the first signs that you and your mattress may no longer be friends. If you feel fine when you go to bed but wake up groaning and clutching your lower back, your mattress could be a contributing factor. A problematic mattress can contribute to spine misalignment, which in turn leads to morning pain.
You May Like: Can Being Constipated Cause Back Pain
More Advanced Care Options
Surgery When other therapies fail, surgery may be considered to relieve pain caused by worsening nerve damage, serious musculoskeletal injuries, or nerve compression. Specific surgeries are selected for specific conditions/indications. However, surgery is not always successful. It may be months following surgery before the person is fully healed and there may be permanent loss of flexibility. Surgical options include:
Implanted nerve stimulators
- Spinal cord stimulation uses low-voltage electrical impulses from a small implanted device that is connected to a wire that runs along the spinal cord. The impulses are designed to block pain signals that are normally sent to the brain.
- Dorsal root ganglion stimulation also involves electrical signals sent along a wire connected to a small device that is implanted into the lower back. It specifically targets the nerve fibers that transmit pain signals. The impulses are designed to replace pain signals with a less painful numbing or tingling sensation.
- Peripheral nerve stimulation also uses a small implanted device and an electrode to generate and send electrical pulses that create a tingling sensation to provide pain relief.
Reasons Why Your Memory Foam Mattress Causes Back Pain
Your memory foam mattress could cause back pain for a variety of reasons we included the most common ones.
Before you put blame on the mattress, first make sure other factors arent causing your back pain. We included the list at the bottom of this post.
Read Also: What Helps Upper Back Pain
Should I Consider A Custom Mattress To Prevent Back Pain
It’s clear that buying the best mattress for your back is not as simple as choosing between firm or soft. There are lots of factors to consider and much of these are individual and come down to personal preference. Investing in a custom mattress is a brilliant way to achieve the perfect level of support and comfort not only for your back but for your entire body.
Here at Endurance Beds we handcraft bespoke mattresses and offer a range of firmness levels to help you get the most comfortable night’s sleep possible. With a wide variety of features to choose from, including open-coils, pocket-sprung, memory foam, and natural fibres, you can create a mattress that meets all of your requirements and gives your back the support it needs to stay healthy and free from pain. You can place your customer mattress order online or contact us for more information.
How To Get Relief On A Budget
When youre struggling with back pain, you may feel like youre willing to give anything to get relief, but the realities of your budget can mean that you have to think about the impact of any mattress purchase on your bottom line. The good news is that there are multiple wallet-friendly ways to improve your bed, enhance your sleep, and give your back a rest.
Recommended Reading: What Doctor Do You See For Lower Back Pain
Your Bed And Back Pain
Regarding the bed itself, if you are looking to start over completely, it may be important to remember that height of the bed can play an important part in preventing back pain. With beds that are too low and close to the ground, it is often that much more difficult getting out of bed in the morning, much like getting out of a low car!
Related: Sleep Better With These Simple Feng Shui Bedroom Tips
Back pain when you sleep can be caused by a number of reasons, from your posture during the day to your bed and mattress. Finding out the cause of your back pain can help you to combat the aches that are keeping you awake or causing you pain when you wake up. Choosing a good bed and mattress for back pain can be a good start. If you know your bed and mattress are not the culprits of your bad back, looking at your posture and daytime habits is your next step.
Have you suffered from back pain in bed? Please use the comments section below to tell us how you overcame the pain.
It Needs To Keep Your Spine Aligned
You may not realize it, but good posture is important when you sleep. The muscles and ligaments in your back need to relax and recover while you snooze. If a mattress is too firm — or too squishy — it won’t support your spine at your neck or lower back the way it needs to. What’s firm enough is different for everyone: If you have wide hips, for instance, a slightly softer surface may be better. You need some more give in order to keep your spine in alignment. Someone with narrower hips might be better off with a firmer surface.
Read Also: What Is The Best Prescription Medicine For Lower Back Pain
Low Back Pain Fact Sheet
If you have had lower back pain, you are not alone. Back pain is one of most common reasons people see a doctor or miss days at work. Even school-age children can have back pain.
Back pain can range in intensity from a dull, constant ache to a sudden, sharp or shooting pain. It can begin suddenly as a result of an accident or by lifting something heavy, or it can develop over time as we age. Getting too little exercise followed by a strenuous workout also can cause back pain.
There are two types of back pain:
- Acute, or short-term back pain lasts a few days to a few weeks. Most low back pain is acute. It tends to resolve on its own within a few days with self-care and there is no residual loss of function. In some cases a few months are required for the symptoms to disappear.
- Chronic back pain is defined as pain that continues for 12 weeks or longer, even after an initial injury or underlying cause of acute low back pain has been treated. About 20 percent of people affected by acute low back pain develop chronic low back pain with persistent symptoms at one year. Even if pain persists, it does not always mean there is a medically serious underlying cause or one that can be easily identified and treated. In some cases, treatment successfully relieves chronic low back pain, but in other cases pain continues despite medical and surgical treatment.
How Back Pain Affects Sleep
Related Reading
Back pain is a widespread problem that affects an estimated 80% of adults at one time or another. It can make all types of daily activities difficult including walking, working, sitting, and lifting even lightweight items. Unfortunately, we know that back pain complicates sleep as well, making it hard to find a comfortable position to fall asleep and keep sleeping soundly through the night.
Research studies have found that over half of people with lower back pain report sleeping problems. These negative impacts on sleep arise in people who have both sudden and short-term back pain and those who have long-term, persistent back pain.
People with pain tend to have fragmented sleep that occurs from waking up during the night. Upon waking up, getting back to sleep can be difficult because of ongoing aches and discomfort. Pain can also contribute to stress, depression, and anxiety, all of which can be detrimental to quality sleep.
Back pain sufferers can take a number of steps to try to feel and sleep better. Getting medical help for serious back problems may help reduce pain. Treatments depend on the cause and nature of a persons symptoms and can range from surgery to physical therapy to pain-relieving medications.
Also Check: What Can I Do For Chronic Lower Back Pain
Read Also: What Essential Oils Help With Back Pain
What Can Cause Lower Back Pain
Most acute low back pain is mechanical in nature, meaning that there is a disruption in the way the components of the back fit together and move. Some examples of mechanical causes of low back pain include:
Congenital
- Skeletal irregularities such as scoliosis , lordosis , kyphosis , and other congenital anomalies of the spine.
- Spina bifida which involves the incomplete development of the spinal cord and/or its protective covering and can cause problems involving malformation of vertebrae and abnormal sensations and even paralysis.
Injuries
- Sprains , strains , and spasms
- Traumatic Injury such as from playing sports, car accidents, or a fall that can injure tendons, ligaments, or muscle causing the pain, as well as compress the spine and cause discs to rupture or herniate.
Degenerative problems
- Intervertebral disc degeneration which occurs when the usually rubbery discs wear down as a normal process of aging and lose their cushioning ability.
- Spondylosis the general degeneration of the spine associated with normal wear and tear that occurs in the joints, discs, and bones of the spine as people get older.
- Arthritis or other inflammatory disease in the spine, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis as well as spondylitis, an inflammation of the vertebrae.
Nerve and spinal cord problems
Non-spine sources
A Chiropractor Explains How To Tell When Your Mattress Could Be Causing Your Back Pain
Waking up with a stiff back is uncomfortable and worrisome. It might feel as though you cant bend over, or you may hear creaks and cracks as you stretch out.
But if your back is still in pain after a morning stretch, there might be a bigger problem.
Back pain is frustrating as its hard to pinpoint exactly what causes it. You might have tried different approaches to alleviate the pain, but found nothing works. Have you ever thought that the mattress you sleep on for 7-8 hours every night could the culprit of your back pain?
We spoke with a chiropractor, Dr Lisa Smycz of Errol Street Chiropractic Centre in Melbourne, to help us identify signs that your mattress is causing your back pain. It might be time for an upgrade!
You May Like: How To Fix Back Pain Fast
