All of us have encountered back pain at least once and we know that it’s not a very forgiving problem. 8 out of 10 people will face back pain at least once in their lives. While for some it goes away soon, it becomes a long-term illness that disrupts their peaceful sleep every night for many others.
It can be extremely difficult for those who suffer from mild to chronic back pain issues to sleep at night. A wrong sleeping position or even bad bedding can easily make the back pain ten times worse.
Let’s have a look at some important tips and tricks that can relieve your back pain and help you sleep peacefully at night.
Best sleeping tips for back pain
Sleeping well at night may seem almost like an impossible task with back pain but let’s crack this nut with a few useful tips:
-
Sleep on your side - Sleeping on your side is an ideal position for back pain relief as long as you make sure that your spine stays well-aligned. If you’re not so sure, you can use pillows to support yourself. Make sure you’re not sleeping only on one side of your body - keep changing the sides.
-
Control alcohol and caffeine - Alcohol can disrupt a good quality sleep even though it might seem at the beginning that it’s helping you doze off. And about caffeine, most of us already know why it’s not recommended. In short, the quality of your sleep matters a lot - sleeping is when our body heals and we need it well.
-
Try some relaxing techniques - While it can be extremely difficult to deal with the back pain - that seems to actually increase during nights - it can be very helpful to try some relaxing techniques to fall asleep. Try breathing exercises or meditation, for instance.
-
Prepare the room for sleeping - While sleeping itself can be hard with back pain, it becomes even more difficult to sleep back once you wake up in the middle. Make sure you have optimised your room for an effortless disruption-free sleep. Prepare comfortable bedding, dim the lights, set the room to the right temperature, etc.
Is your mattress responsible?
Your bed plays a big role in the quality of sleep you get. And, your mattress plays an equally important role in either preventing or causing back pain, especially since it’s the main support for your body while you sleep.
One big question that pops is this: can a mattress cause back pain? The answer in short is yes. It’s possible, although not always the reason. A quick way to find out the answer is to notice when the pain arises and in what pattern it follows.
If the back pain follows right after you leave the bed after the night and goes away after about an hour with stretching and other exercises, then your mattress is to be blamed for the back pain. Here are some important things every good bed with a good mattress should have:
-
The bed must support your entire body with a proper spinal alignment
-
The mattress must not be too firm or it’ll push on pressure points of your spine
-
It shouldn’t be too soft either - in that case, it’ll end up creating a spinal curvature
Keep these points in your mind before buying your mattress - it’s supposed to make your bed comfortable, not painful!
See a doctor if…
One of the most important things to remember is that no matter how many precautions and tips you take, it only helps mild issues. If your back pain is getting chronic, you must see a doctor.
Here are some things to watch out for and immediately see a doctor:
-
The pain’s origin was some specific injury
-
If the pain keeps getting worse
-
If the pain spreads to other body parts
-
If there is weakness in lower body parts or even numbness
-
If the pain is accompanied by fever, swelling, redness
Make sure you take care of such issues before they get out of hand. Sometimes, when back pains don’t go away, they might be a symptom of some underlying problem. To really sleep peacefully, stay alert with your back pain! Take care!
Loading Your Rewards...