One of the biggest challenges for people with back pain is getting a good night sleep. Getting a better night sleep with back pain isn’t impossible if you do a few things. Follow these tips to a better night sleep.
- Check your mattress – If your mattress is over 10 years old you will want to consider replacing it. An old mattress doesn’t do a good job provide good back support.
- Check your pillows – Pillows break down quicker than mattresses and can reduce support for the head and neck. Having the proper head and neck support will help provide a good nights sleep
- Stretch – Stretches like hamstring stretch, piriformis stretch, iliopsaos stretch, and back lying trunk rotations can help get muscles loosened up in the back encouraging better blood floor for recovery while you sleep
- Check your position – Laying flat on your back is the most decompressed position you can put your spine in. Place a pillow under the knees to provide even better support. Side-lying is sometimes more comfortable, especially if you place a body pillow between your arms and knees. Avoid laying on your stomach.
- Give yourself time – Making sure you go to bed early enough to let your back get into a position to relax is important. Often slight shifts in position may pull us from deep sleep, due to pain response. If you normally sleep 7 hours, go to bed an extra hour earlier to help you hit your target.
Getting a good nights sleep will help with stress and irritability with back pain. Before you go to bed tonight try these tips to get a better nights sleep.