Best Sleeping Position for Lower Back Pain09:24

Pain of any kind, whether that be in your neck, shoulder, knees, lower back, etc., will make sleep difficult. You may find that you are tossing and turning a lot during the night or unable to fall asleep at all in the first place. Either way, a lack of good sleep will have a major impact on your overall health and wellness, both physically and psychologically. For this reason, it is really important to figure out why you are experiencing the pain and find a solution.

Lower back pain, specifically, is a pretty common problem that people face, but the reasons that people experience back pain are not universal. Different people experience back pain when they are sleeping for different reasons. In this article, we will start by going over the different reasons why you might be experiencing back pain, and then we will talk about what the best sleeping position for lower back pain is for you.

Understanding the Causes of Lower Back Pain

Experiencing lower back pain when you sleep does not mean that you are doomed to deal with that issue for the rest of your life; sometimes, changing up your sleeping position or the kind of mattress you have will completely solve the problem. However, before you can make those changes, it is important to figure out why you specifically are experiencing back pains so you can then make adjustments accordingly.

There are two main reasons a person might experience back pain when they are sleeping. The first is if they are what is called flexion intolerant. For example, someone with Discogenic disc disease is considered to be flexion intolerant. Flexion intolerant people will find it uncomfortable or even painful to sleep on their back or side. On the other hand, other people with back pain may be what is called extension intolerant. Extension intolerant people typically experience the most pain when they lay on their stomachs.

The intolerance is why you can not lay in certain positions or on certain mattresses comfortably, but there is almost always a reason beyond just the intolerance. For example, it could be that you are sleeping in a position that does not support your back in the way it needs. On the other hand, it could be that your mattress is too soft or too firm, which can cause additional problems. You will find more information on both of those things below.

Best Mattress for Lower Back Pain

As mentioned previously, your mattress can play a major part in your back pain. Many people, even professionals, have very strong and conflicting opinions when it comes to mattresses. Some swear by softer mattresses why others believe a firm mattress is the only one that can at all support you like you need it to. However, Remi Sovran in the above video has a more balanced view of the topic. He believes it depends more on your specific needs.

Sleeping on a Firm Mattress

Let’s go back to the two types of intolerance. If you figure out that you are a flexion intolerant individual, you will find that a firmer mattress is much better for you and could significantly relieve the lower back pain that you are experiencing.

When you lay down on a softer mattress, it conforms to your body and really lets you fall into it. Some people describe this feeling as sleeping on a cloud, and while it sounds relaxing, it actually does not provide your back with much support. When you fall back into a soft mattress, your back will end up laying in a way that is not good for it. This is why a soft mattress and back sleeping are an especially bad combination for flexion intolerant people.

On the other hand, a firm mattress will provide your lower back with more support and prevent the mattress from completely molding to your body. Meaning, on a firm mattress, you will find that you are unable to fall into the bed in the same way, and therefore your back will not flex and cause pain. Because it prevents you from falling into the mattress, people that have a little larger frame may also benefit from a firmer mattress.

Sleeping on a Soft Mattress

However, sleeping on a soft mattress is not a problem for every type of person. Some people may actually find sleeping on a soft mattress to cause significantly less pain than a firm one. (Again, this is why it is so important to figure out what is causing your pain.) The people that typically do better with a softer mattress are those with an extension intolerance.

A person with an extension intolerance actually tends to do a little better when they can sink or fall into the mattress a little more, and there are a few different reasons for that. First of all, when you are able to sink into the mattress, there is not going to be a whole lot of stress or force placed onto the lower back by the mattress. When you are extension intolerant, any pressure or force on your lower back can be quite painful.

Furthermore, with the mattress that is really firm, not only will it prevent you from sinking in, but that mattress may also push your spine up a little bit. This is perfectly fine (usually) for someone who is flexion intolerant, but it extends the spine and therefore is really painful for those who are extension intolerant. If you find yourself to be extension intolerant, it is better to stick with a soft mattress.

Best Sleeping Positions for Lower Back Pain Relief

You can be sleeping on the right mattress and still find that you are experiencing lower back pain. If you know why you are experiencing back pain and discover that you do, in fact, have the right kind of mattress for your specific type of pain, you can move on to consider your sleeping position.

As we mentioned above, if you have flexion intolerant back pain, you will find that you experience less low back pain when you sleep on your stomach or use one of the strategies talked about below. On the other hand, if you have extension intolerant, you will find that sleeping on your back or on your side is more comfortable than your stomach. Once again, some of the strategies below may also help you.

Back Sleeping Position

Being propped up against a pillow or using a bed with an adjustable bed frame could offer you some relief. There is not one angle or position that is going to work best with everyone, but with an adjustable bed frame, you will be able to play with different levels/degrees for different areas of your body.

For instance, one night, you could try having the upper end of your body higher. The next night you could try having your legs higher or a combination of both being elevated. This kind of bed frame really lets you play with what kind of support works best for you. Once you find a position that does work for you, stick with it, even if it does not work for everyone else who has back pain because it really is so unique to individual context and situation.

Test the impact of this sleeping position with a Sleep Tracker

Side Sleeping Position

If you are a side sleeper, you may find that sleeping with a pillow between your knees is helpful. When you have a pillow between your knees, it helps keep your spine in an alignment that is more natural and neutral. This spinal alignment prevents your back from engaging in flexion, which will prevent pain if flexion is the cause.

A body pillow or an L-shaped pillow may be a good option for you if you are looking for a pillow that works for this. This solution will not necessarily help those with extension-based pain. It will most likely not make your pain any worse, but it also will not be a viable solution for the pain you are already experiencing.

Buy a Sleep Tracker and start testing the best sleeping position for your lower back pain

Using Pillows to Reduce Lower Back Pain

A lot of people suggest pillows in various different positions to help reduce lower back pain, but are any of these solutions actually backed up? Well, as we said before, a pillow between the knees can be good for side sleepers. However, another common suggestion when it comes to lower back pain is putting a pillow underneath your knees when you are laying on your back.

For the most part, this solution is not all that helpful for people experiencing lower back pain. It is especially not good for flexion intolerant people because when the knees are in a raised position, the back flattens out more than what is natural, which can cause pain. A pillow under the knees can be helpful with those with extension-based pain, but most of the time, it is better to avoid this method.

A rolled-up towel or round, firm pillow underneath the back can offer a lot of relief to people with flexion based issues, especially those with Discogenic issues. The reason for this is because the rolled-up towel or pillow provides a lot of additional support to the lower back that prevents your back from falling into a flexed position while you are sleeping. It does even more, as far as support, while you are sleeping than just a firm mattress does.

There is also a special device called the PropAir that straps onto your lower back while you are sleeping. You can inflate it with a pump to the level that is most comfortable to you, and it provides you with the same support as the towel or the round firm pillow, but it is more secure and more precise to the shape you need.

Find out if using a pillow is leading to better quality sleep with a Sleep Tracker.

Why a Neutral Spine Position is Important for Lower Back Pain?

We have talked a lot about making sure that your spine is in a neutral position to help prevent lower back pain, but why is it so important? Well, there are a few reasons. First, no matter what kind of pain you have, the reason you are experiencing it has something to do with you sleeping in a position that puts your spine in an unnatural position.

Solve the alignment problems, and you will solve the pain problems. Additionally, when your spine is out of alignment, it can affect more than just your spine. If you are also experiencing neck pain, shoulder pain, etc., it could be rooted in some of the same causes

Minimize lower Back Pain Symptoms via Testing

Different people are going to have success with different solutions, so it is important to test things out to figure out what works best for you. When it comes to trying out a mattress, you typically do not have a lot of time to test out mattresses overnight, but testing them at the store and seeing which ones feel the best for your back is still important.

For other methods, like different positions or strategies, using sleep trackers like the Fitbit Charge can be really beneficial. The Fitbit Charge will provide you with data about how much you are sleeping, how much deep sleep you are getting, and how many times you are waking up during the night. You should sleep better when you are in less pain, so you will be able to tell how successful a technique is by using this data.

Conclusion

In the end, it is most important that you get a good, pain-free night’s rest so that you can be both physically and mentally healthy. If your lower back pain is preventing that from happening, it is time to make a change so that you can sleep again and be more productive.

With this article, you should now be able to figure out which kind of pain you are experiencing and then test out different strategies to see what works best for you. Do not just choose the methods that feel the most comfortable (though that can be a good indicator), but rather make sure you use the methods that are providing you with the best sleep at night.

Start monitoring your sleep to today with the Fitbit Charge 4!