How to Sleep with Lower Back Pain You Should Know About This

Do you have lower pain in your back? You’re not the only one who feels this way. Almost everyone does not know How to Sleep with Lower Back Pain.

Lower back pain is a complicated disease, according to the Global Burden of Disease study. What’s more surprising is that the majority of back pain isn’t induced by serious medical conditions such as cancer or osteoporosis. Conversely, poor posture, uncomfortable sleeping positions, or other lifestyle factors often cause stress or strain.

If you have lower back pain, here are some of the best sleeping positions to attempt, and some other aspects you can use to get a good night’s sleep.

What Causes Lower Back Pain?

Lower back discomfort can be caused by a variety of traumas, illnesses, and diseases. They are as follows:

• Strains and sprains: The most major reason for back pain is strains and sprains. Lifting anything too heavy or not lifting securely can injure muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Sneezing, coughing, twisting, or bending over can all cause back strain.
• Fractures: During an accident, such as a car accident or a fall, the bones in the spinal column can break. Fractures are more likely in people who have spondylolysis or osteoporosis.
• Problems with disks: The small spinal bones of the vertebrae are cushioned by disks. Disks can sag and squeeze on a nerve due to their position in the spine. Those who can also cause tears (herniated disk). Disks flatten with age and provide less protection against inflammatory intestinal disease.
• Structural issues: Spinal stenosis occurs when the spinal column becomes too narrow for the spinal cord to pass through. Sciatic nerve anguish and lower back pain can be caused by something pinching the spinal cord. Scoliosis can cause pain, rigidity, and complexity moving.
• Arthritis: The most familiar type of arthritis that causes lower back pain is osteoarthritis. Lower back pain, swelling, and stiffness are all symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis.
• Spondylolisthesis: The vertebrae in the spine slip out of place as a result of this condition. Spondylolisthesis causes low back pain and, in some cases, leg pain.

Types of lower back pain-

Lower back pain is divided into two categories: acute and chronic.

• Acute lower back pain is a relatively brief condition that can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. It is frequently linked to a specific event or injury. There is no longer any effect on mobility once acute back pain has faded.
• chronic back pain lasts for 3 months or more. It happens without a direct connection to an initial injury in so many cases.

Acute lower back pain can develop into chronic pain. Around 20% of cases of acute low back pain persist and become chronic, according to estimates.

Risk Factors for Lower Back Pain-

A person’s risk of developing lower back pain can be increased by a number of factors. These elements include:

• Age – Lower back pain occurs to most patients when they get older. Fractures can occur as a result of osteoporosis. Additionally, due to a loss of cushioning and decreased muscle elasticity in the vertebrae, spinal stenosis worsens with age.
• Fitness – People who are out of shape are more likely to experience back pain. The lack of care for the spine is caused by weak abdominal muscles.
• Pregnancy — changes in pelvic conditions due to increased weight gain in pregnancy can lead to lower back damage. It does not always go away after a child is born.
• Obesity – Being overweight can cause back pain.
• Genes – Lower back pain can be caused by inherited conditions. Because as spinal joints recombine together, ankylosing spondylitis, a genetic form of arthritis, can trigger lower back pain.
• Risks associated with the job – Lifting and pushing heavy items can result in injuries. Back pain is caused by sedentary desk jobs with poor posture or back support.
• Mental illness – Depression and anxiety can change a person’s perception of pain. Chronic pain can also lead to psychological problems that have a variety of effects on the body.
• Backpack overload – Heavy pouches can put a strain on the back muscles of young kids. Backpacks should not exceed 20% of a child’s total body weight.

How To Relieve Lower Back Pain While Sleeping?

Sleeping properly is a crucial component of healing from lower back pain, but sleeping well while your backaches can be difficult. While there is no surefire technique to obtain better sleep, there are several suggestions that can help:

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Find a comfortable sleeping position: Sleeping on your side is ideal, but whichever position you choose, make sure your spine is properly aligned. Extra pillows can be used for body support if necessary.

Caffeine and alcohol should be avoided: While alcohol may help you fall asleep faster, it might degrade the quality of your sleep. Caffeine, being a stimulant, can make it difficult to fall and remain asleep.

Try relaxation techniques: Learning how to relax can help you sleep better by allowing you to focus less on your discomfort.

Reduce the likelihood of sleep disturbances. If you wake up in the middle of the night, discomfort may make it difficult to get back asleep. As a result, try to keep as much noise and light out of your bedroom as possible, or block them out using a sleep mask or earplugs. Set the temperature in your bedroom to a level that will keep you comfortable during the night.

Sleep hygiene can help you sleep better during and after bouts of lower back pain by improving your sleeping habits.

Best Sleep Position For Lower Back Pain

First and foremost, you must be comfortable in order to enjoy a decent night’s sleep. To assist relieve the strain on your back, Thomas recommends making a few easy changes to your normal sleeping position:

If you sleep on your back: Place a cushion between your knees to keep your spine in its natural curvature.

If you sleep on your stomach: Place a pillow beneath your lower belly and pelvis to relieve back pain.

If you sleep on your side: Draw your legs up toward your chest and sleep with a pillow between your knees (a full body pillow might be pleasant).

Back Pain’s Worst Sleep Positions

According to Thomas, some sleeping positions can place additional strain on your neck, shoulders, hips, lower back, knees, and even heels, all of which can cause pain.

There is no one-size-fits-all sleep position for kicking back discomfort, but there are a few methods you may attempt to keep it under control so you can enjoy a better night’s sleep.

Sleeping on your stomach is the most typical culprit. “Sleeping on your stomach can flatten your spine’s natural curvature, placing additional tension on your back muscles,” Thomas explains.

Plus, lying on your stomach rotates your neck, which can cause neck pain or back pain between your shoulders, according to Paul Grous, a physical therapist and spine expert at Penn Therapy & Fitness in Woodbury Heights, New Jersey.

Don’t stress about being in the same position throughout the night. It’s natural for you to shift about a little when you sleep, and this is a good thing since it relieves pressure on your back. “Any sleeping position, if maintained for an extended period of time, has the potential to exacerbate back pain,” Thomas adds.

Grous goes on to say that the true reason could not be your sleeping posture, but rather your everyday exercise – or lack thereof.

“The amount of time we spend sitting during waking hours is, in my opinion, the largest causative factor for back pain in our population,” he adds. “We sit for too long and don’t sit properly, slouching with our backs rounded.”

To assist with back discomfort at night, try to alter your position as much as possible during the day, and maintain proper posture when standing and sitting.

(Santhosh Thomas, DO, MBA, a spine specialist with the Cleveland Clinic and associate medical director of the Richard E. Jacobs Medical Center in Avon, Ohio.)

How Are Sleep and Lower Back Pain Related?

Researchers have long suspected a link between lower back discomfort and sleep issues, and new data suggests a two-way relationship in which the two might reinforce each other.

Pain can be a big stumbling block to getting a good night’s sleep. Lower back discomfort makes it difficult to fall asleep or may cause overnight awakenings if the pain is severe.

People with sleep issues, on the other hand, are more likely to develop discomfort or have their pain worse. Experts are unsure why this occurs, although there are a few possible possibilities. Sleep deprivation may impede healing, alter mood in a way that increases pain sensitivity, or disturb chemicals in the brain that impact how we perceive pain.

When Will You See a Physician If You’re Suffering From Lower Back Pain?

Back discomfort is common and usually goes away fast, but it’s vital to see a doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:

• The discomfort originated as a result of a specific injury.
• For more than a few days, the pain persists or intensifies.
• Pain is incapacitating.
• The pain spreads to the legs and other body regions.
• You have numbness or weakness in your lower body.
• Infection symptoms include redness, warmth, swelling, and fever.
• You have a history of cancer in your family.
• You’re experiencing other inexplicable health changes, such as weight loss or urinary issues.

Sleep hygiene

Sleep can be severely disrupted by back discomfort. Nonetheless, rather than sleeping in to make up for lost sleep, it is preferable to attempt to have a routine with consistent sleep and waking hours.

In a 24-hour period, most individuals require 7–9 hours of sleep.

The following are some general sleep hygiene suggestions:

• Avoiding stimulants in the evenings, such as caffeine
• Avoiding strenuous exertion in the hours before night
• Reading, having a warm bath, listening to soothing music, or performing moderate yoga are all good ways to wind down before bed.
• Creating a peaceful environment in the bedroom by lowering the lights and removing distractions such as laptops, phones, and televisions

Can A Good Mattress Help With Back Pain?

A good mattress should be supportive, comfy, and well-made. Some individuals assume that a firm mattress is better for their backs, however, data from Trusted Source shows that a medium-firm mattress is better for persons who have had lower back discomfort for a long time.

The amount of support a mattress should provide depends on your body type and size. A softer mattress may be preferable for someone with broader hips, while someone with narrower hips may need a firmer mattress to keep their spine straight.

(( Also read –Best Orthopedic Mattress UK ))

Softer mattresses may appear to be more comfortable, but they give less support. Sinking too far can distort the joints and throw the spine out of alignment.

A spring mattress might benefit from the addition of a foam mattress topper. Placing a plywood board beneath a mattress, on the other hand, might improve firmness.

Not looking for something right now? Place a cheap plywood board beneath your existing mattress to explore whether a firmer mattress might assist you. You may also try putting your mattress on the floor to see if reducing spring movement helps with your pain.

On Mywellbedding, you may buy a variety of mattress toppers.