Wellness

No new mattress required.

When your back aches or twinges, it can make it impossibly hard tofall asleep.

First things first: It helps to pinpoint the cause behind yourbackaches, especially if you experience them often.

Experts share tips for how to sleep with back pain.

Common causes of back pain can include disc problems, nerve irritation, and muscle strains, physical therapistDr.

Jasmine Marcus, PT, DPT, CSCS, tells Bustle.

Sitting for long periods of time orhunching over a desk all daycan lead to pesky tension, too.

Sleep with a pillow under your knees to reduce back pain.

These are culprits that can often be addressed during the day with subtle lifestyle changes.

Still, any jot down of pain can sabotage a peaceful night of sleep.

The nighttime is when youre most likely to notice aches that have been lurking all day.

Try different positions if you’re looking for ways to fall asleep with back pain.

Thanu Jey, a chiropractor and clinical director ofYorkville Sports Medicine Clinic, tells Bustle.

And yoursleeping positioncan either help or exacerbate back pain.

Lying on your back with your legs straight is actually not neutral for the spine, saysDr.

Looking for how to sleep with back pain? You might find relief by hugging a knee into your chest.

Theresa Marko, a physical therapist and board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist.

It puts your back into extension, she explains, which can causepain and pinching.

Put A Pillow Under Your Knees

If youre aback sleeper, try putting a pillow under your knees.

A chill bedtime routine might help relax your back muscles.

Once you wedge a pillow to elevate your knees and support your back, youll feel your muscles relax.

you could also hug the pillow forproper spine alignment, says Jey.

This will prop up the curve of your neck and help with pain, he says.

Before you drop the bucks, try experimenting with afoam topperand see if that helps.

Experiment With Different Sleeping Positions

According to Marcus, back pain tends to favor certain positions.

For example, someone may have pain standing and relief with sitting, or vice versa, she explains.

But Marcus says its definitely worth experimenting.

There is no one perfect way to sleep, so you have to find what works for you.

Alyssa Kuhn, a doctor of physical therapy.

Grab A Knee

Still cant fall asleep?

Try pulling one or both knees to your chest and rocking side to side.

As Kuhn says, Many timesmovement can help your muscles to relaxwhile decreasing pain levels.

So this stretch might do the trick.

Thecat-cow yoga stretchcan be a big help, too, says physical therapistDr.

Whitney Fitzpatrick PT, DPT.

Stretching exercisesshould relieve the painful area of some stress and improve flexibility, Fitzpatrick tells Bustle.

To help prevent spasms and tension, try getting up more frequently and doing some movements.

you’ve got the option to even do little exercises while under the covers.

When these muscles stay turned on, you experience a sense of tightness and eventually pain.

Consider incorporating a chill nighttime routine.

If you have difficulty turning your brain off,journalbefore bed, she suggests.

Just write down anything and everything that comes to mind and then rip the paper to shreds.

The idea is to get the ruminating thoughts out of your head and onto paper.

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Merkle, S. (2020).

The interaction between pain and movement.

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