Sleep and Low Back Pain

Many times, patients with low back pain complain of an increase in symptoms during or after a night of sleep. This can be caused by an old mattress, sleep position, the body’s pressure points on a mattress or an ill-fitting mattress. They often ask us for recommendations to help them sleep better and with less pain.

1) Mattress Age

A general rule of thumb is a mattress lasts approximately 7 to possibly 10 years maximum. Besides discomfort upon waking up, another sign of an old mattress is sagging in the area that you or your partner sleep in. If you feel yourself “rolling” toward the middle or outside of the bed as you sleep, it may be time for a new mattress. If you cannot maintain a comfortable sleep position and feel like the bed is fighting against you, it may be time to retire that mattress. 

Note: Rotating mattresses on a regular schedule can help with mattress wear and help you get the most out of your bed.

2) Sleep position

Typically, people with low back pain will sleep best on their back or side. This can be difficult if you are not used to these sleeping positions. If you are experiencing low back pain, you can try sleeping on your back or your side using a pillow for support. If you are sleeping on your back, try placing a pillow under your knees. This will slightly rotate the hips, creating a more neutral orientation for the low back and will take some pressure off the area of complaint. If you try side sleeping, placing a pillow between your knees also will create a more neutral position for your hips and pelvis, again creating a more neutral low back. 

3) Pressure points/Ill-fitting mattress

Most of us have two main pressure points at the shoulders and the hips/pelvis. This obviously depends on sleep position and postural differences. One main complaint amongst people who have recently bought a mattress is that they thought it was comfortable for the few moments they laid on it in a store but after sleeping on the mattress, they feel that it is not comfortable. It is tricky to make the decision on a new mattress in a shopping outing. Luckily, many mattress dealers have taken to either offering a trial period or the best that we have seen is offering a scan on a bed that has pressure sensors to scan you and find a bed in a certain comfort zone that works for you. This helps if you have a partner to bring them with you. 

Two people can have vastly different comfort zones on mattresses and normally, a mattress store can make it work to have two mattresses that join or fit you with an adjustable mattress. A mattress base that is adjustable to allow for lifting the legs or upper body may also be something to look into.