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Author: Justin S.
Date: July 3, 2024

Key Takeaways...

  • The worst sleeping position for low back pain is on your back with your knees up
  • The second worst is on your stomach
  • The ideal sleep position is on your back with a cushion under your knees
  • The second most ideal sleep position is on your left side, not your right side.

I’m assuming you have sciatica or a herniated disc in your lower back if you’re interested in the best and worst sleeping positions for lower back pain.

To me sleep is everything and for a lot of people pain prevents them from having a deep restful sleep.

I herniated my lower back in 2013 while doing bent over rows in the gym. I got lazy and put the barbell on the laying pad of the bench instead of the ground, which means I started the exercise with my back in a 45 degree position instead of a  90 degree position.

After reps I knew my posture was out of alignment and I decided to do 5 reps instead of 10. On the 5th rep, my back exploded and my life was forever changed.

I couldn’t walk for a month. It took me 35 minutes to get out of bed and into the other room of the house. I had to use my wife with a chair in front of me as a walker. I used heating pads and at times I cried. I spent a month inside and I hate that. I love surfing, working out and being outdoors.

I know back problems and I know what’s the best and what’s the worse sleeping position for lower back pain. Fortunately I was able to get out of that pain after about 6 weeks. I’ll share the tools I used below that I think  will help you tremendously.

But in regards to sleep let’s talk about position and how that affects the sacrum and the lumbar spine. If you’re hip and sacrum and pelvis is out of alignment, it’s going to put lots of stress and pressure on your sacroiliac joint (SI).

In order to fix the SI joint we need to get the hips in alignment. To do that, you’re going to need to do some exercises, along with body mechanic alterations in your lifestyle, chiropractic care, muscle vibration, along with some form of inversion therapy.

I’ll get into all of those in a moment. I did quite a few things to heal my own lower back pain that I think will help you.

Here’s the Worst Sleeping Position For Lower Back Pain

The reason why sleeping on your back with your knees bent is the worst position for lower back pain is because it essentially reverses the curve in your lumbar spine which puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the discs in your lower back.

Sleeping like this or trying to fall asleep like this rotates your pelvis backwards which keeps the discs out of alignment. It can feel better for a few minutes but if you were to fall asleep in this position and sleep all night like this, your back will be in a world of pain in the morning.

If you absolutely have to sleep on your back with your knees bent, I would advise you to sleep with one leg straight in order to relieve some of that pressure on your lower back. Ask any chiropractor and they’ll tell you the same thing. Sleeping on your back with your knees bent is one of the worst sleeping positions if you have lower back issues.

The other sleep position you could consider if you must be on your back is to put some pillows or cushions under your knees. Doing this will prevent anterior pelvic tilt, lumbar back extension and support your lower back. This is also going to help relieve the pressure on your low back by forcing your low back into posterior hip tilt and thereby reduce the amount of pain when you wake up in the morning.

The 2nd Worst Sleep Position for Back Pain

And the winner goes to…..sleeping on your stomach. This is because your lower back is not supported in anyway and is put into a position of excess forced curvature.

This will put stress on nerves in your sacroiliac joints. The other issue with sleeping on your stomach is that it could lead to wry neck, or torticollis if you’re in this position without moving for more than an hour a night. When your neck is twisted like this it takes your spine out of alignment.

This could lead to migraine headaches, scoliosis and nerve damage.

The 2 *Best* Sleep Positions for Lower Back Pain

Sleeping On Your Back

 

I’ve found sleeping on my back using a bolster pillow is not only extremely comfortable but best for my back when I wake up. Sleeping on your back is one of the most natural positions for our spine and back because it’s a neutral position depending on the firmness of your mattress.

I like this sleeping position best because it’s the most natural and most comfortable. The bolster pillow is a really great option I’ve found to help relieve some of the anterior pelvic tilt. When I sleep like this, my back feels amazing in the morning.

Remember sleeping on your back is really the healthiest sleeping position in my opinion but only if you have your leges in a flat position. Avoid bent knees like in the photo above.

Sleeping On Your Side

Left Side

Side sleeping is also a very natural position to sleep in, especially for lower back pain. I recommend to avoid sleeping on your right side. Instead I recommend sleeping on your left side. Sleeping on your right side can cause digestive issues and put excess amount of body weight on the lower colon and stomach which could lead to acid reflux and GERD.

Sleeping on your left side not only prevents the acid reflux issue from sleeping on your right side but it has a number of different health benefits as well like…

  1. Reducing heartburn
  2. Lessens sleep apnea symptoms
  3. May actually improve digestion
  4. Lowers back and neck pain
  5. May improve glymphatic system of toxins in the brain

Regardless of which side you sleep on, if you are going to sleep on your side to lower your back pain I also recommend using this uniquely shaped cushion you can put in between your knees.

Conclusion

I mentioned before about some of the things I did to help my lower back. I learned about the power of traction and spinal decompression and thought I’d try it out. I did about twenty sessions over at a local place called Neck and Back institute. I went five days per week for 4 weeks.

It took a long time to drive there (about 20 minutes) have the session done (it included many other therapies) and then drive home. I’d be gone about 90 minutes in total. And as somebody who runs my own business I don’t have that much time to devote to these sessions.

They were also very costly too.

Then when I found a company called Fisher Traction that was a game changer. It essentially allowed me to do the exact same sessions at home as many times and as often as I wanted for a fraction of the cost. This was a complete game changer for me.

I also started doing high frequency vibration therapy that was a complete game changer for me.

Between sleeping on my left side, getting chiropractic care, doing foam rolling and spinal decompression I’m a new man.

Just remember, the worst sleeping position for lower back pain is lying flat on your back son a soft mattress, with bent knees.

Questions:

  • Do you have back pain?
  • How did that happen?
  • What sleep position has been most helpful for you?
  • What sleep position has caused you the most pain?

Comment below.

Justin S.

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Tags

Back Pain, Sleep Position


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