Leonardo da Vinci may have said, “A well-spent day brings happy sleep,” but your sleep can’t always be guaranteed to be happy if you’re in pain. Back pain can make it tough to get a good night’s rest — just ask the more than 80 percent of Americans who suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. At night, back pain can make it hard to find a comfortable sleeping position. Aches can curtail how long you sleep, and how deeply, or how well. Sleep and pain have a complicated relationship, says Michael Breus, Ph.D., aka “The Sleep Doctor.” “Pain—both chronic and acute—can interfere with sleep, making it harder to fall asleep and to stay asleep,” he says. “Poor quality and insufficient sleep decreases your tolerance to pain, increases its intensity and discomfort and in some cases, increases the risk of developing chronic pain conditions.” Breus points to new research that suggests that poor sleep plays a significant role in the risk for widespread pain among older adults.
In other words, if you wake up feeling tired, then you may be more likely to develop pain. Perhaps sleep deprivation lowers your pain tolerance. Or, perhaps tossing and turning leads to pain. As the night winds on, those who suffer from back pain are caught in a vicious cycle of sleeplessness. The answer is obvious: Get a good night’s sleep. Common Sleeping Positions + Your Back Not all sleeping positions are equal when it comes to good back health, and a good night’s sleep.Experts agree that the best sleeping position for your back is on your side, with your knees drawn up slightly toward your chest (sometimes referred to as a “fetal position”). A pillow can help make this position even more comfy — place one under your head for neck support, or between your knees, recommends the Mayo Clinic, to keep your spine in proper alignment and reduce any stress on your hips and lower back (try the Sleep Number knee pillow). Some side-sleepers may prefer to use a full-length body pillow or our multi-position boomerang pillow.
Maybe you’re content to gaze at the ceiling before you drift off. To ensure the best alignment while face-up, put a pillow under your knees and perhaps a smaller one under your lower back.Sleeping on your stomach is the least ideal. It may help reduce snoring, but it has the potential to strain your back and neck and cause restlessness. If you can’t sleep any other way, try using a soft pillow under your pelvis or lower abdomen, Mayo Clinic recommends. Perhaps try the Soft Support down alternative pillow from Sleep Number. If you aren’t sure of the best pillow for your back needs, this quiz may help you narrow some options. Don’t underestimate the importance of proper support from your mattress. In a small study of 59 men and women, those who ditched their own mattresses for new, medium-firm ones reported significantly less stress.4 With the ability to adjust to your ideal level of firmness, comfort and support on both sides – your Sleep Number setting – we have a mattress for every body.
Ultimately, the key remains that good sleep, with some additional pillows and other easy adjustments, could give your back a rest. “Maintaining a routine of high-quality sleep in plentiful amounts may be one of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk of experiencing physical pain,” says Breus. May your nights be comfortable, cozy and pain-free.Approximately two–thirds of chronic pain patients complain of poor sleep and fatigue. For many low back pain patients, the inability to get a good night's sleep significantly degrades their quality of life. A clinical study was designed to explore the relationship between low back pain, sleep quality and the sleeping surface. The research facilities, Sister Kenny Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, and Physical Therapy at the Marsh Health Center specialize in the treatment of chronic low back pain. The studies were conducted in response to hundreds of customer testimonials which suggested a link between a Sleep Number® bed with adjustable firmness and some amount of back pain relief.
Chronic low back pain sufferers were randomly recruited by the research facilities to participate in the studies. Subjects received an unmarked Sleep Number bed similar in size to their existing innerspring mattress which had to be less than five years old. Overall, the study population had equal gender representation, at least one half in the 40 — 55 age range, and no more than 25% diagnosed with the same cause for back pain. Additionally, all were screened to be absent of a diagnosed sleep disorder. Sixty (60) subjects (30 male and 30 female) with an average age of 49.5 (25 — 79) were screened for evidence of chronic low back pain. The study started with the delivery of the unmarked sleep surface matched to the subject's original innerspringEach subject completed an initial SF–36™ Health Survey. This survey has been used for years to determine a patient's current health status and well being. Subjects also completed the epworth Sleepiness scale and visual analog pain
and sleep scales before switching to the Sleep Number bed. Subjects completed the visual analog scales for the next 28 days. At that point, the subjects completed another SF–36™ and epworth and then switched back to their original innerspringThe subjects continued to record visual analog scales for nights 29 — 42. At the conclusion of the studies, the subjects completed their third and final SF–36™ and Epworth. Subjects reported improved pain relief on the SF–36™ when sleeping on the Sleep Number bed compared to their original innerspring surface (p = 0.0001). Study participants recorded improved sleep quality (p = 0.0013) and pain relief (p = 0.0012) as recorded on their daily visual analog scales. Subjects reported improved overall health on the SF–36™ as follows: improved physical function (p = 0.0015); role physical (p = 0.0001); general health (p = 0.012); vitality (p = 0.002); emotional (p = 0.038); mental health (p = 0.027); and epworth (p = 0.018).