Do you wake up in pain in the morning more than often? You might be sleeping wrong. And that is not just about bad posture it can be the inadequate sleep set up in your bed. Now what is a sleep set up? It’s just the pillow you use, the mattress you sleep in, and can also constitute the kind of sleeper you are.
What’s the best way to get rid of back pain from sleep? In conjunction with a comfortable mattress, finding a supportive pillow for back pain can help alleviate a painful back, as well as neck and shoulder pain.
Causes of Back Pain from Sleeping
If you’re getting out of bed with more back pain in the morning than the night before, your sleep setup is the one to blame. Most people who suffer from back pain feel it most in their lower back. This is a sensitive area of the body where many joints, muscles, and spinal disks interact. Pressure and misalignment of the spine can place high levels of stress on your back and overall body balance, while sleeping.
If your muscles around the lower back are weak, your body will depend more on passive structures for stability, including ligaments, the tissue that connects bone to bone as well as the spinal bones or discs that lie between the spinal bones. This can cause pain.
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Best Pillow for Back Pain
If one part of your body is misaligned, it will have a cascading effect on other parts of the body as the muscles responds to the unusual phenomena and overcompensates for the affected area. So, what is the solution? A supportive yet comfortable pillow that will align your head and cradle your neck to maintain an optimum body balance and avoid extra pressure on the muscles. This will minimize pain in the back and strain in the neck letting you sleep like a baby!
Finding the best pillow greatly depends on your regular body posture you sleep in and what makes you the most comfortable while sleeping. However, there are tips and tricks you can apply out of the bag to help speed the process.
Before buying a pillow check the following points:
- Pillow fabric
- Pillow loft or height
- Pillow size and shape
- Pillow firmness
Now let’s get you that pillow of your dreams! Below we have listed out some very popular categories of pillows that will cinch that back pain in no time.
Memory Foam Pillows
Mostly when you experience back pain its your lower back that takes the hit. In such a scenario memory foam pillows will be your wisest choice. Side and back sleepers can get comfort from the sturdy yet moldable support of a foam pillow to keep their head and neck at an appropriately balanced height.
Make sure to pick the pillows that have breathable layers of memory foam and have cooling properties that offer as much support as needed to align your head and neck. Sleeping with such pillows will significantly prevent that extra stress on your muscles and reduce back pain.
Pillows for Lumbar Support
It is a read and revised notion that many types of back pain root from an unhealthy curve in the spine. Pillows that you place only against the lower part of your back are designed to offer effective lumbar support. They help you maintain the right alignment to your back. This can help some people minimize their pain.
Cut-out Pillows
Do not worry, it is way better and much effective than it sounds. A pillow with a cut-out design may actually help you solve your spine problems. Some people find thick pillows fairly supportive for maintaining their spine's natural curve but for some it might cause certain discomfort when it pushes the lower back slightly forward.
A cut-out pillow helps with the same. The cut-out design makes room for the tissues that collect at the top of your hips and at the bottom of your back when you sit. Such a design will keep your pillow from pushing your lower back forward whilst supporting the curve of the spine.
Backrest Pillow
A backrest pillow typically comes in wedge shape or a contour shape designed to provide a firm back support. Such pillows are made with armrests and an extra shape for neck support. Backrest pillows are most handy in reducing the back pain as they balance your entire body which prevents the unnecessary stress on the muscles.
Side Sleepers also benefit from backrest pillow as it provides a great between-the-knee support. This relieves hip pain to a great extent and keeps the body properly aligned.
Latex Pillows
If you have squirmy and experience a lot of tossing and turning while sleep, then may be the loft or height of your pillow is to blame. Latex pillows with various forms of fillings usually come with customizable options. You can adjust the height according to your preferences and comfort. An adjusted support will cradle your head and neck thereby reducing back aches.
Latex is known for its cooling properties so if you are a hot sleeper then this is a bliss for you. A cooler temperature will ensure sound sleep and you can get lost in the dreamland without any interruptions.
Down or Down-Alternative Pillows
Down pillows are super fluffy and mushy so they might not provide as firm a support as the memory foam pillows but still, they are excellent for customized support for your back and joints.
In fact, for back and stomach sleepers down pillows can easily be compressed and used under the pelvis for the perfect lumbar support. What else one could ask for a long, healthy, and restful sleep?
Also Read:
How to Sleep with Your Pillow?
Let’s see what other things can we do to increase back comfort. Well, there are a few tricks with the pillow you can do, that will definitely let you wake up with a smile on your face.
Sleeping with Pillow Between Your Knees
Often with side sleepers the knees fall together while sleeping which can result in a misaligned spine. This posture might feel comfortable for a while but after a few hours it will starting creating stress on the spine, especially if you’re mattress isn’t that supportive. Keeping a pillow between your knees will let you keep your back properly aligned.
Sleeping with your pillow like this, benefits in many ways. It keeps the back posture accurate, minimizes chances of back pain, and also reduces hip and sciatica pain.
Sleeping with Pillow Under Your Knees
This technique is basically invented for the back sleepers, where you place the pillow underneath your knees to keep your posture even while sleeping. Sleeping like this will let you keep the natural curve of your lower back and properly distribute your body weight on the bed.
Sleeping with Pillow Under Your Stomach
As you might have figured out by the name this one is ideal for stomach sleepers. You keep the pillow under your pelvis or thighs and you would significantly be able reduce pressure from the spine.
The posture may sound funny but it is so effective in preventing nerve strain and treating lower back pain. If you are a stomach sleeper, try this today!
Take on the Day Pain-free and Refreshed with Eli & Elm Pillows
Getting the right pillow doesn’t magically cure your back pain overnight. Nothing can do that. But it will offer you the proper support your back needs. If you are still with us, you must have read everything a supportive pillow can do for you. You just need to get started.
Eli & Elm pillow is one such support that will take care of your neck, back, and shoulder. You’ll be relieved every morning you’ll roll out of bed painless. With the shredded latex-filling, Eli & Elm side sleeper pillow makes room for your back to find its comfort without being uneasy while sleeping. The cooling properties of the pillow are cherry on the cake. Whether you are a hot sleeper or prone to tossing on the bed, our pillow keeps you at an optimum temperature providing you with the most sound sleep ever.
Sources:
1. Slumbr: Down vs. down alternative pillows: What’s the difference?
https://www.slumbr.com/blog/down-pillows-vs-down-alternative-pillows-difference/
2. Husband Pillow: Maximizing Comfort: 10 Benefits of a Backrest Pillow
https://www.husbandpillow.com/blogs/news/benefits-of-a-backrest-pillow
3. WebMD: Best Pillows for Back Pain
https://www.webmd.com/back-pain/best-pillows-back-pain
4. CNET: This Trick Can Help You Relieve Lower Back Pain While Sleeping
https://www.cnet.com/health/sleep/this-trick-can-help-you-relieve-lower-back-pain/
