How to Position Your Sleeping Pillows to Reduce Back Pain

It’s not an exaggeration to say that sleeping is one of the most important components of our lives, and probably most of us are aware of that. Scientific facts have proved that each one of us spends around one-third of our life sleeping – and having that in mind, it’s clear why it’s crucial that we reserve true comfort for those moments.

Most of us have probably experienced some sort of discomfort or even pain in our backs after we wake up. We usually don’t pay too much attention to these, but it’s a fact that the quality of our sleep is very much tightened to the positions, and, of course, with the quality of our beds, mattresses, and pillows. The combination of these factors determines whether we’ll get our necessary daily portion of eight hours of a quality nap or a bunch of rolling and not so peaceful nights.

Choose postures that support pain relief

Before we start with some handy tips on how to arrange your pillows, it’s good to say that the way you position yourself in bed plays the most significant role in handling pain in your neck and your back. You may not know, but there are specific ways in which you can lie in order to avoid such inconveniences.

The general opinion is that lying on your back and on the side are the best postures for your body and also the most ergonomic ones. In contrast, lying on your stomach is the worst option and will probably cause you pain, although it might look so comfy. Having this in mind, make sure you choose one of the positions where you can set your pillows to support the most affected body parts.

Sleep on your side with a cushion between your knees

Lying on the side is the most common position, especially among women. Although it’s not an ideal posture, if you make sure your shoulders and hips are well supported, this could turn into quite a good option.

Here’s a tip: when you’re lying on your side, bend your knees slightly and put a small pillow between them. This way, you’ll reduce the pressure your hips would normally put on your back and prevent them from twisting.

On the other hand, a cushion under your head should be of appropriate height, which means that your neck and your back should be even and straight – this way your chin won’t be drawn into your chest. General advice for back sleepers is that they should have higher pillows in order to prevent the pain. Finding the right-sized one can sometimes be really exhausting, so the custom body pillow could be a perfect solution for many. Knowing this, numerous companies have started manufacturing customized variations. It’s possible to choose your preferred material and the exact style, and everything is set up. For those who wonder what this could look like, it’s also possible to read more and see more here about for more descriptions and advantages of these cushions.

Choose fetal position

Image source: unspalsh.com

This is the recommended posture for people who suffer from a herniated disc, a very common disease these days. For them, adopting a fetus-alike, curled-up posture could bring significant relief during the night and make them forget the discomfort they tend to feel.

The reason for this is the fact that lying with your knees bent and tucked into your chest reduces spinal twisting more than simple, natural bending. A right-sized head pillow is quite significant in case this is your natural posture – it should be high and firm so that your spine and neck are even and relaxed.

Lay on your back with a cushion under your knees

If lying on your back is your natural or most comfortable position, you should put a cushion under the back of your knees in order to hold your spine in neutral.

In this case, the pillow has a crucial role since it should support the straight and natural curve of your neck and your shoulders, which means that it shouldn’t be as high nor firm as the one which side-sleepers should use. It shouldn’t be too low either –  if you can see the tips of your toes while you’re on your back, it would be an ideal position.

Sleep on the front with a cushion under the stomach

Image source: unspalsh.com

We’ve already mentioned that lying on your stomach is the worst possible posture for your spine. However, if you have trouble lying in another position, then putting a slim cushion underneath your stomach will enable your hips to support spinal alignment. On the other hand, a stomach position is strongly recommended for people who suffer from various forms of degenerative disc diseases.

So, if you’re a front-face sleeping type,  put a small pillow under your hips to raise the middle part of your body as soon as you get into a bed. In this case, the one under your head isn’t even necessary at all, but if you can’t nap without it, use the flat one. Yet, avoid too soft ones – otherwise, your head will fall and your neck won’t be bent down much more than normal.

Lie on the front, facing the bed, with a towel under your forehead

Finally, If you’re a lying-on-a-stomach type of person, then you should at least try not to sleep with your head turned to one side. This posture will put additional stress on your neck, back and shoulders, and will twist your spine on its upper part.

In order to avoid this, you should try lying your face down. In this case, the pillow should be small but firm to hold your spine and neck aligned. Also, an additional towel under your forehead would be a more than welcome addition, since it would allow enough room for breathing between mouth and mattress. An important thing to remember is that all this should come along with the cushion placed under your abdomen. Having all these aspects covered, you can hope for improving your sleep quality and getting the best out of it!