As one of the most common issues that people seek help with, back pain is a leading cause of disability worldwide. If you struggle with back pain, you know how debilitating it can be. You also likely know how difficult it can be to get enough sleep to ensure that you’re not only avoiding waking up but also comfortable while you’re resting. If you’re struggling to get comfortable and looking for ways to mitigate your back pain, read on.
In this article, we’ll uncover what sleep hygiene practices you can follow for chronic back pain. We’ll explore more about why chronic back pain happens, how sleep hygiene can help, and then various steps that you can take to improve your rest and pain. From creating an optimal sleep environment to engaging in relaxation techniques, it’s time for you to start sleeping and stop worrying about your back pain.
Understanding Chronic Back Pain
Chronic back pain is not the kind of pain that comes and goes within a day but an ache that can remain for several days or weeks if not months. Even if you don’t work a job where you likely encounter more strain on your back, you can suffer from back pain over the long term. Unfortunately, it can come from a whole host of issues, including herniated discs, osteoarthritis, and even muscle strains from working out or lifting heavy items.
Chronic back pain isn’t just affecting your mobility either. Studies show that those with chronic back pain are 18 times more likely to have insomnia as compared to others who do not have the sleep disorder (Source: Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Journal). So, it can affect your mobility, your sleep, and ultimately, because it affects your sleep, it can hurt your immunity and your energy levels, too.
That’s why you need to improve your sleep hygiene. Let’s explore some methods to encourage better sleep hygiene so you sleep better despite your chronic back pain.
How You Can Encourage Better Sleep Hygiene to Help You Sleep
Sleep hygiene is not only essential to our overall rest, but it can help us if we struggle with chronic back pain. When you have the right sleep environment, and you encourage better rest, you’ll alleviate your pain, too. That’s because the quality of your rest is tied to your pain perception, your body’s ability to manage inflammation, and more. So, if you’re looking for ways to enjoy better sleep hygiene, let’s discuss a few options that you have, many of which are easy to implement in your life now.
Create the Optimal Sleep Environment for Quality Rest
If you want to settle in for a relaxing night of rest, then you’ll want to curate the perfect setting to do so. That means eliminating screens before bed, setting the temperature low enough for you to feel relaxed, and using quality bed sheets and blankets. You want to feel as cozy as possible for a great night ahead!
However, you should also ensure you set the right tone for the morning, too. People who were exposed to morning bright light and suffered from chronic back pain actually reported feeling as though they got better rest after 13 days (Source: PubMed).
So, as long as you have the right bedroom setting—complete the right mattress, pillows, blankets, temperature, and calm, quiet atmosphere—you’ll be supporting proper rest.
Sleep in the Right Position to Support Your Chronic Back Pain
It’s not enough just to create the right environment; you’ll also want to sleep in the proper position. Chronic back pain sufferers do not bode well sleeping on their back outright, especially if they suffer from lower back pain.
However, the best and most proven positions to sleep in include the fetal position, which is when you are on your side with your knees drawn up to your chest and lying on your back with a small pillow under the back of your knees to support your back’s natural curve (Source: Applied Ergonomics).
If you can sleep in these positions, you’ll enjoy better rest and you’ll also be taking a lot of the stress off of your back so you can rest easy and pain-free!
Exercise Proper Pain Management to Ease Chronic Back Pain
If your chronic back pain is unbearable at times, using a little painkiller can help you alleviate the pain enough to go to bed. However, there are other remedies and therapies you can use that can help you mitigate your pain.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to help with pain management, typically coping mechanisms, which can support better rest for those with insomnia and chronic pain in general (Source: PubMed).
Other methods you could use to support better rest while managing your pain include hot and cold therapy, such as the use of heating pads and ice packs, or even physical therapy that you might be prescribed by a physical therapist or doctor.
Final Tips and Tricks for Improved Sleep Hygiene with Chronic Back Pain
Aside from the aforementioned guidelines to improve your sleep hygiene, you might also benefit from a few other methods research has proven to be helpful. Here are a few different ideas to help you manage your chronic back pain so you can sleep more soundly:
- Keep a Consistent Bedtime Routine: With regular bedtimes each and every night, you can train your body to relax, unwind, and be prepared for rest so you wake up feeling refreshed.
- Practice Mindfulness Exercises: Mindfulness exercises are a great way not only to unwind at night but also to help manage pain. These relaxation techniques have been used to help with relaxing, especially for those with chronic pain (Source: PubMed).
- Use Ergonomics: If you know that you struggle with chronic back pain, take steps to encourage your health during the day. That means using the right chair, promoting proper posture, and engaging in low-impact movements so you strengthen your back.
It’s Time to Enjoy Better Rest and Alleviate Chronic Back Pain
While it might not be possible to get rid of your back pain overnight, the tips that we have provided can help you with your sleep hygiene, a crucial part of encouraging better rest. Even if you have struggled for years, give a few of these techniques a try to see if they improve your sleep.