Do you suffer from back pain? You're not alone: millions of Americans deal with back pain on a regular basis. In fact, studies have found that 8 out of 10 Americans have suffered from back pain at some point. With nearly 65 million Americans having suffered from recent back pain and around 16 million adults suffer from chronic back pain. With back pain affecting people of all ages, it doesn’t hurt to take a look at the options out there that exist to help alleviate it.
One of those ways to deal with back pain is making sure you are sleeping in the correct position, with the right support, and you are getting enough sleep overall.
Here are 7 effective tips to relieve back pain through a good night's sleep.
Jump to:
- Best adjustable beds for back pain
- Best adjustable bed settings for lower back pain
- Best adjustable bed settings for upper back pain
- Best sleep position for lower back pain
- Best sleep position for upper back pain
- Best adjustable bed position for sciatica
- Best mattress for back pain: the right mix of support and comfort
How does an adjustable base help with back pain?
Adjustable beds that have head and leg tilt by at least 40 degrees can be excellent for back pain. By adjusting the head level and feet level, you shift your body weight to take the pressure off your back, thus relieving pain.
Additionally, adjustable beds can be customized to fit each individual's sleep needs, which can further help to alleviate back pain. For instance, some adjustable beds come with massage options that can help to loosen tight muscles and promote blood flow.
If you suffer from back pain, an adjustable bed is a worthwhile investment.
Best adjustable beds for back pain
If you're looking for the best adjustable beds for back pain, Sven & Son's Bliss Series and Platinum Series are the two best options.
Sven & Son's Bliss Series Adjustable Bed
Sven & Son's Bliss Series Adjustable Bed is one of the best adjustable beds on the market for people with back pain.
Lumbar Support
This adjustable bed features lumbar support - a segment of the bed that can be raised or lowered into place, and it acts like a lumbar support pillow by pressing on the lower back. This can help to reduce pain and improve posture.
Massage Technology
Massage therapy is usually beneficial to relieving back pain. The built-in massage technology in the Bliss Series can help loosen tense muscles and increase blood flow for better healing.
Head & Feet Adjustment
Because it’s an adjustable bed, you can raise and lower the head and feet level, to find a perfect spot for a good night sleep.
Sven & Son’s Platinum Series Adjustable Beds
Sven & Son’s Platinum Series Adjustable Beds offers a more luxurious experience and helps relieve back pain.
Lumbar Support
When it comes to lower back pain, spinal support is essential. Similar to the Bliss series, the Platinum Series adjustable beds also have lumbar support, so you can raise or lower a section of bed to function like a lumbar support pillow pressing on the lower back. This greatly helps to reduce pain.
Massage Technology
The built-in massage technology means you can maximize comfort when sleeping. In addition, massage technology can help to loosen tense muscles and increase blood flow, both of which are important for healing.
Head & Feet & Pillow Adjustment
In addition to the standard head and feel adjustment, the Sven & Son Platinum Series allows you to raise your head and tilt your pillow as well. There is no better option than this bed to find your favorite sleeping position.
Wall-Hugger: Keeping the Bed Level with the Nightstand
This advanced wall-hugger technology keeps you next to the wall and your nightstand when you adjust various settings on your bed. It’s called “wall hugger” because it keeps the adjustable bed close to the wall when it’s raised or lowered.
Adjustable beds without the wall-hugger technology will move you forward and away from the bed and nightstand. Imagine you need to reach for a remote control or a glass of water on the nightstand, you’d have to stretch and reach for it. For people with joint pain, limited mobility or other health issues, this can be inconvenient and even dangerous because it can lead to accidents. With wall-hugger technology, you are always level with the wall and your nightstand.
Best adjustable bed settings for lower back pain
The lumbar support setting, massage technology, and raised feet level are the three best settings to relieve pain on your lower back. Raised area behind your lower back - lumbar support adjustment
As mentioned above, by pressuring against your lower back, the lumbar support provides enough compression so there is less pressure on your lower back disc, muscles and spine.
Massage technology
We love massages, especially when there is a sore spot on your lower back. Massages help relax muscles and increase circulation.
Now with the right adjustable bed, you can get a massage whenever you want one!
Raised feet level
When you sleep with your feet raised, you maintain a normal curve to support your back.
Best adjustable bed settings for upper back pain
If you have upper back pain, it’s usually from a shoulder injury (shoulder pain) or a neck injury. The best sleeping position for upper back pain is in a reclined position.
So, the head/upper body tilt, lumbar support, and massage technology are the two best settings to relieve pain on your upper back.
Head/upper body tilt
When you are lying flat, you leave your shoulder sagging, which adds strain to the shoulder joint and causes pain.
Sleeping upright or in a reclined position alleviates tension in the neck and shoulder, so people with upper back problems can get better rest.
Lumbar support
People who sleep in a reclined position often need more lumbar support to maximize their comfort. It is important to use lumbar to help keep the spine in alignment.
Massage technology
One of the best ways to relieve lower back pain is to get a massage, because it helps relax muscles and increase circulation.
When used in combination with an adjustable bed, massages can be even more effective in relieving pain. By Adjusting the bed to the perfect position, you can ensure that the massage targets the right muscles. As a result, you'll experience less pain and stiffness and be able to enjoy a better night's sleep.
Best sleeping position for lower back pain
With Adjustable Beds
If you have an adjustable bed, it is easy to get to the best sleeping position, by doing the following:
- Adjust the lumbar support setting to move the raised area behind your lower back.
- Raise your feet level so your knee is closer to your chest.
- Turn on the massage for 15 minutes to fully relax.
Did we mention The Bliss Series and Platinum Series come with smart control options to save your favorite sleep positions?
Without Adjustable Beds
Sleep on your side? Put a pillow between your legs.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, more than 60% of people sleep on their side.
If you sleep on your side, put a pillow between your legs. This pillow helps prevent your upper leg from pulling forward and twisting your torso, to keep your hips and spine aligned. By keeping your hips and spine aligned, you can help prevent or relieve lower back pain.
Sleep on your back? Put a pillow under your knee.
According to a national sleeping survey, roughly 10% of people sleep on their back. If that is you, try putting a small pillow under your knee.
This little lift works well with your spine's natural curve and helps take some pressure off of your back.
Sleep on your stomach? Don’t, if you have back pain.
Sleeping on the stomach is not a good option for relieving back pain. In fact, it might even worsen upper back, neck, or shoulder pain by preventing the spine from aligning properly and adding stress to the neck.
Best sleeping position for upper back pain
With Adjustable Beds
As sleep enthusiasts, we may be biased but we love how easy it is to get to the best sleeping position using an adjustable bed
- Raise your upper body so you are in a reclined or straight up position. Start by raising the back up to ~30 degree angle to see how it feels - this will help reduce the feeling of strain on your back.
- Next you will want to raise up the knees a little bit. This gets you into a more comfortable and natural position.
- Adjust the lumbar support setting to move the raised area behind your lower back.
- Turn on the massage for 15 minutes to fully relax.
Without Adjustable Beds
If you are trying to avoid shoulder pain, gravity is not your friend - gravity is pulling your shoulder down and causing it to dip into the bed, which is why you feel pain when you move.
Sleep on your side? Hug a pillow.
Sleeping on your side with shoulder pain hurts. But if that’s how you are used to, try sleeping on the side with a shoulder that doesn’t hurt, and then hug a pillow in front of you.
The pillow in front of you has two main purposes. The first is to prevent the injured shoulder from slumping forwards too much and compressing the structures in the shoulder.
The second is to help stabilize the shoulder joint itself. By keeping the shoulder in a more neutral position, the pillow helps to take some of the stress off of the joint and muscles surrounding it.
Sleep on your back? Put a pillow under your elbow.
Sleeping on your back with a pillow or towel under your elbow can help support your shoulder and prevent strain. This position helps to lift the elbow and place the shoulder in a more supported anatomical position. This can be especially helpful if you have a history of shoulder pain or injury.
Sleep on your stomach? Don’t, if you have back pain.
Again, we don’t recommend sleeping on your stomach. If you’re already having shoulder pain, sleeping on your stomach can further strain it or add more pressure to your neck and cause more pain in the upper back area.
Best adjustable bed position for sciatica
Sciatica is a condition that affects the sciatic nerve. It usually involves pain that starts low in your back and moves down into your hips and into, usually, one leg.
When dealing with sciatica pain you will want to be able to adjust your hips and legs amply to get to a position that can alleviate the pressures that laying down puts on you. When you can fully adjust your hip angle and also your knee angle, you give yourself the most control and best chance of finding that perfect position to fall asleep in.
Also raising your back up a little bit can help reduce pressure on your nerve roots.
What position makes sciatica worse?
Laying down flat can aggravate sciatica pains because this adds pressure to the irritated nerve. Also having your mattress be too soft can cause issues too. With a soft mattress your spin will sink into a curve and this can cause pressure points to make it worse.
Some of the best advice for dealing with sciatica pain is to keep a good posture and nice straight back. So a firmer mattress will help with keeping it straight.
Best mattress for back pain: the right mix of support and comfort
Since we mentioned mattresses, you may ask what is the best one for back pain. There are many opinions on the market about what mattress is best for back pain. That doesn’t necessarily make it easy for consumers, in our opinion. So here are the two most important things to focus on when you shop for the best mattress:
- Firmness - support
- Memory foam - comfort
When you’re looking for a mattress to ease back pain, you’ll want to find one that offers the right mix of support and comfort.
Firm mattresses are often better for people with back pain, as they offer more support for the spine. However, you don’t want a mattress that is too firm, as this can cause new aches and pains.
Instead, look for a mattress that is supportive but still provides some give, such as a memory foam mattress.
If you are one of the many people who suffer from back pain, we hope that by providing these seven effective sleeping tips and highlighting our best adjustable beds for back pain, you can find relief and get a good night’s sleep.
Thanks for reading and we wish you sweet dreams!
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Caitlin is our in-house Digital Marketing Specialist. In the office, she handles all the sleep news and sleep-related content. While at home, she likes to unplug a bit. As a local to Florida, her favorite activities include anything water-related, jet skis, free diving, and beach days galore! |
