How To Prevent Back Problems From Ruining Your Sleep

by Jim Hofman

Back problems and back pain are possibly the most frustrating physical hardship to endure. Not only are back problems difficult to diagnose, they seem to interfere with the most routine of our daily tasks. Walking, bending over, and even sitting for lengthy periods of time can be challenging and painful. Have you ever aggravated your back pain with a simple sneeze?

Even with simple daily tasks hindered by back pain, there’s nothing worse than losing a good night’s sleep due to back problems. There’s no question that back problems are extremely hard to diagnose. However, there are a few easy, inexpensive solutions which can help your back pain and allow you a good nights rest.

Those of us with back pain understand the frustration of waking up non refreshed, even after 8 hours of sleep. It’s well documented that most back problems stem from poor posture, misalignment, or physical activities such as improper lifting technique. When we’re asleep, proper posture and alignment are extremely important. In fact, it’s very possible poor sleeping posture and alignment are actually causing your back pain.

Proper Sleep Alignment Is Key

A key factor in getting a good night’s sleep and reducing back pain is to make sure you have proper sleep alignment. This means sleeping in such a way that there’s no added pressure on your back or neck. It doesn’t matter in which position you like to sleep - what is most important is aligning properly to take pressure off your back.

Simply adding a memory foam pad to your mattress is one such solution. Memory foam pads rest on top of your mattress and are designed to gently conform to your entire body, thereby removing pressure from your lower back and neck. Similarly, a contoured “lumbar (spine) pad” provides continuous lower back support and helps compensate for less than ideal sleeping surfaces. Also, countoured pillows function in much the same manner, preventing neck and back pain by conforming the head and spine into proper alignment.

There’s a good chance your back pain is aggravated or even caused by how you sleep. You can greatly reduce or even eliminate your back pain with inexpensive, ergonomic solutions like memory foam pads or countoured pillows. Of course, it’s also important to add healthy habits to your life like non jarring low impact exercise. Pilates are extremely effective in helping back problems. Added together, these simple solutions can greatly improve not only your sleep, but your overall quality of life.

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