Pillow Talk for Spine Pain

The bedroom is not just about sex; it’s about sleep. That’s right, sleep, a rejuvenating weapon against stress and fatigue. But sometimes, those little aches and pains become a barrier between you and a good night’s sleep. No, don’t reach for the pill bottle. A perfectly placed pillow may be all that you need. Side sleepers, stomach sleepers, and back sleepers; cushioning works for all types of sleeping. Let’s talk pillow strategy.

SIDE SLEEPERS

Most people are side sleepers. This position is usually the most comfortable for those with back pain, especially when the knees are pulled close to the chest—the fetal position. However, the shapely curves of your womanly figure can be problematic while sleeping on your side. Here are some strategies to bring you a more comfortable night’s sleep.

• Use a pillow (at least 5” thick) between your knees because our hips are wider than the knees, so a pillow here insures proper alignment of the spine.
• Use a pillow thick enough to fill the space between the head and shoulder tip. Again, proper alignment is gained with a pillow to fill this gap, without this you might wake up with a kink in your neck.
• Rest your upper arm on cushion like a body pillow. The upper arm needs support; otherwise, gravity pulls on the shoulder or tugs on the sensitive nerves in your neck.
• Try a small towel or soft, small pillow at your waist because our hips are wider than our waist (usually!?!), a gap is created and gravity fills the gap by misaligning our spine.
• Do not sleep on your side with a thin, flat pillow supporting your head. The head/neck will reach for the pillow in order for the head to rest on the pillow. Stretching and bending your neck all night will cause a pain in the neck.

STOMACH SLEEPERS

This position is favored by some for a change of pace; although, the neck will not favor this way of sleeping. Also, lying on the stomach can be uncomfortable for those with back pain because tightness around the hips causes extra strain in the low back. But, one key pillow placement may be all that you need to make stomach sleeping work for you.

• Try a pillow or stack of pillows under your stomach and chest. The extra height of the torso above the mattress will flex the hip and ease the back strain

BACK SLEEPERS

Again, this position can be uncomfortable for your lower back because your hips are too tight from sitting all day long. With proper pillow placement, sleeping on your back can actually be very comfortable.

• Use a thin pillow under your head. Very little gap exists between the back of the head and shoulders in this position; therefore, a thin pillow is required for good alignment.

• Try to support your knees on a few pillows. Remember, when the knees are closer to the chest (like a fetal position), back discomfort is eased.

ALL SLEEPERS

Now, you may be visualizing yourself in bed surrounded by pillows that create a barrier between you and your loved one (see page 65 in my book, High Heels to Hormones: A Woman’s Guide to Spine Care). Rest assured, just a few strategic pillows will not prevent a little romance and will provide you some rejuvenating sleep. Hopefully, you noticed the common denominator for the use of pillows—alignment. If your spine spends a whole night out of alignment, you will have pain. No matter if you sleep on your side, sleep on your stomach, or sleep on your back, body positioning is the key to comfort. If you change position throughout the night, keep some pillows handy that you can grab and place strategically. Waking up in pain is no fun. So, work with your curves, fill the gaps, and sleep well tonight because pillow talk just makes sense.

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Back and Neck by drlasich