Back Pain While You Sleep? Here's Why

There's not a lot worse than trying to sleep but having constant nagging pain in your back. Even when you manage to drift off, you wake in the middle of the night with more pain. It can genuinely interrupt your sleep to the point where it is bad for your health. You're starting every day sore and with no energy, and it feels like you're stuck in a loop and can't get out of it. 

Why does your back hurt while you sleep? Most of the time, one of these issues is the culprit:

Disc problems

No, this has nothing to do with Blu-Rays or old CDs! Rather, we're talking about the discs in your spine that sit between the vertebrae. They're essential for protecting your spine and helping it move properly. Unfortunately, you can encounter numerous disc issues that cause pain, particularly while you sleep. Two big issues are disc degeneration disease and a bulging disk. If you suffer from back pain throughout the day or when you're bending over, then it could be down to a disc issue. Thankfully, as shown on sydneyspinepain.com, you can get all sorts of treatment for spinal issues such as these. So, you can solve the problem and then be free from the pain. 

Sleeping position

The way you sleep could be putting added pressure on your back muscles and causing back pain. Typically, if you sleep on your stomach, you are going to arch your lower back more than you should. A whole night of sleeping like this puts strain on the lower back muscles and means you wake up in a lot of pain. Similarly, lying on your side can put pressure on your back, while bending your knees shortens your hip flexors and pulls on your lower back even more. The ideal sleeping position varies from person to person, but you ideally want to be in a place where your back is relaxed and nothing is put under strain 

A bad mattress

Finally, your back pain could be caused by a bad mattress. If yours is over ten years old, it's probably already starting to degenerate. Similarly, even brand new mattresses can be bad if they don't provide the support you need. Ironically, soft mattresses might be worse for your back than firmer ones because they don't give you enough support, straining your back muscles. You'll know this is your problem if you sleep in someone else's bed and your back is fine. These days, a lot of mattress companies give you free trials on their products. So, you could try out a new mattress for a month, see how it feels and then decide whether to buy it or not. If your back pain magically goes away, you know your old mattress was the issue. 

A good way to approach your back pain is to see a specialist and get a diagnosis. They can tell you if you have disc problems or not. If not, you now know the nighttime pain is caused either by your sleeping position or mattress. So, change either of these, see if the pain goes away, and you'll soon figure out how to sleep without a sore back each night.