The first instance of back pain can be tough as it tiptoes into your life. And for some of us, back pain doesn't just sneak up on us; it slaps us in the face, especially as many also realize that no one here is getting any younger. It’s safe to say that for everyone, the last thing we want to deal with at any point is back pain. 

One moment, you feel loose and relaxed from a night out on the town. Surprisingly, the next day, you're up early that morning, ready to take on that yard work you procrastinated on last week. Then unexpectedly, with even just one nominal action, like twisting or reaching down to grab something, and suddenly your spine feels more than just "tweaked," leaving you feeling in pain with almost every movement. Sleeping well tonight? Probably not.

Many activities, whether involving minor or major physical exertion, can exacerbate or worsen back pain. When your body doesn't heal during deep and rejuvenating sleep, you may start noticing that back pain is impacting you even more. The brutal cycle of sleep and pain—tossing and turning throughout the night, to wake up feeling like your joints and muscles are achy, sore, and inflexible. If this sounds like you, there is some reassuring news, thankfully. Helpful solutions, in the form of big changes or minor adjustments, exist to modify and improve your sleep posture, which can help you sleep better.

Slightly modifying your sleeping position by introducing unique support for the curves of your body, using pillows or an adjustable bed, can help reduce joint pressure, neutralize your spine, and ultimately promote healthy sleep posture. With proper support, your spine is balanced, and your body weight is more evenly distributed across the mattress, which can help reduce joint pressure, especially for side sleepers. As a result, you wake up feeling rested and experiencing less lower back pain than before.

Adjustable Beds: Influential for Comfort and Effective to Alleviate Back Pain

Have you been struggling through brutal sleep cycles, only to awaken constantly in pain? Now, you can breathe a sigh of relief, because there are both minor and major actions you can take to start sleeping better.

The best solution for better sleep with back pain begins with the addition of an adjustable bed, like the BT6500, one of the most influential and effective products there is to help manage back pain. Still, if you're not quite ready yet for the deep dive into addressing your lower back pain with the investment of an adjustable bed, there are certain sleeping positions, with the addition of props for extra support, that can help alleviate some of your pain and discomfort.

Likewise, as just mentioned, there are specific mattress accessories, such as adjustable firmness Smartbeds, adjustable beds, and the right pillows, that can also significantly impact your ability to manage lower back pain while you rest or sleep.

The #1 Way to Find Relief: A Customized Position of Choice with an Adjustable Bed

Many recommendations for sleeping with lower back pain include the addition of "props" like a rolled-up towel or something similar, which aim to reinforce or enhance support by filling in or contouring better to the curves of your lower back and body. 

While these suggestions can be helpful, and we'll recommend a couple of these props and positions later, these are certainly more of a temporary solution than a more permanent one. It's true, because most people don't enjoy sleeping with a rolled-up towel underneath them, a "finnickey," and a more temporary solution, which grants adjustable beds a real chance to shine and improve discomfort for many back pain sufferers.

Today, an adjustable bed is one of the most ideal products for individuals experiencing back pain, offering sleep solutions with a multitude of customizable comfort and support options.

Adjustable Bed Lumbar Enhancement Feature

If you're constantly waking up with lower back pain, an adjustable bed with lumbar functionality is the ideal solution for you. With this feature, a simple press of a button on your adjustable bed remote control allows you to reinforce extra support for your lower back via the base of your mattress.

As you lie on a mattress atop an adjustable bed with lumbar support, when you activate the lumbar feature, you'll feel the mattress and base "press up" and fill into your lower back, also called the lumbar spine. You have a wide range to customize the intensity of this added support and pressure for your lower back.

The lumbar support feature of an adjustable base serves as an alternative to a rolled-up towel placed under the lower back. The best part is that this boost of support, unlike a rolled-up towel, won't become displaced or become situated oddly during the night.

Ideal Back Props & Positions While Sleeping on a Flat Mattress

If you decide that an adjustable bed isn't right for you, keep in mind that you're foregoing the multi-functionality and customization options that come with having one. The personalization options that an adjustable bed provides are an excellent solution for managing back pain, as pain has ever-changing needs that require unique remedies to manage it. Regardless, adjustable beds can be an investment, such as those models with added features like lumbar support, so not everyone can or will be willing to afford one. That is, even though they're totally worth it! 

Local mattress shops like Mattress World Northwest also provide multiple financing options, and during specific sales, a free adjustable bed!

So, if you plan to continue sleeping on a flat mattress, be aware that this isn't the best suggestion for improving comfort and reducing back pain while you sleep. Nor is a flat mattress ideal for your spine. Nevertheless, if your lower back is "killing you" while you sleep, instead of using an adjustable bed, you can try these provisional methods instead:

• Use a rolled-up towel or travel pillow: Use this extra prop underneath your lower back and/or beneath the knees to support and neutralize the natural curve of your lumbar spine, and reduce pressure points on your lower back. 
• Sleep on a mattress with firm support: This doesn't necessarily mean that it is advised to sleep on the "most firm" mattress out there. It simply means that your mattress should supply enough resistance beneath you to allow your body to sink into the mattress without the hips or lower back sagging too far. Mattresses with firm support are available, even if they appear to feel soft or squishy on top. These days, the best mattress firmness isn't necessarily the firmest. Still, it's a savvy choice to find a mattress that suits your body type, offering both ample support and optimal comfort through cushiony layers. A mattress without a delicate balance of support and pressure relief, achieved through high-quality padding layers, will thereby impact overall spinal alignment, muscle tension, and joint pressure, which are each factors that either help or hinder back pain.

Ideal Side Sleeping Props & Positions For a Flat Mattress

As mentioned earlier, an adjustable bed is the most highly recommended and more permanent "prop" that you can use to help customize a more comfortable position to relieve your specific type of back pain. If you already have an adjustable bed or decide that it sounds like the best sleep solution for you, you can personalize a "gently contoured" position that provides the most relief from your back pain. With an adjustable bed, you can achieve potential relief by simply pressing a button to elevate the head and foot of your bed, allowing you to start noticing a release of muscle tension and alleviation of your specific back pain or discomfort.

Otherwise, you can opt for these more nominal solutions that can offer a source of more temporary relief:

• Use a pillow between your knees: A pillow prop supports spinal posture while side sleeping by keeping your hips and spine in alignment while lessening strain in the lumbar spine area and improving a neutral spine position overall. Sleeping on your side with a pillow between your knees prevents your top leg from leaning and pulling your spine away from a balanced or neutral position. Maintaining a balanced body weight and proper alignment around the hips, pelvis, and spine helps reduce joint pressure. It can even alleviate lower back pain, hip discomfort, and other related issues, such as muscle tension or stiffness.
• Use a thicker or more supportive pillow: Opt for a pillow made of solid memory foam or latex, particularly from a brand that offers multiple height options, rather than a one-size-fits-all option. For instance, look for pillows that come in different heights, such as a low, medium, or tall profile. Like an adjustable bed customizes support and positioning for your body, a pillow with varying heights available is ideal for finding the correct level of support for your neck. You should try these pillows with the mattress you plan to sleep on to see how well they fit your body. This approach is the most effective way to ensure you find the right balance of support to align the spine, head, and neck, while reducing joint pressure on the shoulders and potentially alleviating lower back pain as well.
• Consider a lumbar support prop: Place a rolled-up towel or small travel-sized pillow under the innermost curve of your waist to help fill any gaps between the curves of your body and your mattress. Gaps are often more pronounced if you’re mattress is too firm. A supportive prop like this can help reinforce support to the natural curvature of your back and spine and relieve pressure points.

Don't Snooze? You Lose! Shop Local at Mattress World Northwest for the Best Selection of Products for Back Pain

If you're captivated by the idea of an adjustable bed or a massage chair because you've already tried managing your back pain with props like towels or pillows, don't hesitate to visit and try products at one of the 25 Mattress World Northwest locations with the best brand selection, including:

• Avocado
• Aireloom
• Purple
• Simmons Beautyrest
• Sealy Posturepedic
• Serta
• Smartbeds
• Stearns & Foster
• King Koil
• Bed Tech
• DreamCloud
• Nectar
• D.Core
• Katana
• Koyo
• OHCO
• Positive Posture
• Panasonic

Browse All Brands at the Mattress World Northwest Online Shop.

These sleep shops are local, family-owned and operated, with associates who will undoubtedly keep your best interests in mind when recommending sleep products, like a new mattress, adjustable pillow, or massage chair that have the potential to help alleviate your back pain. So, if your lower back keeps "killing you" while you're trying to sleep, don't just keep lying there in pain! Take action and fight back with the sleep solution of your choice—such as a new pillow or a multi-functioning adjustable bed—to beat or alleviate your back pain for good!