Solutions to Morning Low Back Pain

Waking up with lower back pain can be frustrating and can set a negative tone for your entire day. If you find yourself asking, "Why do I feel lower back pain after sleeping?" you’re not alone. Many people experience this discomfort, and often, the culprit is your sleeping position or mattress. Here’s a detailed look into why this happens and how you can find relief.

The Role of Your Mattress and Sleeping Position

Soft Mattresses and Side Sleeping

If your mattress is very soft and sinking in, and you sleep on your side, it can cause a host of issues. When you sleep on a soft mattress, the side that is up will be compressed, leading to shortened muscles on the top side. This compression can potentially cause trigger points to form in the muscles, including the Quadratus Lumborum, abdominal obliques, and erector spinae, all of which could be the source of your morning back pain.

Solution: To alleviate this, consider purchasing a firmer mattress to provide better support. Alternatively, you can place a rolled-up towel under the muscles of your bottom side waist. This helps prevent the bottom side from sinking into the mattress, thereby preventing the muscles on the top side from forming trigger points that likely contribute to your morning back pain.

Knee Position and Spinal Twisting

If your top knee falls to the bed in front of you while sleeping on your side, this creates a twisting position of your spine and shortens muscles of your spine and gluteal muscles. The gluteal muscles frequently are a source of low back pain, especially the gluteus medius, so maintaining a neutral position of your spine, rather than a twisted position, throughout the night will save you from pain in the morning.

Solution: Place a pillow or two between your knees (thick enough to keep your top leg parallel to the bed). This alignment reduces the twist in your spine and will prevent trigger points from forming in your muscles.

Belly Sleeping

Sleeping on your belly can also lead to lower back pain. In this position, the muscles in your back can become compressed or shortened, creating trigger points that can lead to lower back pain.

Solution: Ideally, avoiding sleeping on your belly is best. However, if you find that you start on your back or side but end up in this position, keeping a pillow handy to place under your pelvic region can decrease the tension in your lower back.

Back Sleeping

For those who sleep flat on their back, lower back pain can be caused by tension in the iliopsoas muscle, which if taut, pulls your spine into an overly arched position.

Solution: A simple remedy is to place a pillow under your knees. This helps to alleviate tension in your lower back and can provide significant relief. Additionally, there are simple methods to release the tension in your iliopsoas muscles, which can help you to be more comfortable when lying on your back to go to sleep.

Taking Control of Your Lower Back Pain

Addressing the causes of your lower back pain can make a huge difference in your quality of sleep and overall well-being. I describe simple methods to resolve trigger points in the iliopsoas muscle, as well as all the other muscles which could be contributing to your low back pain in my book, "Heal Your Low Back Pain Naturally: Simple Steps to Eliminate Low Back Pain in 30 Minutes a Day."

Are you ready to take control of your lower back pain and find lasting relief? Start by implementing the tips and treatments discussed in this blog post. For a more comprehensive guide on managing and healing your back pain naturally, check out my book Heal Your Back Pain Naturally on Amazon. Take the first step towards a pain-free life today!