Good quality sleep can be elusive when you have sciatica, a neurological condition that stems from a compressed sciatic nerve. That’s why it pays to know the tips on finding the best sleeping position for sciatica and relieving your symptoms naturally. Also, if your radiating back pain has been bothering you for quite a while, we strongly recommend following the tips and tricks we provided in this guide.

How to Find the Best Sleeping Position for Sciatica

Because sciatica pain worsens if you put too much pressure on your sciatic nerve, you need to be extra mindful of your sleeping position. Otherwise, you will likely have interrupted sleep and increased pain sensitivity. Read some of our recommendations to help you use the best sleeping position for sciatica:

Focus on improving your body’s sleeping alignment 

A misaligned spine can cause more damage to an already irritated sciatica nerve. That’s why you should be extra mindful of your spine’s alignment when you sleep. Below are the easiest ways you can minimize pressure on your spinal column every time you lay on the bed:

• Prop a pillow under your neck or in between your knees 
• Try sleeping on your side so you can take off the pressure on your sciatic nerve
• If your sciatica pain stems from spinal stenosis, you should consider sleeping with your knees curled up

Check the quality of your pillow or mattress 

Your pillow and bed can affect your spine and your sciatic nerve. That’s why it pays to switch to good-quality sleeping products. If you’re not sure which ones you should include in your shopping list, you may refer to our quick product guide: 

• Buy a pillow based on your sleeping position
• Opt for a semi-firm mattress to provide enough support to your spine
• If you can’t afford to replace your bed foam, feel free to buy a use a mattress topper for sciatica patients instead  

Other Tips to Improve Sleep When You Have Sciatica

Notably, switching to a new bed or pillow isn’t the only way to lessen your sciatica pain during sleep. In fact, there’s a long list of simple practices that can include in your bedtime routine. Here are a few examples: 

• Try doing a few gentle stretching exercises before you sleep
• Enjoy a warm bath to relax your nerves
• Use pain medications to cope with your nerve pain and minimize inflammation 
• Use personal care gadgets for sciatica such as The Back Buddy and spinal rollers

Enjoying A Good Night Sleep By Seeking Practical Sciatica Remedies

The tips on finding the best sleeping position for sciatica are extremely helpful in improving sleep quality. We hope that you include them in your everyday routine. Additionally, we recommend finding a way to relieve your sciatica pain permanently. 

By doing so, you can slowly get back to your life and avoid suffering from sleepless nights. It will also help you enjoy activities that you can’t do because of your radiating back pain. Below are some of the proven remedies for sciatica that many patients use here in the US:

Physical therapy

Some patients who have sciatica seek a physical therapist for lasting relief. This remedy works by improving a patient’s body posture and releasing muscle tension. A physical therapist can help you perform nerve stretching exercises such as neural flossing and nerve glides for around four to eight weeks until you can improve your body’s condition.

Stretching exercises for the neck and back

Low-impact stretching exercises for the neck and back can help you ease tension in your muscle fibers and joints. They can also release natural body pain killers like endorphin, improving how you cope with sciatica pain.

Topical pain relievers

Pain-relieving creams and ointment are the go-to remedies for many patients who have sciatica pain. That’s because these products come with a very meager price tag, and they’re widely available in different stores (offline and online). You can keep a small container of topical pain relievers in your home so you can quickly soothe your painful back, hips, legs, and toes.  

Lumbar or hip braces

Support braces for the hips or lumbar spine can work wonders for people with sciatica pain. When worn correctly, a support brace can remove undue pressure on the spinal column and the pelvic region. You can wear one while working on office tasks so you can prevent back pain. You can also wear a support brace if you need to drive or commute for several hours. 

Upper cervical care 

A compressed sciatic nerve often occurs because of degenerative disc diseases and spinal misalignments. That’s why it pays to try procedures like upper cervical chiropractic. Essentially, with the help of an upper cervical doctor, you can correct postural imbalances that affect tissues such as the sciatic nerve and brainstem. 

It involves analyzing postural problems resulting from accidents, physical trauma, bad posture, and other factors. Once an upper cervical chiropractic doctor knows what happened with your C1 and C2 bones, you can receive gentle neck toggles to ease your spine bones back to their original position and to decompress the sciatic nerve. After a while, your damaged nerve can heal, and you can finally get rid of your sciatica symptoms once and for all. 

Many patients have explored this natural remedy and found massive relief. So, if you want to experience the same, we suggest calling a local sciatica chiropractor and scheduling your first upper cervical chiropractic assessment and adjustment session.

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