How to Sleep With Sciatica: Best Sciatica Sleeping Positions

Sciatica is a real pain in the butt.

Literally.

In this article, we’ll talk about what sciatic nerve pain is and how to deal with it.

What Is Sciatic Pain?

There’s a nerve in your body called the sciatic nerve. It runs down the backside of your leg. Sciatic pain is when something happens that irritates the sciatic nerves enough to trigger pain signals to the brain.

There are a lot of reasons why you might get sciatic pain. Herniated disks, bone spurs, and pressure caused by an unborn baby can all irritate the sciatic nerve and cause pain. The pain usually feels like it’s coming from your spine and radiates down to your back to your leg. Sciatica pain can feel pretty debilitating depending on how bad it is.

Why Is My Sciatic Pain Worse When I Lie Down?

A lot of people notice that their sciatic pain doesn’t go away if they stand up or sit down or whatever, but it definitely gets worse if they lay down in certain positions. Side sleepers especially feel it, which can be extra annoying as your most comfortable sleeping position becomes the least comfortable position thanks to nerve pain.

But this all makes sense when you think of it. When you lie down, you’re most likely lying on either your back or your side. And that’s right about where the sciatic nerve lies in your leg. So it makes sense that when you place direct pressure on that already-irritated nerve, that it’s going to hurt more. So the real trick is figuring out how to avoid that direct pressure.

What’s The Best Sleeping Position For Sciatica?

The best thing to do is to sleep on your back with your legs elevated instead of sleeping on your side. Make sure your back and butt are making contact with the mattress but put a couple of pillows under your legs. This sciatica sleep position should provide just enough cushion and just enough support to relieve your sciatic nerve of direct contact.

How Do I Get My Sciatic Nerve To Stop Hurting?

If you’re looking for relief from your sciatica, look no further. Here are some tips that can help you feel better.

Give it time - Sometimes you overwork yourself by lifting too much or something else. It’s possible that you just temporarily threw out your back or irritated your leg muscles really badly. Give your body a couple of days to heal and see if the pain doesn’t naturally fade. If it does, then no harm no foul. If it doesn’t. Then it’s time to get some help.

Stand up - Sciatica is at its worst when there’s direct pressure on the nerve. So unless that direct pressure is coming from within you, say from a baby, the easiest thing to do is to stand up and take the pressure off of the nerve completely.

Exercise - Exercise, like yoga, helps improve your posture, which will help you feel less back and leg pain. Also, yoga is soothing so you’ll feel better in general. It’s a win-win really.

Change the temperature - Heating and cooling your hurting leg can help soothe the nerve and reduce the pain. A heating pad or a bag of ice will do the trick nicely. Experiment by switching back and forth and see if either helps relax your nerve.

Try a painkiller - Sometimes you just need a little ibuprofen. Ask your doctor if you’re thinking about painkillers because that level of pain is worth discussing with them.

Get Better Sleep With Simmons

If you suffer from long-term sciatica, you’ll benefit from a supportive mattress. If you’re looking for support, you’ll want to go with either a medium or firm mattress. A supportive Simmons mattress will help give your body the support you need without letting you sink into your mattress putting unnecessary pressure on your sciatic nerve.

Upgrade your mattress and get a Simmons today.