Kim Burns DPT, OCS Physical Therapy and Sports Rehabilitation

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7 Effective Tactics to Get a Comfortable Sleep When You’re Dealing with Pain

Kimberly Burns

Here are some tips and tricks you can try to get better sleep whether you are having a hard time getting comfortable, waking up because of pain, or waking up in pain.

Points to pay attention to:

  • The head and the trunk are in line.

  • The shoulders and hips are in line.

  • The leg is in line with the hip.

  • The arm is in line with the shoulder.

  • Use pillows to support this alignment. How many pillows and what type of pillow will vary based on your body size, mattress type and preferred sleeping position.

2. Break up with that old mattress

Old mattresses that are dipped, wavy or uneven in spots do not support a straight spine. What type or brand of mattress you buy does not matter. What does matter is that it is comfortable and supportive in all the right places, unique to you and your body, to maintain a straight spine when you sleep.

3. Keep your comfortable pillow

There’s no need to spend a lot a cash to get a new, fancy pillow if it supports your head and neck in the right areas to keep your head in line with the rest of your body. If you need a little extra support under the middle part of your neck because your head tips or tilts, add a neck roll by slipping a rolled bathroom hand towel or small bolster into the bottom of your pillow case.

4. Support your arm with a pillow for shoulder pain.

Sleeping on your side or on your back is the most likely position to be comfortable if you are dealing with shoulder pain during the night or in the morning.

5. Support your knees with a rolled pillow or bolster.

Try not to do this too often or else you might have a hard time straigthening your knees after a while. Use this as a strategy to get you thorugh the period of time you are having trouble sleeping while you treat the cause of the problem in physical therapy.

6. Support your hips and lower belly with a pillow

Try not to do this too often or else you might have a hard time straightening your hips after a while. Use this as a strategy to get you thorugh the period of time you are having trouble sleeping while you treat the cause of the problem in physical therapy.

7. Put a pillow between your knees

Great for hip pain, leg pain, back pain, numbness and tingling and safe to use all the time.