People Dealing with Chronic Back Pain Can Still Sleep Well - Here's How
While chronic back pain can be caused by a number of factors, there is one thing those who deal with it have in common: poor sleep. A lack of sleep not only has poor effects on your overall well-being, but it can also put you at risk for chronic illnesses like heart disease. Fortunately, you can easily combat your sleep problems with the following tips.
Do the Right Exercises
It’s generally accepted that you should avoid strenuous exercise at least three hours before bed, so it might seem odd to suggest exercise as the first tip. However, doing gentle stretching exercises like yoga can help to ease the pain in your back and get you relaxed for a good night’s sleep. It doesn’t raise your heart rate by much and won’t throw your aching back muscles out of whack. According to Healthline, some of the poses that you can try are cat-cow, downward-facing dog and cobra pose. If you’re new to yoga, though, make sure to take things slowly and don’t continue with any poses that make the pain worse.
Chuck the Back-Breaking Chores
It’s good to stay active, but you won’t do your back any favors by overdoing it. This applies to household chores as well as exercise. According to the Healthy Back Pain Institute, some of the chores you should avoid when you have back pain are doing the dishes, doing laundry and cleaning the bathroom. When it comes to the outdoor chores, shoveling snow, trimming hedges and raking leaves are usually off-limits. The best thing for you to do is give your back some time to heal by hiring a maid service to keep your house clean and landscapers to keep your lawn healthy. When shopping around, compare costs and find services that are in your budget. In Boston, for example, landscaping services can cost between $1,550 and $5,200.
How You Get Into Bed Matters
As a matter of fact, how you get out of bed is just as important. The good news is, doing so safely is simple and Very Well Health shows you exactly how it’s done. When getting out of bed, take deep breaths before bending your knees and slowly rolling onto your side. From that position, roll upright and slowly ease off the bed until you’re standing. To get back into bed, just do the opposite of what you did to get out. If you’re feeling up to it, you can even do a few morning stretches to start the day off well.
Get the Bed Your Back Deserves
Even if you’re exercising the right way and taking a break from strenuous chores, having the wrong bed can undo all of your hard work. When you’re looking for your best fit, you’ll be able to choose from mattresses that have general back support or are specific to persons with lower back pain. You can even choose one that accommodates your particular style of sleeping for maximum support and comfort. The right bed should make trying the sleeping positions recommended for persons with back pain even easier. Just keep in mind that a mattress can easily set you back between $150 and $5,000 depending on your needs.
Suffering from back pain of any kind can take a toll on your restful hours. Still, it’s not impossible to get a good night’s sleep if you take it easy on the chores and get some good stretches in. If you find that doing these things consistently isn’t having a positive effect on your pain, then it might be time to have a talk with your doctor about what else might be helpful.
Photo via Pixabay
About the author: Cheryl Conklin is a freelance writer and tutor by trade. She is also a blogger, adventurer, traveler, and creator of Wellness Central. She uses wellnesscentral.info to share her thoughts on wellness along with the great resources she finds on her own wellness journey.