How to sleep with sciatica

As any sufferer knows, sciatica pain can be difficult to live with. If your day has been particularly strenuous, it can easily trigger the sciatic nerve and leave you tossing and turning at night. There are some tips and tricks you can use to soothe the pain at night so that you can finally drift off to sleep.
1. Upgrade your mattress
Where you sleep can have a massive impact on how sciatica pain impacts you. Aged pillows or a sunken mattress can reduce your sleep quality and sleep posture and can actually make sciatica worse overnight. Choose a mattress that is firm, as this will provide your spine with the necessary support it requires. If possible, choose a memory foam mattress as this is a material that moulds to the specific shape of an individual’s body.
People often neglect to purchase a good pillow, but this could be detrimental to your sciatica pain. While sciatic pain mainly affects the lower body, taking care of the neck and spine can reduce lower back pain in the long term.
2. Sleeping position
Our sleeping position can also have a massive impact on how sciatica pain is treated. Everyone is different, but many people have said that lying on their backs reduced the pain as they slept. Another tip to try is sleeping with legs slightly bent with a comfortable pillow tucked underneath the knees. This is a sleeping position that is meant to reduce pain.
3. Light stretches
Some light stretching before bed can be surprisingly beneficial. The NHS recommends some lower body stretches to improve pain and flexibility. These are simple exercises that can be done by anyone of any age. After your light workout, it might help to have a bath to help soak and relax the muscles and prepare your body for sleep.
Hopefully, these tips will improve your sleep quality. Finding different ways to cope with sciatica pain can often be stressful. Our class 1 medical cushion is a long-term treatment for those suffering from the condition. It is an ideal investment for anyone looking for sciatic nerve treatment.
4. Pain relief medication
When disturbed sleep occurs for a long period this can lead to sleep deprivation, which is a poor state to be in for healing and can have a serious impact on your mood. In these circumstances your doctor may recommend pain relief medication to help reduce the pain and get you back into a more stable sleep cycle. If prescribed there are risks associated with opiate type medications, which your doctor will explain to you. The following article has great information about the risks of opiates and the benefits of a non-drug approach. https://www.ukat.co.uk/opiates/dangers-opiates-back-neck-pain/