DOS AND DON’ TS SLEEPING POSTURES
Side Lying
Supine Lying
line with or above your hip, to help decrease both pelvic rotation and hip internal rotation. You’ll know if your pillow is big enough when it feels your top leg is completely off- weighted. • Supine lying: If you are on your back, try not to let your legs lay flat on the bed. This position pulls the pelvis into a forward tilt which further causes extension of the low back. Try placing a thicker pillow or couch cushion under your thighs to offload pressure on your back. This helps with hip pain too, since the hips prefer to be resting in 30 degrees of hip flexion. Hopefully these tips help with decreasing your hip or back pain at night. Once you find your comfortable position all you have to worry about is trying to keep the pillow in place!
How do I support my back when I’m sleeping? This is a common question when we see patients with back or hip pain. It is important to lay in an offloaded and comfortable position when sleeping so that we are not putting extra tension or force on areas of irritability. When we are resting at night our tissues are trying to heal themselves, therefore making sure you’re in a supported posture is key.
Here are a couple ways to help offload your back and hips, whether you sleep on your side or on your back.
• Side lying: Place a pillow, doubled, in between your legs to help offload the top leg. You want to make sure your knee is either in-
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