How To Sleep With Hypermobile Hips

Hypermobile hips can make sleeping a real challenge, and around 10-25% of the population experiences this problem (Garcia-Campayo, Asso, and Alda, 2011).
People with hypermobility often have joints that move beyond the normal range, which can make it harder to stay in one position at night. This can lead to stiffness, aches, or restless sleep.
The right support and sleeping setup can make a big difference. Here’s how to get better rest.
How Do You Sleep To Keep Your Hips Aligned?
Keeping your hips aligned while you sleep is key to reducing discomfort and preventing strain. Poor alignment can increase pressure on the hip joint and surrounding muscles, potentially causing pain in the hips, lower back, or knees.
Correct posture helps the muscles around your hips support the joint naturally. Ideally, your hips, knees, and spine should stay in a neutral line, reducing ligament strain and preventing uncomfortable positions overnight.
Research has also shown that your muscles and ligaments in the hips and back heal themselves while you sleep, making good posture even more critical (Johns Hopkins Healthcare, n.d.).
Best Sleeping Position for Hypermobile Hips
Back sleeping is often recommended as the best hypermobility sleep position. However, you can make side sleeping work, too.
Here’s a breakdown of how to sleep with hypermobile hips:
Back Sleeping
Sleeping on your back keeps your hips in a neutral position, reducing pressure. Adding a pillow under your knees helps further reduce lower back tension and keeps your hips aligned.
The Adjustable Groove Pillow is perfect for this because you can customise its height and firmness to support your legs and knees while maintaining spinal alignment.
Side Sleeping
For side sleepers, it’s important to prevent the top hip from dropping forward.
Placing a pillow between your knees can help keep your hips level and reduce rotation through the joint.
The Combination Knee Pillow is designed for this purpose. Its firm memory foam shape provides stable support between the knees and can also be used under the hips for extra clearance.
Stomach Sleeping
Stomach sleeping is generally not recommended for hypermobile hips, as it can twist your hips and increase strain on your lower back. Try adapting to back or side sleeping where possible.
If you do sleep on your front, try placing a thin pillow under your pelvis to keep your hips in a more neutral position

How To Manage Pain Caused by Hypermobile Hips
Managing discomfort from hypermobile hips can be frustrating at first, but thankfully, there are simple at-home strategies that can help you sleep more comfortably.
- Strengthen supporting muscles: Focus on your core, glutes, and hip stabilisers to keep the joint supported throughout the day and night. Physiotherapists recommend doing these 3 to 5 days a week, not every day (Fife Hypermobility Special Interest Group, n.d.).
- Gentle stretches and mobility exercises: Light movement or slow yoga routines before bed can reduce stiffness and improve hip comfort.
- Choose a supportive mattress: A medium-firm mattress helps prevent the hips from sinking into awkward positions. Memory foam mattresses can also help.
- Warm up the joint: Using a warm compress before bed can ease tension and pain.
- Maintain consistent sleep positions: Use small pillows under your knees for back sleeping or between your knees for side sleeping to keep your hips aligned.
FAQ Section
What Is the Best Mattress for Hypermobile Hips?
A medium-firm mattress is generally ideal.
Medium softness provides enough support to keep your hips aligned without sinking, while still offering comfort for pressure points without being too hard.
How To Stabilize Hypermobile Hips?
You can stabilise hypermobile hips through strengthening exercises targeting the core, glutes, and hips. Consider consulting a physical therapist to learn proper form for these exercises.
In addition to these, you can use supportive pillows at night to reduce unnecessary strain and add stability as you sleep.
What Is the Best Position To Sleep In for Hip Mobility?
Sleeping on your back with a pillow under your knees or on your side with a pillow between your knees helps maintain alignment and reduces stress on the hips. These are also best for reducing pain in the morning.
How Do You Sleep To Keep Your Hips Aligned?
Keep your hips, knees, and spine in a neutral line as you rest.
You can keep a healthy sleeping position by using pillows like the Combination Knee Pillow or Adjustable Groove Pillow to support your legs, hips, and knees as needed.
Last Thoughts
Sleeping with hypermobile hips can feel tricky, but the right posture and support can make a real difference.
Hopefully, this article has given you a few tips and suggestions you can put into practice! With a few simple adjustments, better sleep and more comfortable nights are within reach.
Get started today with the Groove Combination Pillow.
References
- Fife Hypermobility Special Interest Group. (n.d.). Available at: https://www.nhsfife.org/media/vxy80ily/hypermobility_exercise_programme_v7.pdf.
- Garcia-Campayo, J., Asso, E. and Alda, M. (2011). Joint Hypermobility and Anxiety: The State of the Art. Current Psychiatry Reports, [online] 13(1), pp.18–25. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-010-0164-0.
- Johns Hopkins Healthcare. (n.d.). Health Library. [online] Available at: https://johnshopkinshealthcare.staywellsolutionsonline.com.