How Sleeping With a Pillow Between Legs Helps Back Pain

Sleeping with a pillow between your legs might seem strange at first, but it’s a hack many people swear by. From improved spinal alignment to better circulation, a humble knee pillow can change your life for the better.

Are you wondering if sleeping with a pillow between your legs helps your back? Don’t go anywhere because today we’re going to find out. Keep reading for science-backed information and expert suggestions. Let’s dive in.

Understanding Chronic Lower Body Pain

Chronic lower body muscle and joint pain can negatively affect your daily life. But before you solve it, you must understand the possible causes.

Typical causes for lower body pain (including lower back pain) include arthritis, injury, disease, and even over-activity (UPMC Orthopaedic Care, n.d.). Lower body pain comes and goes and often relieves itself within a week or so. If the pain persists for months or years, it’s chronic pain (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2023).

Sometimes, lower body pain is caused by poor sleeping posture. This is because unhealthy sleeping positions leave your spine and pelvis unaligned and muscles twisted. Even if your sleeping position doesn’t initially cause lower body pain, poor sleep habits can worsen the pain at night.

But there’s some good news, too. If you improve your sleep posture, you can also alleviate lower body pain. This is done by maintaining a proper posture or using sleep aids (such as memory foam pillows) to help you achieve an optimal position.

Does Sleeping With a Pillow Between Your Legs Help Your Back?

Yes, sleeping with a pillow between your legs can help lower back pain. Keeping a pillow between your legs ensures that your spine and pelvis are straightened and, therefore, less likely to hurt. A pillow between your legs will also reduce stress on your pressure points, which further increases your comfort while decreasing aches.

So, it’s true that using a pillow between your legs every night gives you better sleep quality and less pain. However, you can further improve your rest by choosing a specialised lower back pillow, as these are made to provide a more comfortable sleep than normal pillows.

For example, the Groove X Lower Back pillow is made from memory foam and has an elasticated loop to ensure the pillow stays in place.

Benefits of Sleeping With a Pillow Between Your Knees

Sleeping with a pillow between your legs potentially alleviates chronic lower body pain by keeping you in a healthy position all night long. No strained muscles or bent spines here.

But this isn’t the only benefit you’ll experience. Here are some additional advantages:

Improved circulation
Reduced hip pressure/strain
Reduced swelling in the legs
Less knee pain
More comfort (especially for pregnant people)
Relieves sciatica

Choosing the Right Pillow for Your Needs

The right pillow looks different for everyone. Make sure you examine these factors when choosing your lower back pillow.

Material

The material of the pillow makes a big difference. For example, traditional and down pillows offer comfort, but memory foam and latex pillows are better at distributing pressure and maintaining proper spinal alignment. Opt for one of the latter materials to reduce the most pain.

Firmness

Pillow firmness tends to depend on personal preference. Research suggests that a firm pillow offers more support to the spine and pressure points (Harvard Health, 2021).

However, be careful not to pick a pillow that’s too firm, as this can lead to an uncomfortable and additional ache. The sweet spot is in the middle of soft and firm.

Size

When using a pillow between the legs for back pain, you don’t want it to be big and uncomfortable. A pillow that’s too large could leave your hips in an awkward stance and cause extra pain.

Instead, look for a pillow that comfortably fits between your legs. Specialised lower back pillows are best for the job because they have ergonomic dips designed to support your legs without being too bulky.

How To Incorporate a Knee Pillow Into Your Nightly Routine

Adding a pillow between your legs when sleeping is an exciting step. You’ll have less pain and better rest in no time. But first, make sure you know how to properly use one!

Here’s how to properly use a lower body and hip support pillow on your side:

Place the pillow between your thighs at the top of your knees.
If the pillow comes with a loop, make sure it’s placed around one of your legs. This keeps it in place.
Make sure your spine and pelvis are straight, and keep your arms in a neutral position.
Now, get some rest!

If you’re sleeping on your back, you should place the pillow under your knees. This can alleviate lower back and knee pains and ensures your pelvis is at a neutral angle.

Extra Tips For Sleeping With A Pillow Between Your Legs

Sleeping with an extra pillow might feel unusual at first. However, practice makes perfect.

Don’t worry if you wake up and the pillow’s missing — this is very normal. Simply reposition yourself and fall back asleep. Over time, you’ll become more used to this position, and it’ll become your go-to sleep posture.

If your pillow doesn’t stay in place, changing to a specialised pillow with straps or loops might make life easier for you. Why continue on hard mode when an easy option is right there?

Conclusion

Knee pillows alleviate chronic lower body pain, reduce swelling in the legs, and improve your circulation. So, if you’ve been facing lower body aches and pains, this is your sign to add a knee pillow into your nightly routine. The best way to alleviate pain is to try different sleeping positions and pillows. When you find one that works for you, embrace it!

Ready to make lower body pain a thing of the past? The Groove X Lower Back Pain Relief Pillow is here to provide fast-acting pain relief and support for knee pain, hip pain, back pain, and sciatica.

Refs

Harvard Health. (2021). Is your pillow hurting your health? [online] Harvard Health. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/is-your-pillow-hurting-your-health.
Johns Hopkins Medicine (2023). Chronic Pain. [online] www.hopkinsmedicine.org. Available at: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/chronic-pain.
UPMC Orthopaedic Care. (n.d.). Chronic Lower Body Pain Relief, Management, and Treatment | UPMC. [online] Available at: https://www.upmc.com/services/orthopaedics/conditions-treatments/lower-body-pain.