Why is it worth sleeping with a pillow between your legs?

Proper sleep is essential for the proper functioning of the body, so you should take care of its quality. However, it is difficult to rest when you have back pain, and choosing the right sleeping position becomes difficult. In addition, improper body position during rest may affect the feeling of greater pain immediately after waking up. That is why it is worth getting to sleep properly. What body position will be the best? Is sleeping with a pillow between your legs a good solution for everyone?

1. According to physiotherapists, the worst thing for the body is sleeping in the prone position
2. Resting with a pillow between your legs has many benefits, including allows you to reduce back pain
3. According to research from 2019, pregnant women can safely sleep on the right and left side
4. If you feel pain on both sides of your back, try resting with a pillow under your feet
5. You can find more such stories on the Onet homepage.

What’s the best sleeping position?

Incorrect sleeping position badly affects the body. Therefore, paying attention to your body position while you sleep is important to wake up each day well-rested and full of energy.

According to the results of a survey conducted by «Women’s Health», most people most often lie on their side when resting. This is similar to an embryonic position that is naturally assumed. However, not everyone will be in full strength after such a night’s sleep, as spine and back pain may be a common problem.

A better solution if you have back pain is to sleep on your side with a pillow between your legs. It is a good idea to slightly curl your knees and bend your hands a bit at the elbows and place them in front of you. The pillow keeps the pelvis in a neutral position. This avoids “turning” of the spine.

In this position, people who feel pain caused by sciatica or disc herniation can find relief. In addition, the pillow placed between the legs during sleep helps to maintain the correct alignment of the body.

According to physiotherapists, the worst option is to rest on your stomach. This has a negative effect on the cervical spine and makes breathing difficult. Sleeping on the left side may also be disadvantageous when struggling with stomach ailments. So let’s find an arrangement that gives the greatest possible comfort.

There is no need to wonder if it is better to sleep with or without a pillow, as it can also be used to assume a higher torso position to avoid worsening gastrointestinal symptoms.

The benefits of sleeping with a pillow between your legs

During sleep, every person turns on the bed from time to time and changes its position, which makes the back prone to twisting. Sleeping on your side with a pillow between your legs keeps your knees stacked on top of each other, which helps to keep your spine stabilized. In addition, resting in this position:

1. improves body posture – studies carried out by PMC Labs have shown that taking an unsymmetrical position during rest affects the structural changes of the body. To maintain proper posture and a healthy spine, sleep with a pillow between your knees;
2. minimizes pain caused by disc herniation or sciatica – placing the roller between the legs is also helpful in minimizing the perceived discomfort, especially in the struggle with the hernia of the intervertebral disc. In people struggling with this ailment, excessive movement can cause pain resulting from pressure on the spinal nerves. That is why stabilizing the spine is extremely important. Conversely, for sciatica, which is characterized by pain in the back of the leg and buttocks, using a pillow between your legs to sleep can help keep your back straight. 

Chronic back pain is a condition that affects almost a quarter of the population, so changing the body position during regeneration should be the first step to reducing the severity of this problem. The pillow placed between the knees will help maintain a healthy position of the hips and pelvis.

Can I sleep with a pillow between my legs when pregnant?

Pregnancy is the time when the future mother’s body changes. A rounded belly limits comfortable sleeping. Women at this time often do not know whether it is better to sleep with a pillow or not. However, resting in a position, for example with a roller between the pregnant legs, is absolutely allowed. The use of a roller significantly increases the comfort of sleep.

Pillows in a special shape, such as the letter C or U, are produced for future mothers. They increase comfort during regeneration on the side and additionally have a special profile to be placed between the knees. This form of sleeping during pregnancy can be a way to reduce back pain.

The croissant allows you to assume a position in which both the hip joint and the spine are not loaded. This allows the woman to sleep through the night in a comfortable position.

Pillow between the knees while sleeping – contraindications

There are no clear contraindications for sleeping with a pillow between your legs. It is a completely safe sleep position that brings great benefits when dealing with many ailments. For various reasons, not everyone will be able to maintain this position during regeneration. People with pain on both sides of the back and hip may have trouble. In such a situation, it is worth trying to fall asleep in the supine position with a pillow under your feet.

1. What are the most common causes of hip pain?

Sleeping with a pillow under your knees also has many benefits. First of all, this solution can help you deal with back pain on both sides. Some people prefer this body position to sleeping on their side. Here are the benefits of this solution:

1. limits against mobility – when a person experiences significant pain in the spine or hips, maintaining a stable position is very important for proper rest. The pillow under the legs will limit the movements that could cause pain the next day;
2. evenly distributes body weight – regeneration in the supine position with a pillow under the legs allows you to properly distribute the weight of the body. Very often, in the case of bilateral back pain, it relieves the spine and gives greater comfort than in the case of sleeping on the side with a pillow between the legs;
3. keeps the spine in a neutral position – resting with a pillow under the knees allows you to maintain a neutral position for the spine, and also prevents the development of its curvature. Often a good way to relieve back pain is placing a folded towel underneath their lower back.

How to sleep properly with a pillow between your legs?

If you experience prolonged pain when you wake up, it should alert you and indicate that you should change your posture while resting. Here is an example of how to get into the sleeping position with a pillow between your knees:

1. lie on your side and slightly bend your knees, and then bring them towards your chest;
2. a stiff pillow should be tucked between the knees – the top of the thigh should be slightly raised to allow the hips to rest freely;
3. in the case of using a thin pillow, it is worth using an additional one;
4. if this position causes discomfort, try to lie on your back with a pillow under your feet.

People who experience discomfort on a daily basis should sleep with a pillow between their legs. This position is also suitable for pregnant women who often have trouble sleeping due to various ailments. Some people with back pain on both sides may choose an equally comfortable position – sleeping with a pillow under their feet.

We encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time, we asked Orina Krajewska what, according to her, a holistic approach to health is. How to combine the three aspects – body, spirit and mind to enjoy balance and good health? You will hear about this and many other aspects of the topic in the latest episode of our podcast.