Can An Adjustable Bed Help You Sleep Better With Sciatica?
Sciatica affects your daily life in various ways. Your back and leg often hurt or feel numb, and the pain can be debilitating. While exercise, heat and a visit to your doctor for painkillers often fix the problem after a while, you're unlikely to find a quick solution.
When your sciatica is at its worst, you may find it impossible to sleep comfortably. When you talked to your doctor about this, they mentioned that an adjustable bed might help. How does this work?
Sciatica and Sleep
Lying on a flat mattress isn't easy when you have back pain. Your back isn't actually straight. So, when you lie flat, there are gaps between parts of your back and your bed. A mattress can't fill these gaps or support your back enough to align your sore spine.
While some people find that sleeping in other positions, such as on the front or side, gives some relief from sciatica pain, this may not work for you. You may sometimes find it impossible to get a good night's sleep in any position because your back isn't supported enough.
Adjustable Beds and Sciatica
If you regularly suffer from sciatica, then investing in an adjustable bed may help you sleep better. These beds lie flat like regular beds but also have a range of movements that change the bed's position to suit your sleeping and support needs.
For example, adjustable beds can be raised at the top so that your head lies higher than the rest of your body. Alternatively, they can push up lower down so that your knees or lower legs are raised.
If you have sciatica, you can change the bed's position until you find the best position to relieve the pressure that is affecting your sciatic nerve. For example, you may find that you sleep better if your knees are elevated. This position often relaxes sciatic pain by stretching away areas that could be pressing on the nerve.
If you want to give an adjustable bed a go, then have another chat with your doctor at your next appointment. Your doctor understands where your pain is coming from and what makes it worse or better.
Your doctor can help you choose the right position for the bed so that your sciatica calms down enough for you to drop off. They can also recommend positions that might help keep your sciatica at bay in the future.
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