A knee pillow for back sleepers is essential for a good night’s sleep. Keep reading to learn why back sleepers should always use a pillow under their knees while they sleep.

Why you should avoid sleeping flat on your back

Sleeping flat on your back puts strain on your lower back and hips. Most people have tight hip flexors and quadricep muscles. Tight hip flexors/quads pull your pelvis forward into a forward slant. This means, when you lie down flat, your pelvis is slanted forward.

How does this affect your back? It causes your lower back to arch. Sleeping flat all night with an arched lower back causes your back muscles to tighten as well as puts strain on your spinal joints throughout the night. People who sleep flat on their back often wake up in the morning with back and hip pain.

How a knee pillow for back sleepers helps you sleep

A knee pillow for back sleepers re-aligns your lower body and repositions your back in a flat position against the mattress. When you sleep on your back with a pillow under your knees, your hip flexors and quad muscles are no longer pulling your pelvis forward. Those muscles are no longer tight, they are in a resting position.

This means your pelvis is no longer pulled forward. Elevating your legs allows your pelvis and lower back to rest flat on your mattress. When your pelvis and lower back are able to lie flat, your back muscles are able to relax and your spinal joints are able to rest and recover overnight.

The best knee pillow for back sleepers

The best knee pillow for back sleepers is a sloped leg wedge. A sloped leg wedge pillow with a firm foam base will provide your lower body the support needed for your back to relax. A knee pillow topped with memory foam will add additional comfort to the back of your legs as you sleep.

A knee pillow for back sleepers is a must needed positioning tool for anyone who sleeps on their back. Whether your have back pain currently or are looking to prevent back pain in the future, start sleeping with a knee pillow for back sleepers, tonight!

-Hillary Blare, Doctor of Physical Therapy

A knee pillow for side sleeping is essential when sleeping on your side. Unfortunately, most people choose the wrong leg pillow for side sleeping and don’t get the support they need. Keep reading to learn from a physical therapist what to look for in a knee pillow for side sleeping so you get proper body alignment and maximize your restorative sleep!

The purpose of a knee pillow for side sleepers

Did you know that when you sleep on your side without a knee pillow for side sleeping, you are putting strain on your hips, knees, and lower back? In fact, if you are a side sleeper and are waking up with hip, low back, or knee pain, it likely has to do with an incorrect sleeping position.

The purpose of a knee pillow for side sleepers is to provide full body alignment so you sleep without strain on your joints and muscles. When you are standing, it’s easy to see the natural contours of your body. For some, the outside of the hip bone sticks out wider than the waist. For others, the waist is wider than the outside of the hip. The difference in prominence between your waist and the outside of your hip creates natural curves or contours.

When you lie down on your side, these contours do not go away. Instead, your spine, joints, and muscles are subject to gravity's pull on your curves. This results in a curved spine, strained joints and taut muscles. Maintaining this unsupported position all night almost guarantees morning hip pain, back pain, knee pain, or a combination of all three.

Which knee pillow for side sleeping to AVOID

To solve this problem, you need a knee pillow for side sleepers that restores the alignment of your joints and muscles. And it’s NOT a small wedge like this one:

A knee pillow like the one above does NOT offer enough support for sleeping on your side. It does NOT restore alignment to your lower body and it does NOT fully reduce the pull of your muscles on your back. When you sleep with this unsupportive knee wedge, there is still a significant downward angle from your hip to your knee, and from your knee to your ankle. This means your muscles will be strained while you sleep so you may still wake up with back or hip pain.

The best knee pillow for side sleepers

The best knee pillow for side sleepers should support the full weight of your top leg so that your muscles and joints don’t have to do any work. Remember: any downward angle from your hip to your ankle means that your muscles are in a strained position. The best knee pillow for side sleepers will align your joints and muscles perfectly so that they are at a resting position while you sleep, with no downward angle.

The best knee pillow for side sleepers is a full leg separator pillow. This leg separator pillow has been tested by physical therapists and is unanimously recommended as the best knee pillow for sleeping on your side. It offers complete back, hip, and leg support.

Pair this leg separator pillow with a side sleeper wedge to give your spine maximum support while you sleep. This side sleeper wedge fits in your waist, just above your hip bone. The combination of a leg separator pillow and side sleeper wedge is a side sleepers body alignment dream.

A knee pillow for side sleeping is an essential component to a side sleeper’s sleep positioning. Make sure your knee pillow is doing its job so you can wake up feeling refreshed and renewed!

-Hillary Blare, Doctor of Physical Therapy

If you are asking yourself “where can I find a wedge pillow?”, then look no further. Wedge Pillow Solutions offers the industry's finest quality and most comfortable wedge pillows on the market. Founded by physical therapists, Wedge Pillow Solutions seeks to help you find a wedge pillow that will work best for your body.

Finding a wedge pillow can be overwhelming, and that is where Wedge Pillow Solutions can help. If you are unsure of which wedge you need, reach out to one of our highly trained physical therapists who are skilled in helping you find the support that is best for you.

Where can you find a leg wedge pillow?

Whether you want to find a wedge pillow for sleeping on your back or your side, Wedge Pillow Solutions has them both. Each sleeping wedge offers the optimal amount of leg support for each sleeping position.

If you are looking for a wedge pillow that can improve your circulation, try a contoured leg wedge. If you are looking for a wedge pillow to support your legs while side sleeping, try the leg separator pillow. And finally, if you are looking for a leg wedge to help you sleep more comfortably on your back, try a knee wedge pillow!

The leg wedge pillows Wedge Pillow Solutions offers are beneficial for conditions like diabetic neuropathy, varicose veins, lymphedema, congestive heart failure, and many more. In addition, after a knee or hip surgery, a leg wedge can be a vital way to support the lower body and enhance the healing process.

Where can you find an upper body wedge?

If you are looking for a wedge pillow to support your upper body, Wedge Pillow Solutions offers several different options. A triangle upper body wedge is ideal for back sleepers who suffer from GERD, acid reflux, sinus problems, sleep apnea, COPD, vertigo, or occipital neuralgia. Pair this wedge with a knee wedge pillow for full body sleep support.

If you are a side sleeper with any of the previously mentioned conditions, try the contoured incline wedge made specifically for side sleepers. The contours support your lower back while you sleep on your side. Don’t forget to pair this wedge with a leg separator pillow to ensure your hips are in alignment while you sleep.

Finding a wedge pillow is easy with Wedge Pillow Solutions, the most comprehensive and expert resource for finding you the wedge pillow you need!

-Bryan Blare, Doctor of Physical Therapy

A long triangle pillow is a great option if you are a side sleeper looking to sleep elevated. There are many benefits to using an extra long wedge pillow, and we will explore some of them today.

Purpose of a long triangle pillow

A long triangle pillow gives your body extra support when you sleep on your side. The contours hug your curves and support your spine correctly while you sleep. A long bed wedge also alleviates hip pain. Because the wedge itself is so long, the outside of your hip will rest on a cushion of memory foam. This extra cushion relieves pressure from the outside of the hip you sleep on.

A long triangle pillow also provides enough torso elevation to relieve acid reflux. Many doctors recommend sleeping elevated and on your left side if you have acid reflux at night, and the best way to do this is to use a long foam wedge.

Additionally, a long bed wedge is ideal for those with who struggle with snoring or sleep apnea. The recommended sleeping position for both conditions is to sleep on your side and elevated. A long triangle pillow will help you sleep in the doctor recommended sleep position for each of these conditions.

Design elements of an extra long wedge pillow

A long triangle pillow should be at least 36 inches long and 8 inches at its highest point. This length ensures the incline of the wedge is gradual enough to be both comfortable and functional. This length also ensures the wedge is long enough to support your head and neck as well as cushion the hip that you sleep on.

A long triangle pillow should also have specially designed contours. These contours match the curvature of the side of your body and function to support your spine correctly while you sleep on your side. This is especially important for anyone with back or hip pain.

Make sure that your extra long wedge is topped with at least one inch of memory foam. The memory foam adds an additional element of comfort by helping the wedge conform to your individual curves. When your body is supported correctly, you have the best chance at getting a good night’s sleep.

An extra long wedge always needs a leg separator pillow to go with it

Don’t sleep with a long triangle pillow without a leg separator pillow! If you do, you will be leaving the lower half of your body unsupported. Anytime you sleep on your side, you should always have a supportive leg separator pillow running from your pubic bone to past your feet. This makes sure that your leg muscles are not pulling on your hips and low back while you sleep.

A long triangle pillow is a must have for side sleepers looking to sleep elevated and on their side. The length, the contours, the elevation, and the memory foam provide the ultimate sleep experience.

-Hillary Blare, Doctor of Physical Therapy