A Knee Pillow for Back Sleepers
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