Photo by Sasun Bughdaryan on Unsplash
Is there anything worse than waking up and not feeling refreshed? Being tired in the morning is one thing, but it’s even worse when you awake with nagging lower back pain. It happens all the time, and you can’t figure out how to stop it. You changed your mattress multiple times, but the pain persists, so it’s got to come from somewhere else.
It’s probably worth seeing a doctor if you don’t know why your lower back is sore. Most of the time, however, it’s likely down to your posture or a build-up of muscle knots causing tension in the area. Regardless, try these three pre-bedtime hacks, and you should wake up every morning without the nagging lower back pain.
Stretch
Spend 5 minutes stretching before going to bed, and you will ease a lot of tension in your back. You mainly want to try these three stretches:
- Hip flexor stretch – Get into a lunge position with your front foot and back knee on the floor. Squeeze your bum and push your hips forward without arching your back to feel a stretch in the front of your hip. Add a twist to the side, and you can feel your back crack or a side bend to stretch out your lower back more.
- Child’s pose – A classic yoga stretch; start on your hands and knees before slowly rocking back so your bum touches your heels. You’ll feel a nice stretch up your lower back.
- QL stretch – The QL is a muscle in your lower back that always gets tight. Sit cross-legged and then reach up high with one arm, initiating a side bend. Reach up with your right and you’ll bend to the left to stretch the right QL. You can also reach across your lap with the other hand to grab the opposite hip or thigh for a deeper stretch.
Massage Your Back
Ease even more tension with a quick self-massage. Rub your lower back and dig your thumbs into the muscles to break up any trigger points. If you have a massage ball, this helps you get even deeper into the area.
Take things to another level by using a cream, balm or lotion when massaging. Be sure it’s infused with something like CBD or magnesium as both are linked with muscle relaxation benefits. The cream/balm/lotion will soak into your skin and help relax the muscles further, so you should wake up with a lot less tension in the area.
Use a pillow under/between your legs
Complete your pre-bedtime back pain ritual by placing a pillow either under or between your legs. If you sleep on your back, place the pillow under your calves to slightly alter your pelvis and reduce tension in your lower back. If you sleep on your side, the pillow goes between your legs to make your back and hips more comfortable again.
You’ll be stunned how little changes like these will change your sleep schedule. They will improve your sleep quality as well as ensure you don’t keep waking up with annoying lower back pain. From now on, you can start your day on a positive note!
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