Lower Back Pain and Sleep – What to Do?

What Is Lower Back Pain?

The lower back of the body, also called the lumbar region, is responsible for performing a major role in the body. The lumbar portion supports the upper body and bears the biomechanical stress that happens with its movement. 

The lumbar region consists of bones, muscles, and ligaments. These elements provide the structure to the body; however, any problem in these elements can cause a major problem like lower back or lumbar pain. About 80% of adults experience lower back pain at some point in their lives. And about 28% suffer from chronic back pain. 

These figures are alarmingly skyrocketing due to so many factors like incorrect posture, inappropriate exercising techniques, overuse etc. Lower back pain may also be caused by cancer of the spinal cord, sciatica, arthritis, and kidney infections.  

There are two kinds of lower back pain: 

• Acute Lower Back Pain

It is a short term back pain that takes a week or less to recover. It can occur due to a small injury that can be treated with rest and home care to recover. For example, drinking turmeric milk can be beneficial. The wide health benefits of turmeric include reducing inflammation and pain as it is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammation substance.

• Chronic Lower Back Pain

Chronic pain is the long-lasting lower back pain that can last for months, years, or forever. The reason behind the chronic back pain can also be a small injury that can prolong and become severe over time. 

There are many repercussions of the lower back, which include being unable to move, and most importantly,  deprivation.  

The Relationship of Lower Back Pain and Sleep

Lower back pain and sleep have a two-way relationship. The lower back affects sleep, and sleep deprivation may intensify the lower back. With lower back pain, it is hard for a person to achieve the level of comfort. On the other hand, being unable to makes it difficult for the lower back to recover. 

Effects of Lower Back Pain on Sleep 

The Feeling of Pain Rises at Night

First of all, when you try to at night, the feeling of substantially rises. There is no science behind why increases at night, but it is all psychological. During the day, we keep ourselves busy with work that divides our attention. Whereas at night, when there is nothing you can think about, the feeling of overtakes the brain. As a result, you feel the more at night, which in turn affects. It is hard to sleep with in the back. 

Makes It Impossible to Find a Sleeping Position

Secondly, whenever you try to sleep with lower back you may struggle to find an appropriate sleeping position. Being unable to find a suitable position increases mental tension that does not let. In the quest of finding the right position, you eventually lose your.

The Side Effects of Medication for Lower Back Pain

Sometimes, you do not feel the pain but are unable to. It is actually the indirect way that lower back pain affects sleep. One of the culprits behind being unable to sleep is the medication that you take for treating the lower back. Many medicines/drugs that treat the lower back especially opioids are badly affected. One of the side effects of the medications is sleep deprivation. 

 

Lack of Exercise Leads to Sleep Deprivation

When you have back pain, you are unable to do any workout or physical activity. Doing less exercise contributes to less. Take a common example, whenever you work tirelessly the whole day, you early. But when you do nothing, you do not get to.

Effects of Sleep on the Lower Back Pain

Bad Sleep Hinders the Production of Growth Hormone

It is essential for our body to produce growth hormone readily during the night to help the body heal and recover. Growth hormone, also known as Somatotropin is a hormone produced from the pituitary gland. However, if you are unable to. the production of the hormone will diminish making it difficult for lower back pain to recover. The lower back, especially the acute lower back. can recover if given rest.  

Sleep Deprivation Increases Sensitivity to Pain

One research indicates that sleep deprivation can decrease the body’s ability to stand and endure pain. As a result, when you are deprived of . you will feel the intensity of massively.  

Being Unable to Sleep Causes Depression

Lack of sleep and depression are two interlinked phenomena. When you are unable to sleep, you are likely to become anxious and depressed. Depression, on the other hand, also contributes to the severity of lower back. The formula is that sleep deprivation causes depression and depression causes lower back. As a result, we can say that the deprivation of sleep indirectly causes lower back.

Ways to Counter Back Pain for Better Sleep

We saw how sleep and lower back pain are interconnected to each other, but there are solutions through which you can stop the cross effects of each other on each other. The possible solutions are: 

Find a Better Sleeping Position

Using a position that can ease the intensity of back pain can be helpful to sleep comfortably even in pain. The main three advisable postures are: 

• Sleep on a side with a pillow between your legs
• Sleep on your back with a pillow under your knees
• Sleep on your stomach with a pillow under it. 

Avoid Caffeine

Secondly, you must avoid caffeine from the routine, which affects sleep. You should give up on drinking tea or coffee, especially before bed. 

Avoid Alcohol

Alcohol is responsible for reducing sleep, so you must stop consuming it to counter sleep and lower back pain problems.

Do a Little Exercise 

No matter how much pain you are going through, make sure you do a gentle exercise to treat lower back pain and help get sleep at night. 

Bottom Line

Sleep and lower back have a two-way relationship. Therefore, it is essential to get better to reduce the lower back and vice versa. 

What Is Lower Back Pain?

The lower back of the body, also called the lumbar region, is responsible for performing a major role in the body. The lumbar portion supports the upper body and bears the biomechanical stress that happens with its movement. 

The lumbar region consists of bones, muscles, and ligaments. These elements provide the structure to the body; however, any problem in these elements can cause a major problem like lower back or lumbar pain. About 80% of adults experience lower back pain at some point in their lives. And about 28% suffer from chronic back pain. 

These figures are alarmingly skyrocketing due to so many factors like incorrect posture, inappropriate exercising techniques, overuse etc. Lower back pain may also be caused by cancer of the spinal cord, sciatica, arthritis, and kidney infections.  

There are two kinds of lower back pain: 

• Acute Lower Back Pain

It is a short term back pain that takes a week or less to recover. It can occur due to a small injury that can be treated with rest and home care to recover. For example, drinking turmeric milk can be beneficial. The wide health benefits of turmeric include reducing inflammation and pain as it is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammation substance.

• Chronic Lower Back Pain

Chronic pain is the long-lasting lower back pain that can last for months, years, or forever. The reason behind the chronic back pain can also be a small injury that can prolong and become severe over time. 

There are many repercussions of the lower back, which include being unable to move, and most importantly,  deprivation.