How to sleep with sciatica: 2 things you can do to get some rest

Sciatica is a condition where someone experiences pain from a compressed, inflamed or injured sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve runs from your knees to your hips and is connected to other nerves that travel down to your feet. Symptoms from sciatica can include pain, numbness, or tingling in the knees, feet, or lower back. Anywhere from 10% to 40% of the population is affected by this condition. The symptoms of this condition can make it difficult for people to perform daily activities and can seriously hinder their quality of life. Many people express difficulty sleeping with sciatica. If you’re someone dealing with sciatic nerve pain, here’s how you can get better sleep.

How can you potentially get more restful sleep with sciatica?

• Elevate and support your knees — One tip for those with sciatica who are looking for ways to get better sleep is to lie flat on your back but elevate your knees so they are bent slightly, and then place a pillow underneath your knees. This tip is for someone who is a chronic back sleeper if sleeping on their side isn’t as doable. Sleeping on your back and stomach can make back pain worse, but if you need to sleep on your back, this is one way of doing so to reduce sciatic pain.

• Sleep on your side with your back curved slightly — As mentioned above, if you have lower back pain due to sciatica, sleeping on your back or stomach may not help your symptoms improve. Instead, try sleeping on your side and bend your back slightly so that you’re almost in a fetal position. This technique has helped relieve pain for some sciatica sufferers.

Advent PT wants to help you sleep better with sciatica

If you are weary from living in pain or discomfort, visit the experienced physical therapy specialists at Advent Physical Therapy. We can perform functional capacity evaluations, build a sustainable health plan, and help you prevent future lower back and sciatic pain.

We offer patient-centered physical therapy services. Every patient has a unique set of needs, and their physical therapy plans should reflect that. A free screening can help us determine the right treatment course for your individual needs.

Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.