It is important when sleeping to provide some extra support to the knees. To do this, a person can try using a pillow to prop up their knees and provide additional support. People who sleep on their backs can place the pillow under their knees, while people who sleep on their sides can put it between their knees.
Best Sleep Position for Knee Pain
Sleeping with knee pain may require you to elevate the knee and leg. If so, sleeping on your back is the best option. Place pillow under both legs to elevate the knee above the level of the heart. If there is swelling in the knee, the elevation can help to reduce it.
According to sleep experts, you should sleep on your side with your knees slightly bent to relieve low back pain. If the position feels uncomfortable, you can put a pillow between your legs, and your neck should have strong support too.
Some of the most common sources for knee pain at night include runner's knee, osteoarthritis, bursitis, or injuries. Some of these conditions, like runner's knee, may resolve after you rest your knee. Others, like osteoarthritis, are chronic conditions.
If your knee hurts, you might want to stay off of it. But resting too much makes your muscles weaken and often makes knee pain worse. Find a way to get moving without hurting your knee. Some good exercises for people with knee pain include walking, swimming, and water aerobics.
It's not uncommon for your knees to feel a little stiff in the morning, especially as you age. However, if it becomes a persistent problem and is accompanied by pain or swelling, it could be the beginning of arthritis in the knee joint.
Research indicates that back sleepers who sleep with their legs straight experience more pressure in the lower back. Those who sleep with their knees bent change the position of their pelvis, which lengthens the lower back and creates more space between the vertebrae.
A comfortable sleep position and support in a bed can make a big difference by both relieving and preventing knee pain when a person is sleeping. It is important when sleeping to provide some extra support to the knees. To do this, a person can try using a pillow to prop up their knees and provide additional support.
Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation help lessen the swelling and pain. Exercise through physical therapy helps to strengthen the core and lower extremities and can help reduce pressure on your knees. Braces can help stabilize and take pressure off the knee.
The levels of your natural anti-inflammatory hormone, cortisol, are naturally lower at night. Staying still in the same position will also cause your knee joints to stiffen up. Another reason could be related to how your brain perceives pain and this may change in the small hours.
Starting around age 30, you begin to lose bone density and muscle mass, both of which can create strain and pain in your joints.
Without a knee pillow, a side sleeper might find their spine fall out of alignment and they may experience hip, knee, or lower back pain as a result. A knee pillow can restore that alignment, relieving joint pressure and pain.
When it comes to your knees, it's essential to have your muscles, ligaments, and joints properly aligned to avoid unnecessary strain. Avoid knee pain by keeping your: Back straight and avoid slouching. Knees slightly bent, never locked.
Sleep with your head, neck, and spine in a straight line. Don't keep your head tilted far to one side, or too far forward or backward on the pillow. Sleep on your back or side, not your tummy. You have to twist your neck to breathe if you lie on your stomach.
If your knee pain flares up when you sleep on your side, you may need to invest in a better, more comfortable mattress — like the SONU Sleep System. Here are just a few things you can do to help mitigate your discomfort.
Glucosamine and chondroitin are two of the most commonly used supplements for arthritis. They're components of cartilage—the substance that cushions the joints. Research on these supplements has been mixed, in part because studies have used varying designs and supplement types.
As you sleep, the plantar fascia remains still rather than stretching and relaxing as it would if you were awake and moving. Because it doesn't get to stretch, it slowly constricts and becomes tighter. This can make walking in the morning quite painful until the ligament has a chance to loosen up from being active.
The knee may lock or stick during movement. It may creak, click, snap, or make a grinding noise (crepitus). Pain may cause a feeling of weakness or buckling in the knee. Many people with arthritis note increased joint pain with changes in the weather.
Red flags in physical examination
For those who are symptomatic can present with discoloration, pain, warmth, swelling, and tenderness of the affected extremity (11).