Back pain, in addition to making physical activities tough, can also inhibit your ability to sleep as well as you normally do. Your body’s sleep cycle is incredibly important, and when it gets interrupted on a sustained basis, Healthline notes that the consequences can be pretty notable – from moodiness and reduced productivity to health concerns like weight gain.
So how do you make sure that your body’s natural clock is being adhered to, even when back pain is making it difficult? Check out these helpful tips from Wellnessbeam for a more restful night of sleep.
Adopt a Nightly Stretching or Yoga Routine
Stretching out your back each night before bed is a great way to make sure your muscles are nicely relaxed. When done properly, stretching can both reduce back pain and also make it easier for you to sleep. Something as easy as the “flexion stretch,” which involves gently lowering your head forward until your chin is touching your chest, can often help to stretch your back out and relieve some of the pain.
Yoga is another great way to relax yourself before bed for a deeper night’s sleep, and involves a combination of stretching and breathing. The result is a pleasant state of peace in both your body and your mind. Not long ago, a survey by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health actually found that over half of the individuals who did yoga before bed slept better after doing so.
Get Help with the Heavier Lifting in Your Life
Rest is key to recovery. When you’re dealing with back pain of any kind, it’s recommended that you take it easy as much as you can, laying off the physical activity so that your body can have the chance to heal.
Verywell Health explains it can take several weeks to heal from back injuries. When your body doesn’t get enough time to adequately recover, your sustained back pain can last a long time and even start to impact your mental health, as well as your physical well-being. The feedback loop created by denying your body adequate time to rest and heal can make it seem like you have a chronic injury.
Repetitive strain injury is one of the quickest routes to chronic back pain, which is why it’s smart to have someone help you out with more labor-intensive chores while you’re recovering from back problems, whether that’s cleaning your home or mowing the lawn. For example, mowing services average $30 to $80, but the value of giving your body the chance to recover and heal is arguably priceless. Search for professional help by using an online directory like Angi.com that has a lawn care services list and check on their prices and offerings.
Try Out a Sleep or Relaxation App
Believe it or not, your smartphone can help you to support the development of a healthy sleep cycle! While it’s true that you’ll want to avoid blue light immediately before bed, it’s also true that certain apps like Sleep Cycle and Calm can help you better regulate your habits and establish a healthy sleep cycle that allows your body to truly rest when it needs to. Of course, if you plan to leave a sleep cycle app running all night, you’ll want to make sure you have a data plan (perhaps an unlimited one) that can support this kind of activity without incurring overage charges.
Relaxation apps are similar but usually focus more on general mindfulness and inner peace, which means they can help you whether you’re getting ready for bed or not. By relaxing more throughout the day, you’ll have less work to do when it’s time to unwind at night.
As you can see, there are multiple avenues to a better night’s sleep. When back pain is keeping you up at night, any one of them can help you to get the rest your body needs. Consider your options and find the solution that fits.