Have you ever wondered whether your sleep could be linked to your back pain? A lot of my patients have made connections between the two but often worry about the wrong thing.
A lot of patients either go to a lot of effort to sleep in a position they find uncomfortable, but someone has told them it is ‘better for their back’. Or they make the mistake of spending £1000 on a brand new mattress that supposedly helps to prevent back pain. Unfortunately, neither of these approaches is recommended by research.
I agree some positions are more comfortable to sleep in than others when you’re suffering with pain, but that doesn’t mean that same position is better for you long term. Moreover, we’re all different shapes and sizes. So, what is comfortable for one person may be uncomfortable for another.
There also doesn’t seem to be any research that agrees on what sort of mattress is best for people with back pain. This is because the firmness of a mattress and what is considered comfortable are highly subjective. If you believe your mattress is uncomfortable, changing it for a new one is a good idea. But bear in mind there may be many other factors contributing to your back pain and a new mattress may only make a small improvement unless you address all other relevant factors.
Buying a new mattress is also the most expensive way to try to reduce your back pain. So, if you’re looking for a good return on your investment, this is not the best place to start. One high quality study from 2018 stated that ergonomic furniture designed to help with back pain (including mattresses) does not have a firm evidence base.
Think about your sleep habits
When we do our initial consultations, we always discuss a patient’s sleep habits. We want to know how well they sleep; how regular their sleep pattern is and how much they sleep.
Why are we so pedantic about this?
Research seems to indicate that a patient’s sleep habits play a role in their recovery. One study from 2018 by Pakpour et al found it is more difficult to recover from chronic pain if you have bad sleep habits before your pain starts. Another study from 2018 by Kovacs et al found that improving your sleep quality can lead to improvements in low back pain during the early phases of care. So, sitting down with your chiropractor and identifying your bad habits can really make a difference.
How do you ensure you get a good night’s sleep?
The simple answer is to use Sleep Hygiene guidelines which can be found on the NHS website. Six rules you can follow daily to get into a good routine, including guidance on making better choices around diet, caffeine usage and creating a calming environment.
Another simple change is the use of a phone before bedtime. Generally, you should avoid screen time right before bed, however that isn’t what I am referring to. Many patients I see make the same mistake in not altering the colour of the backlight.
It’s called Night Shift on iPhones and Eye Comfort Shield on Samsung. What this does is alters the backlight colour tint on your phone screen from white to orange. White light makes your brain think that the sun is up and it releases chemicals to keep you awake. Orange light doesn’t do this. So having the orange backlight set to come on a few hours before bed can help significantly improve your sleep quality.
Whatever approach you try, make sure you try to cover as many parts of your sleep routine as possible and don’t simply buy a mattress that has been ‘specially designed’ to help with back pain, because it probably won’t offer the degree of difference you’re hoping for.
This article by Rob Bailey first appeared in the Diss Express in February 2026.
