The Benefits of Sleeping With a Pillow Between Your Legs

Medically reviewed by Valerie Cacho, MD

Some say that sleeping with a pillow between the legs can help relieve back and hip pain when sleeping on their side. This position can help keep the pelvis and spine in alignment as you sleep. Proper alignment can also help relieve back stress and pain caused by a herniated disc or sciatica.

This article covers the benefits of sleeping with a pillow between the legs, which conditions this sleeping position may benefit, and how to do it.

Benefits of Sleeping With a Pillow Between Knees

If you wake up with a sore back or hips, you may want to consider placing a pillow between your knees when you sleep. Below are some potential benefits of sleeping with a pillow between the knees.

Reduced Back and Hip Pain

When you sleep on your side, your center of gravity is elevated. Your spine, shoulders, and hips may be in torsion (twisted) to maintain this position, making you unstable.

One potential solution to maintain stability and reduce back and hip pain is to place a pillow between your knees while you sleep.

A pillow between the knees neutralizes the position of the pelvis by slightly elevating the top leg. This puts less pressure on your lower back and hip joints while you sleep, which may help reduce pain in these areas overnight.

May Reduce Sciatica Pain

Sleeping with a pillow between your knees while you sleep may help reduce sciatica pain. Sciatica is nerve pain that travels from the lower back down one leg due to a compressed spinal nerve root in the lower back.

Keeping a pillow between your legs at night can prevent you from twisting your back, rotating your spine, or tilting your pelvis during sleep—all positions that could further compress the spinal nerve and worsen the pain.

May Reduce Herniated Disc Pain

A herniated disc is when one of the soft discs that provide cushioning between the bones of the spine slips out of place. This can put pressure on the spinal nerves, leading to significant pain and numbness.

Sleeping on your side can exacerbate herniated disc pain; however, placing a pillow between your knees can help reduce this pain by keeping your pelvis in neutral alignment and preventing spinal rotation. Sleeping on your back with a pillow under your knees may also help by reducing pressure on the disc.

May Improve Posture

Our posture while sitting or standing is essential. And, since we spend one-third of our lives sleeping, maintaining proper alignment during sleep is crucial. According to one study, on average, people spend 54% of their time sleeping in a side-lying posture.

When you sleep on your side, the top knee rests on the lower knee. The top leg frequently falls forward, bringing the pelvis into an anterior (forward) tilt and placing pressure on connective tissues in your hips and spine. This position is sometimes called "provocative side lying" because it disrupts your body's natural alignment.

Placing a pillow between the knees improves sleeping posture by lifting the top leg and preventing twisting.

Related: How Back Pain While Sleeping Could Be Your Position

Benefits of Sleeping With a Pillow Between Knees During Pregnancy

Pregnancy pain in the back and pelvic girdle (the bones of the pelvis) is due to the following:

• Significant change in center of gravity

• Increased weight that leads to more pressure on joints

• Hormonal changes that make connective tissues more lax

Healthcare providers often recommend that pregnant people with hip or back pain sleep with a pillow between their knees to relieve pain.

Experts agree that lying on your left side is the best sleep position during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. This position ensures optimal blood flow to the baby and helps kidney function. Still, lying on your left side may feel unnatural to some people, and as your body changes, it can exacerbate hip and back pain.

Placing a pillow between your knees can help reduce the pressure on your joints and also help you maintain the left-side lying position overnight. Larger maternity pillows that also support your abdomen and lower back can be even more comfortable.

Are There Benefits to Sleeping With a Pillow Under Your Knees?

For people who sleep on their backs (supine), placing a pillow under the knees may have some benefits when it comes to pain and positioning.

Keeps Your Back Neutral

Sleeping with a pillow beneath your knees can help maintain the natural curves of your spine and also reduce stress on your back while you sleep.

Evenly Distributes Weight

Sleeping on your back is frequently regarded as one of the best and most ergonomic sleep positions. According to some scientists, its primary advantage is that the body's weight is evenly distributed over a large surface area, keeping the spinal neutral and stable while you sleep.

Keeps You From Rolling Over

Keeping a pillow beneath your knees overnight can help you maintain a sleeping position on your back and prevent you from rolling over into a less ergonomic, more torqued position on your side or stomach.

Can Sleeping With a Pillow Between Your Legs Be Bad For You?

For most people, sleeping with a pillow between your legs can help maintain a healthy sleeping posture, which may reduce pain and soreness.

However, everyone is different. If you do notice increased aches or pains from sleeping with a pillow between your legs—or perhaps you can't fall asleep at all—try a different sleeping position, for example, sleeping on your back.

How to Sleep With a Pillow Between Your Legs

To sleep with a pillow between your legs, adopt a side-lying position with your knees slightly. Place a pillow lengthwise between your legs, and try to align your knees so they are stacked on top of one another, with the pillow between. You may also want to place a pillow at your back or arrange a rolled-up towel in any space between your body and the bed, such as your waist or neck.

Summary

Healthcare providers may recommend that people with back pain due to conditions like a herniated disc, sciatica, or pregnancy sleep with a pillow between their legs. If you have back pain, consult a trusted healthcare provider, and try sleeping with a pillow between or under your knees to relieve back pain while you sleep.

Read the original article on Verywell Health.