Chronic back pain affects every moment of your life, both waking and asleep. There are many things that you can do to ease back pain during the day, but what about at night? Can you make any changes in your life to ease chronic pain and discomfort while at rest?

First, take a look at your mattress. Spring mattresses need to be replaced every 5-7 years to avoid the wearing down of cotton that protects the skin from contact with springs. It’s possible that your mattress could be compounding your pain problem!

In addition to the regiments and rituals you go through during the day (using an ergonomic chair, stretching, and attending physical therapy) you can apply tactics to your nighttime rituals to ease pain, as well. Giving yourself a massage, taking a relaxing bath and some soft stretching before bed can help you get to sleep.

Once you’ve fallen asleep you want to stay that way, so make sure that you have a bed that works for you. Some prefer to stick with the spring bed they are used to, but many find that a memory foam mattress offers a level of comfort that they can’t get out of their old mattress. The reason behind that is the nature of the foam itself; springs push up against the body, causing pressure points that lead to tossing and turning during the night. Those pressure points are reversed in a memory foam bed, as the material molds to your body sinking deepest at those very points.

If you still are unable to sleep through chronic back pain there are drugs available, but be careful: sleeping medications are highly addictive.