Does your back hurt when you try to sleep? Especially if you spend hours at a desk all day, your spine can become compressed and make it difficult to rest. At the same time, the best thing you can do for an aching back is to get some sleep. Fortunately, your bed is the perfect place to stretch your spine, if you follow a few simple tips.

First, it’s important to understand why your back is aching. When you sit for hours at a time, your muscles stop supporting the back as well as they should, leading to poor posture and back pain. By choosing the right sleep position, you can stretch out these muscles and decompress your spine, so that you’ll feel better upon waking.

Your mattress is an important part of the equation. A firm mattress offers your back more support, while a softer mattress may allow too much curve in the spine. When the spine curves too much, this can create imbalances and discomfort in your body. To test the theory that a firmer mattress will help before you actually make the investment, try slipping a piece of plywood under your current mattress to make it firmer.

What’s the best position to combat back pain? It may surprise you to learn that it’s sleeping on your back. Lying face up with a small pillow under your knees to keep them slightly bent will help get your spine into the right position to stretch out. If you prefer sleeping on your side, bend your knees and put a pillow between your legs, as well as a good pillow under your head. This will put your spine in the right alignment. Sleeping on the stomach is a bad idea because it’s the position that compresses your back the most.

Once you’ve got the right mattress and you’ve settled into the perfect position, the only thing left to do is sleep! Sleep is the single most important thing you can do to help your muscles recover, so make sure you allow yourself plenty of time for rest. A good night’s sleep in the proper position will work wonders when it comes to stretching out your spine.

For the right mattress to rest your aching back, check out Mancini's Sleepworld. Since 1969, the Mancini family has owned and operated their store in Sunnyvale, CA, selling brand name mattresses at fair prices and treating every customer with respect. Beginning an expansion in 1989, the Mancini's now have 33 locations across the greater bay area, allowing for same-day mattress delivery in most cases. To learn more about Mancini's Sleepworld, contact us through our website or call 800-647-5337.