The hip joint plays a crucial role in daily motor activity. It is the largest joint in our body and is under tremendous strain every day, supporting the entire body’s weight and performing movements. Therefore, pain in this joint causes many problems.
A large number of people have experienced hip pain while sleeping. It is an unpleasant or excruciating sensation caused by a pathological process in the hip’s bones, soft tissues, nerves, and vessels. Such pain makes it impossible to fall asleep in time, due to which people experience discomfort both during sleep and after waking up.
There are different reasons for such pain during sleep. Here are just a few of them:
- Degenerative-dystrophic changes of tissues;
- Diseases of the joint structures and soft tissue inflammatory nature;
- Injuries;
- Infections;
- Hereditary diseases;
- Malignant tumors and other causes.
You may rush to the doctor to make sure you have nothing to worry about, or to find the cause of your condition and proceed to medical treatment.
It is undeniable that finding a chiropractor can be a daunting task, especially if you’re new to the area or not sure where to start. But all you have to do is open your Google, type in the keyword like “find a chiro in Sydney” you can easily search for chiropractors around the area and make an informed decision about who to see for your health needs.
However, if you know for sure that you have not had any recent hip injury and you are a healthy person, another non-obvious cause of these pains may be muscle strain. Even the most beneficial and youngest people face this problem. And the way you sleep has a huge impact on this as well.
How Can You Quickly And Effectively Get Rid Of Aching Hips During Sleep?
Perhaps the problem is the mattress on which you sleep. How long ago did you change your mattress, and what did you rely on when choosing it?
Therefore, there are some recommendations.
It would help if you replaced your mattress every five to seven years. If you are already facing the problem of hip pain while sleeping, it is better not to put off the issue of buying a new mattress.
When choosing a mattress, you need to pay attention to such characteristics as material, density, size, and even the mattress’s shape. What is important is how the mattress will support your body’s position during sleep, especially the position of your hips. That is why we have looked at different types of mattresses that can help you solve this problem.
Memory effect mattresses help with pain in different parts of the body. In addition to the suggested effect, the material of the mattress is also essential. One of the most popular and comfortable materials is foam. You can choose a mattress here. Do not forget that people with excess body weight note that mattresses made of this material need more density.
Another standard and quality material is hybrid. One of the advantages of this material is that it is breathable. In addition, if you need a higher density material, it will suit you. Find mattresses for hip pain made of this material for better sleep.
It is impossible to say definitively which of these two materials is better. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Foam mattresses are better to choose if features like Pressure Relief, Noise Level, and Motion Isolation are important to you. These mattresses are cheaper compared to hybrid material mattresses. However, if temperature regulation, responsiveness, and durability are your priorities, then a hybrid mattress is the best solution for you.
Some people prefer waterbeds to matrasses. Check out a list of the best options with complete descriptions of all the cons and benefits at the review.
Positions You Sleep In
It is necessary to find a comfortable position suitable for you. First and foremost, we do not recommend sleeping on the hip that hurts.
If you’re a back sleeper, you’re in luck. It is mostly recommended to sleep on your back in case of hip pain or low back pain and sciatica.
However, if you’re a side sleeper, it is a comfortable position with a pillow between the legs. The pillow can be ordinary but elongated or orthopedic.
To avoid straining the neck and pinching the cervical vertebrae, try not to lie on your stomach. Also, choose the pillow responsibly.
The main rules of choosing a pillow: the pillow should be of medium height (about 8–10 centimeters, or 3 to 4 inches), medium hardness, and may have a recess for your head, shoulder, or arm. You can choose a pillow with a memory effect if you feel comfortable.
Other Prevention And Helpful Tips For Hip Pain
Increased swelling of the bursa, the fluid-filled synovial sac that mechanically protects your joints, causes hip pain. If you have been diagnosed with any inflammation, it is worth putting an ice pack on your hip for 20 minutes before you go to bed. Wrap the ice pack in a paper towel or other thin cloth and massage the problem area for 15–20 minutes.
Following a proper sleep schedule can reduce hip pain. Avoid drinking invigorating and tonic drinks or drugs before going to bed. It will make it easier for you to fall asleep and improve the quality of sleep.
Exercising with little stress on your legs will help tone your muscles, which can ease the strain on your joints. In addition, being overweight can put extra pressure on your hips and other joints in your body, resulting in pain. Bringing your body to a healthy weight will save you from several health problems.
The minimum rate of doing physical activity is about 150 minutes a week. That is not a lot of time. Even the busiest person will find about 20 minutes a day for their body. Walk or bike more. Get up to your floor on foot instead of using the elevator. If your body is not used to this kind of physical activity, you will initially have difficulty, and your muscles may be sore. However, after one or two weeks, you will feel that you are doing it more accessible and better every day. Moreover, after a month, you will notice significant changes in your body:
- Your stamina will increase;
- Your mood and well-being will improve;
- Your body fat index will decrease.
Try massage sessions. You can consult your doctor beforehand to choose the right course of massage therapy. Sometimes tight or inflamed muscles around the hip joint cause hip pain. A few sessions of professional massage will help you relieve muscle tension. Start with a 30-minute massage to get some relief. Keep in mind that it may take three to five sessions for you to feel a difference. If your pain increases at night after a massage, be sure to tell your massage therapist before your next session.
Watch your posture. Improper hip strain can appear after a curvature of the spine or wrong walking. Stretch the back of your head upward. Try not to overstrain your neck and shoulders. To remember to take the correct body position, wear a bracelet on your arm. Every time you see this bracelet, you will remember to straighten your back.
Helpful Exercises For Hip Pain
The painful leg, bent at the knee joint, up to the upper third of the hip, is extended beyond the foot edge of the couch and hangs freely. Fix the other leg with arms of both hands crossed “in the lock” in the position of maximal bending at the knee and hip joints. Straighten the diseased leg at the knee joint for 20 seconds and then take a break for 20–30 seconds when the leg freely hangs down from the couch with the leg bent at the knee joint and relaxed. Repeat the therapeutic movement 15–16 times.
What Is Bad for Our Back?
- Overweight: at first glance, it seems that the “beer belly” carries itself; in fact, all the extra pounds are “in balance” at the spine, laying on it with an additional load;
- Super trendy “stilettos”: every extra centimeter of a shoe heel increases the load on the spine by 10-15 kilograms, depending on your weight;
- Our bad habits: nicotine, alcohol, etc. – all this affects our body and back in particular;
- Wrong bed: afterward is a pain, irritability, reduced working capacity, curved spine, etc.;
- Low mobility: many of us have a car, a busy work schedule, etc., but we all need to make time for a small charge, for example, 15–20 minutes of walk in the morning or evening.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, we want to say that compliance with all the above rules will reduce pain in the hip joints or eliminate it. However, if you feel similar pains for more than a year and such preventive work does not help you, you should still make an appointment with a doctor and make a treatment plan.
It is essential to keep an eye on your health and lead a healthy lifestyle. After all, if you ignore your body’s pleas for help, which manifest themselves in such pains or ill health, you can cause irreparable damage to your health. Moreover, we have one body for life.
