Waking up with back or neck pain? AIIMS doctor reveals the best sleeping positions to prevent it

It’s amazing how much time humans spend sleeping, yet a lot of us wake up with stiffness in the neck or back and lingering pains. Thanks to our sleeping posture, which is slowly wearing down spinal health.

“The way you sleep can actually make your joint pain worse,” warned Dr Dushyant Chouchan, Orthopaedic and Sports Injury Surgeon, AIIMS Raipur.

In an Instagram post, the doctor shared how sleeping positions affect joint pain and offered some minor tweaks to everyday sleep habits that can help you wake up feeling fresh and free from neck and back pain.

Here's how simple tweaks can help you achieve the best sleeping positions:

For the side sleepers, Dr Dushyant said that placing a pillow between the knees is the optimal way to achieve a pain-free sleep. “If you usually sleep on your side, placing a pillow between your knees can significantly reduce discomfort in your hips and lower body.”

For those who sleep on their back, the Orthopaedic surgeon said that it’s best to place a pillow under their knees. “This simple adjustment helps relieve pressure on your spine and joints, easing pain in your lower back and hips.”

“By incorporating these two easy sleeping positions into your nightly routine, you can prevent unnecessary strain and experience noticeable relief in your joints,” Dr Dushyant said in the Instagram Reel.

He suggested his followers try these tweaks for themselves to witness the change in the mornings. “…you may find waking up less stiff and more comfortable a daily reality,” he said.

Dr Arun Bhanot, Director of Spine Services at CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, also echoed a similar sentiment, saying, “Your sleeping position helps minimise back strain, avoid stiffness, and maintain proper spine alignment.”

In an earlier interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Bhanot recommended a firm-to-medium mattress and a pillow that keeps the neck aligned. He advised against sleeping on the stomach or using a very high pillow.