How well do you sleep? Learn how to support your body in bed Our sleep is sacred! We love having a good night's sleep. But when we are in pain, getting a restful night’s sleep can be next to impossible. I remember when Ian was in his acute phases of back pain due to his multiple herniation’s he had a difficult time finding a comfortable position in bed. The pain was so sharp that tears came to his eyes and in an exhausted and weak voice he said, “I don’t remember what it is like to not be in pain, it feels like a have sharp knives stabbing my legs.” I remember feeling almost helpless. I would massage arnica cream on his lower back and we had 8 pillows in our bed to support his legs and torso to prevent him from straining or moving too much since if he did move at night, the pain would wake him up. In this video, we offer tips and tricks to prepare for a good night’s sleep. • Sleep on a mattress of medium firmness to minimize any curve in your spine. • If you are a back-sleeper place pillow under your knees for lower back support. • A side sleeper would place a pillow between the knees for better hip support. • How is your head positioned? Be sure to use a good quality, supportive pillow. • Our body recovers and regenerates when we are in our deep sleep cycle, pain often prevents having a good sleep, so prepare yourself for sleep with these top tips: ◦ Avoid technology and electronics one hour before bed ◦ Prepare your room; dim lighting, cool temperature, quiet space, no electronics, pillows, avoid eating a heavy meal 3 hours before bed You’re on your way… When we have a restful sleep, we are more focused, alert, in a better mood and have the energy we need to do all we set out to do in a day with greater ease. Foundation tip #7 involves something we should all do daily to boost our energy, reduce stress and keep the juices flowing! Until next time... Better backs for life, Laura and Ian