Unfortunately, body aches and pain, like sciatica, aren’t unusual to experience. Sciatica is a nerve pain that is felt over the sciatic nerve, a portion of the body that includes the lower back, hips, buttocks, and the back of the legs. Apart from being painful and uncomfortable, sciatica episodes can persist for weeks at a time or longer. Of course, this means sciatica can have damaging effects on your mental and physical health if it’s preventing you from being able to get consistent and quality sleep. If you are currently experiencing issues sleeping because of sciatica, here are some helpful tips that can reduce the pain and make falling and staying asleep on any mattress easier. 

Alleviating sciatica 

Reduce inflammation through your nutrition. 

Inflammation can cause flare-ups or even exacerbate pain, so of course, maintaining a healthy lifestyle that discourages inflammation is key to controlling sciatica. You can do this by maintaining a diet that is focused on anti-inflammatory foods and supplements. Foods like fatty fish, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as well as supplements such as fish oil, magnesium, zinc, and vitamins D, B12, B6, and E are all rich in anti-inflammatory properties, making them the perfect additions to your diet if you are looking to reduce lower back pain. 

Try water therapy 

Water therapy is a type of physical therapy program that uses movement in water to reduce pain. With regards to sciatica, the buoyancy, viscosity, and hydrostatic pressure of the water can provide relief by alleviating lower back pain while soothing the muscles. There are many water therapy exercises you can do the next time you’re in a pool, including raising your knees to your chest, stretching and raising your legs, or simply walking around. 

Get massaged 

Of course, massages are also a great method to deal with sciatic nerve pain. Not only do massages relax pinched and sore muscles, but they also get the brain to release a natural painkiller in the form of endorphins. For both of these reasons, massages are certainly a viable option for those who are seeking some sciatic pain relief. 

Sleeping with sciatica

Be conscious of your sleeping position.

Your sleep position may be affecting your sciatica. If you sleep on your Orange County mattress on your stomach or back, then unfortunately that effect is negative. That’s because sleeping on your back or stomach can place additional pressure on your lower back, which is the opposite of what you should do if you’re looking for pain relief. For this reason, the ideal sleep position for those with sciatica is the side because it can actually lessen the amount of pressure on the back. 

Get strategic with your pillows

A strategically placed pillow can cut down the amount of pressure being applied to your lower back and alleviate sciatic pain. If you sleep on your side, hinge your legs at your knees and place a pillow between your thighs to experience a decrease in pressure. Similarly, if you sleep on your back, place a pillow behind your knees. 

Sleep on a comfortable mattress

When you’re experiencing issues sleeping comfortably, it’s worth asking yourself if your mattress is part of the problem. In the case of sciatica, medium-firm mattresses may be the optimal mattress type to reduce back pain. That’s because they provide adequate levels of support and relieve pressure from the base of the spine. If you find yourself wondering if you should get a new mattress for your sciatica, you can visit any mattress store in Orange County like Mattress Sale Liquidators to browse through countless options, including many medium-firm mattresses.