When pain runs down the leg, the aim at night is to stop stretching or compressing the irritated nerve root for eight hours at a stretch.
Side lying, painful leg uppermost
Lie on the unaffected side with a pillow between the knees. This keeps the affected nerve root from being compressed by body weight.
On your back with knees raised
A pillow or two under the knees reduces tension on the sciatic nerve. Some people find a rolled towel under the low back helps; many do not — try it rather than assuming.
Avoid the foetal curl
Pulling the knees tightly to the chest may feel good briefly but sustained flexion can aggravate a disc-related sciatica overnight.
Getting comfortable takes staging
Position first, then adjust the pillow between the knees, then the head pillow. Trying to solve all three at once tends to fail.
These are general suggestions, not a prescription. If any movement sharply increases pain, causes numbness, or sends pain down a limb, stop and get assessed. Advice that suits a disc problem can be exactly wrong for spinal stenosis, which is why a diagnosis comes first.
If pain is not settling, or you are not sure which of these applies to you, get a diagnosis first. Call (314) 310-5577 or request an appointment.
Common questions
Why is sciatica worse at night?
Fewer distractions, and sustained positions that would be adjusted during the day. Nerve pain also tends to be more noticeable when everything else is quiet.
Should I sleep in a recliner?
Some people with acute sciatica genuinely do better in a recliner for a week or two. As a long-term solution it is not ideal, but short term it is reasonable.
Hurt in an accident? Start here.
You do not need a lawyer, a police report or a referral to be seen. Bring your symptoms and we will work out the rest.
Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Same-day appointments are often available for new accident and injury patients.