How To Prevent Hip Pain While Sleeping

Hip pain while sleeping at night can be difficult either from the body's position while lying on bed, or from health conditions such as osteoarthritis. Hip pain makes it very difficult to get sleep during the night, or makes it almost impossible which often leads to dizziness during the day or insomnia. Depending on the position of sleeping, if you don't move too much throughout the night, the joints swell and can lead to stiffness and pain.

Hence, it becomes very necessary to know more about the possible causes of hip pain while sleeping and the symptoms. So in this article, we will tell you about this condition and the possible ways to relieve the pain.

Causes Of Hip Pain While Sleeping

Hip pain can lead to insomnia (Image via Pexels/cottonbro studio)

Hip pain while sleeping mainly affects people mostly who are above the age of 40-45, and almost one among five in people over the age of 65. Most common in women, it can completely disrupt the sleep cycle, making it difficult to fall asleep. There can be numerous causes of hip pain, which may include exercising or overworking during the day, lifting too many heavy objects, or sleeping in uncomfortable positions that may cause swelling in the joints, leading to the pain.

A variety of conditions can cause hip pain while sleeping and among them, the most common causes include bone-related diseases such as bursitis or osteoarthritis. Other conditions in women may include injury to muscles or soft tissues, especially during pregnancy, if you sleep on a hard bed and uncomfortable pillows. Though hip pain mostly affects the outer side of the hip, called lateral pain, sometimes the pain also gets transferred from other parts of the body. Such as from lower back pain radiating down to the hips, and is known as referred pain.

Hip pain while sleeping can also happen due to some underlying diseases, even when healed, the pain can persist for a long time and can feel like stinging needles or burning. Some of the most common causes of hip pain while sleeping are as follows:

1) Sleep Position

Uncomfortable sleep position can contribute towards hip numbness (Image via Pexels/cottonbro studio)

The position of the sleeping and the mattress can largely contribute to the discomfort. Mattresses that are too soft or too hard can often trigger pressure points, which can lead to hip pain. Sleeping position is one of the prime causes of hip pain, as prolonged time without movement can lead to swelling of joints.

If you are a side sleeper, try sleeping on your back. If you are already having hip pain while sleeping, try sleeping on the side that doesn't hurt. There are special pillows to keep between the knees, to keep your hips aligned, which can significantly help to relieve the pain.

2) Hip Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a common condition in old adults (Image via Pexels/Matthias Zomer)

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common types of arthritis that can affect the hip. This can cause the cartilage in the hip joint to wear out over time, causing the bones in the hip joints to rub together due to lack of lubrication. This can lead to inflammation, pain and stiffness, a chronic disease that can lead to degenerative conditions over time. And hence, treatment should take place to prevent further damage.

Along with osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and septic arthritis can also lead to hip pain while sleeping.

3) Hip Tendonitis

Hip Tendonitis damages the ligament in bones (Image via Pexels/Towfiqu barbhuiya)

Tendons attach the muscles to our bones and hold our joints together. Hip tendonitis is a situation when the tendons become swollen and damaged. This may occur due to overuse of them, or injuries. It can also occur when someone often sits with their legs crossed or often stands with weight on one hip.

The primary hip tendonitis symptoms include:

A dull and deep ache in the groin that worsens while climbing stairs.
Hip pain while sleeping at night.
Pain in the glutes if the hamstring tendons are swollen or damaged.

4) Sciatic-piriformis Syndrome

The Sciatic-piriformis syndrome occurs when the sciatic nerve in the body is compressed, which causes numbness, pain and tingling from the lower back transferring to the buttocks, then the legs and finally the feet. It can cause hip pain while sleeping at night, by the burning sensation in the calves or throbbing pain in the feet, which often wakes you up.

5) Pregnancy

Hip pain is common during pregnancy (Image via Pexels/Leah Kelley)

The upper body becomes heavy during pregnancy which puts extra pressure on our hips and spine, which can increase along with pregnancy. This can cause lower back and hip pain while sleeping. It can also happen when the ligaments and muscles begin to lose in preparation for childbirth. To prevent hip pain or sciatica during pregnancy, wear supportive shoes with good soles during the day while walking. At night, try to sleep on your side instead of your back, and use a rolled-up blanket behind your back to lean on. You can also use a pregnancy pillow to place extra support and prevent conditions such as labral tears.

How To Manage Hip Pain While Sleeping At Night

The treatment for hip pain can vary as per immediate relief or long-term relief.

Immediate Relief

If hip pain makes it very difficult for you to sleep at night, and you want to get back to sleep, try changing your position, and find the most pain-reducing position. Try sleeping on your back, and place wedge-shaped pillows under the hip to provide extra questioning. You can also use folding a pillow or blanket to create a wedge shape as an alternative. Sleep with a pillow between your knees, to keep the hip in position.

Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) and naproxen (Aleve) may help relieve your pain. However, it's best to consult a doctor before trying any medicine to prevent any side effects. Ice or heat can also relieve the pain and reduce the swelling. Use a heat bag, but be careful to pack it tightly, in case of ice, don't touch it directly to your skin, but rather use an ice pack in a towel or an ice bag.

Long-term Relief

Doctors can make long-term and permanent cure (Image via Pexels/Tima Miroshnichenko)

If you regularly experience hip pain while sleeping at night, and it is affecting your day's work, you may need to work on solutions that give longer-term relief. The first step is to change your mattress that is not too hard, nor too soft which can prevent hip bursitis. You can also add a foam pad, on the top of your mattress that can distribute the weight evenly.

However, the best way to cure hip pain in the long term is to consult a physician and talk about the treatments. To prevent hip pain while sleeping at night, you need to change your daily schedule. This involves including a moderate exercise routine in your lifestyle such as swimming, walking, yoga, tai chi, etc. Also, avoid sitting in a particular position for longer periods, and try taking little walking breaks in between.

In addition to implying low-impact exercises in your lifestyle, you can try stretching for hips, which can relieve the muscles and eliminate the numbness. You can try stretching during the day or at night before sleep, or when you find it difficult to sleep at night.

To do the stretch, stand straight and hold on to a table or chair to balance if you need to. Now cross your legs, then slowly try to reach your toes, and try to hold it for 20 to 30 seconds. Cross your legs the other way, and repeat the same.

With all kinds of prevention, the most important thing that you should do is to maintain a good sleeping routine. Sleep hygiene is very essential to falling asleep early, in case you are suffering from hip pain. Maintain a particular time, when you go to bed and wake up in the morning, at the same time every day.

Have a relaxation time before you go to sleep, which can involve taking a warm bath one or two hours before sleep. Warm bath works as a natural pain fighter called endorphins. It relaxes the muscles around the sciatic nerve. Try avoiding caffeinated drinks, and reduce exposure to blue screens before you go to sleep. Implementing the following tips can significantly help you to prevent hip pain while sleeping.