Sleeping with a Pillow Between Your Knees: Top 3 Benefits

Do you sleep with a knee pillow between your legs to relieve joint pain or lower back pain? Well, you're not alone. It's been my experience that sleeping on your side while using a knee pillow can be an ideal sleep position for your sleep health. It was for mine.

At least once a week a customer asks me for a knee pillow recommendation. Most of them are side sleeping and not all of them are women. In fact, men, are also looking for the health benefits of sleeping on your side with a knee pillow because studies show it helps. And, men tend to sleep hot so sleeping comfortably remains important.

Benefits of Sleeping With a Pillow Between Your Knees

1. Reduce lower back pain. Stomach sleeper? We see you. But rotating to your side and adding a pillow between your knees would go a long way in providing some back pain relief. Changing your sleep style is never easy but in the long run may provide some significant health benefits.

2. Spinal alignment. One of the goals of side sleeping is better spinal alignment and a supportive pillow between your knees can help do just that. It's like an extension of your sleep pillow helping extend better spinal alignment.

3. Sleep posture for pregnant women. Probably the classic example of the benefits of sleeping with a knee pillow is for pregnant women that sleep hot. They are looking for any sleep position that helps relieve pressure wherever they may experience it. And, nobody blames them. Obviously, stomach sleeping isn't an option.

The Proper Sleeping Position for Side Sleepers

Typically side sleepers are doing just that, sleeping on one hip with their knees stacked. But it can be more complicated than that. Many sleep with one leg slightly bent, almost like a stomach sleeper. Do they need a knee pillow? Maybe, if they feel it relieves joint pain of being a knee stacking side sleeper.

Knee pillow prevents Back Pain

Lower back pain can be debilitating. Believe me I know. Side sleeping helped but adding the right knee pillows was a game changer for my sleep health and pain relief. I made a standard size goose down pillow in medium density. I wanted it to be soft and support and not sleep hot.

People With Back or Hip Pain

Not just reserved for stomach sleepers, back and hip pain for side sleepers can be managed with knee pillows. Adding a knee pillow helps keep your spine straight supporting a natural position and proper spinal alignment if using the correct pillow thickness between your knees.

Stomach Sleepers

Stomach sleepers trying to change sleep styles to sleeping on your side can be challenging. I rarely recommend it. But, adding a knee pillow can help you maintain your sleep position throughout the night.

Can Relieve Muscle Cramps

Honestly, I rarely hear customers talk about muscle cramps associated with the side sleeper sleep position. This might be associated with some other chronic disease.

Can Improve Blood Circulation

Why does our 'arm fall asleep'? Those pins and needles running up and down our arm? 'Arm tucking' Side sleepers lying on their arm can put pressure on a nerve that runs from your neck to your elbow. The fix? Relieve pressure on the nerve and you should regain feeling in your arm.

Advantages of a Leg Pillow Between the Knees

Spinal alignment, reduce lower back pain and improved sleep posture. Stomach sleepers take note. Using a knee pillow just might be the secret to helping you change your sleep position, improve blood circulation, spinal alignment and who knows how many other health benefits.