Just as you slip into a deep slumber, sudden hip pain shoots up, and you find yourself writhing in pain. The pain that you experience makes it nearly impossible to fall asleep. Sleeping while lying on your side can cause Severe hip pain that, if not treated at an early stage, can only get aggravated.
1. What exactly do you mean by the Hip?
The hip is the part of your body on each pelvis side below the abdomen. Your thighs are extensions of the hip. Severe pain in the hip region is what we are going to talk about in this article. A major cause of this excruciating pain is due to one’s sleeping patterns. When you fall asleep out of consciousness and are mobile, your muscles and hip joints are swollen, which engenders pain in that particular region.
2. The best way to sleep?
The sleeping position and pattern of sleeping strongly correlate to the quality of sleep you enjoy. You might enjoy curling up in the fetal position or prefer a staff where you are lying on your stomach; your hands are tucked under the pillow, or even the soldier position. It is important to find out whether your sleeping position suits you or if it is causing problems for you. For example, sleeping in the soldier position causes lower back pain to many.
3. Causes of Pain At Night Lying On Side:
3.1. Bursitis
The sacs surrounding your hip region are called Bursae. The bursae act as shock absorbers and cushions, reducing friction at your hips.
Inflammation of the bursae causes Bursitis. This can cause tremendous pain in your upper thigh and the upper and outer parts of your hip. The intensity multiplies during the night.
3.2. Overworking your body with excessive exercising
As the world opens up after the pandemic, you might be exercising Intensely as you try to shed out the quarantine wait. However, over-exercising can be harmful and can lead to the inflammation of various parts of the body.
3.3. Tendinopathy
Tendons in the hip connect the gluteal muscles to the hip and pelvis. This facilitates proper hip mobility while walking and doing our daily tasks as it props up the pelvis
However, when the tendons are stressed, they might cause shooting pain in your hip.
3.4. Sleeping position
As mentioned earlier, your sleep position matters a lot. Once you have figured out a good sleeping position for yourself that is comfortable and, at the same time, conducive to your body, a few things need to be checked. You must ensure you have a comfortable mattress that is right for you and a good quality pillow to prop your head up. Also, one can try setting a pillow between the legs to ensure the hips are aligned correctly.
3.5. Age
One of the biggest causes, and perhaps an inevitable cause, has to be aging. Problems like osteoarthritis and hip bursitis are also caused due to age. The older age group commonly suffers from these diseases. Women in the phases of menopause are also prone to night hip pain. The throbbing pain in the hips may even persist during the menopause period.
3.6 Obesity:
Obesity is a common cause due to the increased stress on the hip muscles. Hence, regular exercise can greatly reduce pain as it relaxes the muscles and reduces stress.
3.7 Pregnancy:
Many women experience aching hips during pregnancy. A pregnancy pillow used while sleeping can be helpful. Even general exercises can help reduce the pain as they relax the muscles. Perhaps the way that a pregnant woman has to bear it might cause a lot of pressure on the hip, the spine, and the sciatic nerve. Thus, it is important that she wears comfortable and supportive shoes, takes a hot water bath, and adopts a very relaxing routine.
4. Treatments At Night Lying On Side:
4.1. Getting off the couch and exercising:
Indulging in proper and monitored exercise can do wonders. It will reduce your pain and allow you to get a good night’s sleep. You might consult a physical trainer for specific exercises to relieve pain. One exercise you can try is stretching your body, such as hip stretches so that your body’s muscles relax and you gain flexibility.
To avoid it at night, you must resort to regular exercise. During your exercise routine, wear comfortable clothes and supportive shoes. Focus on the hip, pelvis, thighs, and gluteal muscles.
A word of caution: We highly recommend seeking expert advice if you have severe hip inability. Ensure you have a proper warmup regime before diving into the exercises. Also, ensure that you do not bring your exercise routine to an abrupt end.
4.2. Sleeping Hygiene:
A good night’s sleep does wonders for you. While working on your sleeping position, you can also try using knee pillows to reduce stress on your hips.
To avoid restless sleep, ensure a fixed schedule for sleeping and waking up. It is highly advised that you don’t consume OTC sleep aids and say no to alcohol before going to bed. Try avoiding too much screen time, especially before going to bed. You can also check out our article on the weird things that happened to us in the night.
Following a good sleep hygiene pattern reduces the instances of pain. Night pain can also be curbed by placing a pillow between your legs to ensure that the hip, pelvis, and spine are aligned well.
4.3. More pain calls for cooling:
You can use an ice pack once you have identified the region where your hip pains occur. This relaxes muscles and can alleviate inflammatory pain.
Icing the pain-causing place can lighten the burning sensation. Icing for 15- 20 minutes can ease the sore hip’s intense pain and bring you out of inflammation. Such physical therapy triggers pressure points and can give you immediate relief. A warm bath with bath salts can also do wonders alongside a relaxation routine. This does not just help ease pain but can also do wonders for your physical and mental health.
4.4. Take medications:
You can take some inflammatory medications if you can’t find relief from pain through exercise.
You refrained from using medicines for a long time. Instead, consider going to a physician if the pain disappears. Overusing medicines can leave you with several unwanted side effects.
You can consider using Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to control pain and inflammation. Some medicines, like ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin, do a great job of preventing pain.
5. Consult an Expert:
It is integral that when you have a deep pain that is causing you restless nights and is beyond bearable, you take immediate action. If this pain is persistent despite medication and regular exercises, you might have to seek the help of her professional doctor or even a physical therapist. Sometimes, the pain might be so severe that it might even Continue despite practicing regular exercise, icing, and other methods.
Women with chronic hip pain can also check out our article – 6 Reasons Why Do Women Suffer from Hip Pain?
Be very cautious if you have to take hip injections, especially about the dosage that needs to be taken. You can also try radiofrequency ablation therapy to Sood on your nerves. There is a novel therapy called TENS unit technology, which uses electric currents to reverse disturbing signs of pain. You might also consult your doctor for cases where the pain is regular. It is integral that this is done as conditions like hip osteoarthritis and hip bursitis must be subjected to medical care as soon as possible for faster and better recovery.
Last Updated on by Rajeshwari_Das
