If you have ever experienced back pain you know how awful and debilitating it can be. You also know how difficult it can be to treat back pain effectively long-term.

What back pain sufferers need to understand is the only way to cure back pain is to be knowledgeable of the cause or causes of the pain. While there are many causes of back pain, one that I want to address, because it is common and may be affecting you, is back pain caused by having the wrong sleeping position and/or mattress.

As you sleep your muscles, ligaments and other tissues in your back are given a chance to rest. Therefore, to maintain a healthy spine your quality of sleep is of utmost importance.

Even if your back problems were caused by something else, such as an accident or injury, the position in which you sleep and the type of mattress you sleep on have a lot to do with your recovery. You will always have a hard time alleviating your back pain long-term if the way you sleep is harming your spine.

So remember, "your mattress is an important aspect in having back comfort, but beyond that, the way you sleep (position) is much more vital to the health of your spine."

So How Should I Sleep?

The best sleeping position is to lie on your mattress, flat on your back. It can also help to place a small pillow under your knees for extra back support. Some people find this comfortable, others not so much, so experiment and see what you like.

The reasoning behind lying flat on your back is that this position takes the pressure off of your back. The only difficult thing about sleeping in this position is actually sleeping in this position. Not many people can do it.

Most people are used to sleeping on their side or on their stomach so even if they fell asleep this way they would probably turn into their usual position once they fell asleep. Strategically using your pillows is the key to solving this problem.

People who sleep on their side should try placing a firm pillow between their legs to relieve pressure on their hips and spine. People who like to sleep on their stomach should place a medium soft, or flat pillow under their belly and hips to avoid pressure on their lower back.

If your back pain occurs in your neck or at the top of your spine supporting your neck with small pillows is very effective.

What About The Mattress Part of It?

Now that you realize how you sleep is the most important the next thing that can help alleviate your pain is having the right mattress. If your mattress has a large sag in the middle you should consider buying a new one.

When buying the mattress there isn't a specific type that is great for everybody so buy one you can adjust or make sure you are comfortable on the one that you decide to use. The only thing that is important when you buy a mattress for back pain is that the mattress is flat provides your spine sufficient support.

As you can see, one of the main causes of back pain and one of the common reasons people have a hard time getting rid of the pain in their back is because of the position in which they sleep and the type of mattress they sleep on.

Try to sleep on your back if you can, but if you can't use the above suggestions to make sure that you can have a comfortable nights sleep without having to wake up with an ache in your back.