What Sleeping Position Helps Improve an Arched Lower Back? Causes and Positions to Avoid

Do you have discomforts like a sensation of your lower back being arched, or your lower back tiring easily when standing? If you have symptoms like these, an arched lower back may be involved. An arched lower back is a state where the pelvis tilts forward and the lower back curves more than necessary. It can look like good posture, but it easily places strain on the lower back, and left as is, it can lead to lower-back pain or a protruding belly. This article details the causes of an arched lower back, sleeping positions prone to causing it, and improvement methods.

What Causes an Arched Lower Back?

Causes of an arched lower back can include weakened muscle strength, body-type changes, and shoe influence. When core muscle strength weakens, or you spend long periods in the same posture, your lower back tends to become arched. First, let’s introduce the causes of an arched lower back.

Weakened Muscle Strength

Correct posture is maintained by the body’s muscles. However, when abdominal, back, thigh, and neck muscle strength declines from aging or lack of exercise, the power supporting your posture weakens, and the pelvis becomes more prone to tilting forward. As a result, the lower back naturally becomes arched.

Also, a posture with the head jutting forward, like a hunched back or forward-head posture, is related too. Here, the body tries to balance itself by arching the lower back. Continuing the same posture for long periods, or having few opportunities to move your body, makes muscle strength decline even more easily. This kind of vicious cycle causes an arched lower back to develop. There’s no need to force yourself into unfamiliar strength training to build muscle. We recommend creating a habit of moving your body daily so muscle strength doesn’t decline.

Influence of Body-Type Changes

When your body type changes significantly, it tends to affect your posture too. In situations like sudden weight gain, or pregnancy where your belly grows, your body tries to balance itself, and your lower back can naturally become arched. As your belly juts forward, you unconsciously adopt a posture that arches your lower back to support the weight.

For those who are pregnant, posture sometimes naturally returns after childbirth, but an arched lower back can also become a habit as is. It’s especially important to consciously check your posture when your body type changes.

Influence of Shoes Like Heels

Wearing high-heeled shoes puts your weight on your toes, so your body tends to lean forward. To balance this, you may end up arching your lower back backward. If this continues, an arched-lower-back habit can also become fixed.

Those with weak core muscles tend to be especially prone to the influence of heels. On days you continue wearing heels for long periods, reduce the burden on your body by stretching frequently or changing shoes.

What Sleeping Positions Are Prone to Causing an Arched Lower Back?

Your sleeping posture too can become a factor that worsens an arched lower back. Sleeping on your back or stomach requires caution, as they can place excess strain on your lower back. Here we detail what sleeping positions tend to lead to an arched lower back.

On Your Back

Sleeping on your back may feel comfortable, but for those with an arched lower back, it’s a sleeping position requiring caution. Sleeping on your back concentrates body-weight strain on the lower back, creating a gap between your lower back and the futon. Continuing to have this gap can naturally lead to your lower back staying arched, worsening an arched lower back.

Also, if you feel your lower back floating and uncomfortable and place a towel or cushion there, be cautious, as it can arch your lower back even further. When sleeping on your back, placing a small cushion under your knees stabilizes your pelvis and can reduce strain on your lower back.

On Your Stomach

Some may feel comfortable sleeping on their stomach because it compresses the belly. However, this posture places considerable strain on the lower back. Sleeping on your stomach naturally arches your lower back as your belly sinks down, and continuing this state for long periods can worsen an arched lower back.

Furthermore, since it also tends to twist your neck as well as your lower back, excess force is placed on your whole body, and you may feel your body sluggish upon waking. If you want to prevent an arched lower back, try avoiding the habit of sleeping on your stomach as much as possible, and be mindful of a posture where your body can naturally relax. Just reviewing your sleeping position can lighten the burden on your body.

What Sleeping Position Helps Improve an Arched Lower Back?

To improve an arched lower back, reviewing your sleeping posture is also important. Being mindful of a lower-back-friendly sleeping position can loosen tension around your lower back and ease lower-back heaviness. Here we introduce recommended sleeping positions for those with an arched lower back.

Sleeping on Your Side with a Rounded Back

First, we recommend sleeping on your side with your back gently rounded. Adopting a posture with your knees slightly drawn up naturally relaxes your lower back and can prevent it from becoming excessively arched. Since it reduces the burden on the lower back for those with lower-back pain or those who are pregnant, this sleeping position can be said to be very gentle.

However, if your neck’s position is unstable, it can also place strain on your shoulders and neck, so be mindful of pillow height. Adjust the height with a towel or similar to a level that’s comfortable for your head. Just slightly changing your sleeping posture can make waking up easier too.

Sleeping on Your Side with a Cushion Between Your Knees

Sleeping on your side can throw off your body’s balance and place strain on your lower back. At times like this, a recommended method is sleeping with a cushion or body pillow between your knees. This prevents pelvic twisting and eases lower-back tension. It’s an effective posture for those who tend to feel discomfort from an arched lower back.

Using a body pillow also gives your arms a natural place to rest, releasing tension around your shoulders and letting your whole body relax. Choose a cushion or body pillow made of material that can properly support you, not too soft.

Placing a Cushion Under Your Knees

For those who think “I like sleeping on my back, but I’m concerned about lower-back discomfort…” we recommend placing a cushion or folded bath towel under your knees. Sleeping with your legs stretched straight pulls your pelvis forward, making your lower back prone to arching, but just slightly raising your knees can ease that pull.

This posture is characterized by not placing excess force on your lower back and making it easier to maintain a natural curve. Try choosing a cushion that’s not too hard but also doesn’t sink too much. A towel you have at home is sufficient, so please try it easily.

Can Sleeping with Bent Knees Be Expected to Improve an Arched Lower Back?

Those who feel their lower back floating and uncomfortable when sleeping on their back may unconsciously be sleeping with bent knees. This posture is one that people with an arched lower back tend to find comfortable. For this reason, if you sleep with bent knees, you may have an arched lower back.

As for sleeping positions, rather than sleeping with bent knees, please use the sleeping positions introduced earlier. Sleeping with bent knees is a sleeping position that feels comfortable for those with an arched lower back, but it’s not a sleeping position that can be expected to bring improvement.

Please be mindful of the side-sleeping positions or cushion-using methods introduced earlier.

Troubled by an Arched Lower Back? Consult KADOMORI!

This article has detailed the causes of an arched lower back, sleeping positions prone to causing it, and improvement methods.
An arched lower back occurs from various overlapping factors, including weakened muscle strength, body-type changes, and posture and sleeping position. Left as is, it can lead to lower-back pain and bodily distortion, so please provide care without enduring it. Sleeping posture is especially a point that greatly affects an arched lower back. Try easing the burden on your lower back by finding a sleeping position that suits you and being creative with cushion use. If you’re currently troubled by an arched lower back, please consult KADOMORI. Beyond your sleeping position at home, let’s aim for early improvement by balancing your body through chiropractic bodywork too.