What Causes Hip And Knee Pain While Sleeping

Why Sleep Can Hurt

Normal joint pain, especially in the hips, knees and shoulders, frequently worsens at night, he says. Your sleep position and the alignment of your body are responsible for most of the pain, but some comes from being so still at night.

Joints swell at night, and motion gradually lubricates them and keeps the fluids moving round, Dr. Schaefer says. When you stop moving, they can swell more. This can cause stiffness and pain, he says.

Ice The Affected Portion:

One of the preventive methods for hip pain at night is lying on the side. Identify the affected area, then rest yourself for a moment and start icing the area for about 15 minutes. Icing the pain-causing place can reduce the burning sensation.

This helps in breaking down the sore hip intense pain and bringing you out of inflammation. Doing this kind of physical therapy can address hip pain, trigger pressure points, and give you immediate relief.

Why You May Be Experiencing Hip Pain At Night

Posted on by The Orthopaedic Center in Hip Pain

You toss, you turn, and you get zero sleep.

If that sounds like a regular night for you because of hip pain, youre probably going to want some relief as soon as possible. The first course of action is to figure out the root of that pain, so here are a few things you may be experiencing, along with some tips on how to help ease the pain.

Read Also: How To Treat Severe Knee Arthritis

What Causes Knee Pain At Night

Our knees are complex joints responsible for bearing the weight of our bodies as it travels to our feet. They literally help us move through the world smoothly, connecting four bonesthe femur, the tibia, the fibula, and the patellaand two major muscles groups .

Connecting and stabilizing these bones and muscles are ligaments and tendons, including:

• The anterior cruciate ligament : Located on the front of the knee, the ACL prevents the femur from moving backwards onto the tibia
• The posterior cruciate ligament : The PCL keeps the femur nestled back where it belongs
• Medial ligaments: Stabilize the inside of the knee
• Lateral ligaments: Stabilizs the outside of the knee

In addition to this, articular cartilage lines the patella to smooth movement, as does the meniscus tissue that allows the femur and tibia to glide together. Bursa are fluid-filled sacs inside the joint. They further cushion movement, preventing painful bone against bone rubbing.

Any part of this structure can develop painful conditions or suffer from issues that could cause knee pain at night. In general, the five main causes of knee pain at night are:

Pagets Disease Of Bone

Pagets disease affects the way bone develops and renews itself, causing it to become weaker. It usually affects the pelvis, causing it to grow out of shape. This can often lead to hip pain, but it is treatable with a group of drugs called bisphosphonates.

Bisphosphonates are drugs used to prevent the loss of bone mass and treat bone disorders such as osteoporosis and Pagets disease.

For more information see our sections on Pagets disease and bisphosphonates.

Don’t Miss: How Long Does It Take To Recover From Knee Replacement

Lack Of Sleep Makes Pain Worse

It can be easy to get stuck in a cycle where you cant sleep because of knee pain. That lack of sleep can actually make your pain worse. Sleep is vital for healing and rejuvenation. Without sleep, you have less energy to expend on healing as you need to focus your bodily processes on staying alert and awake.If nighttime knee pain causes you to toss and turn, you may end up accidentally further straining your knee by sleeping in an uncomfortable position.

Causes Of Piriformis Syndrome

The piriformis gets a workout every day. You use it when you walk or turn your lower body. You even use it just from shifting your weight from one side to the other. The muscle can become injured or irritated from long periods of inactivity or too much exercise.

Some common causes of piriformis syndrome include:

• overuse from excessive exercise

Recommended Reading: How To Treat Arthritis In The Knee Naturally

What Causes Hip Pain At Night

Causes of hip pain at night include:

• Sleeping on a bad mattress
• Soreness or overuse from exercise
• Tight muscles
• Pelvic or gynecological issues
• Pain after hip replacement surgery

The most common night hip pain causes, like soreness or sleeping on a bad mattress, can be easily resolved. Well discuss some of the at-home remedies you can use to relieve this type of pain later in this post. Severe pain, however, may be caused by:

• Tendinitis
• Sports injuries
• Hip bursitis

These conditions may require more advanced pain management. The following video gives a brief overview of hip pain. Well discuss each of these in more detail following treatments.

Other Potential Causes Of Hip Pain When You Wake Up

Aside from the two aforementioned causes, there are a few other potential causes you should consider as well.

If you keep your room super cold, it can cause you to wake up aching until your body gets warmed up. So if you crank that thermostat down at night, consider a more mild sleeping temperature.

Another possible cause is actually your daytime posture. If you slouch or sit all day long, it can cause you to wake up in pain. We recommend you take inventory of your posture constantly throughout the day, and try to stand at least a few hours a day if you work a desk job.

If youre an athlete, you should consider if youve been overtraining. This is more common than most people realize, and chronic fatigue can really add up and contribute to serious pain in the morning, especially after more strenuous exercise. Here are some specific injuries or conditions that can cause hip pain when you wake up:

• Hip bursitis
• Hip osteoarthritis

Recommended Reading: How To Treat Abrasion On Knee

Get Into Physical Therapy

If youre suffering from hip bursitis, or another overuse injury, physical therapy can really help. As the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons writes:

Your doctor may prescribe exercises to increase hip strength and flexibility. You may do these exercises on your own, or a physical therapist may teach you how to stretch your hip muscles and use other treatments such as rolling therapy , ice, heat, or ultrasound.

Objective Sleep Measures And Womac Hip Pain

In univariate analyses, women with moderate to extreme hip pain for ⥠1 activity had worse objectively measured sleep fragmentation compared to those with no hip pain. 33% had â¥90 minutes of WASO and 32% had â¥8 LWEP lasting â¥5 minutes . There were no significant univariate associations between hip pain and napping for ⥠2 hours, having < 70% sleep efficiency, TST â¤5 hours and sleep latency â¥1hr. The absolute mean differences in continuous sleep parameter were small although statistically significant for WASO and LWEP .

In the base models, women had higher odds of spending â¥1.5 hours WASO for every 5 units increase in the WOMAC hip pain score after adjustment of all covariates. The strongest predictor of sleep disturbance was moderate to extreme hip pain while sitting or lying for WASO â¥90 minutes and 1.99 for â¥8 wake episodes. In addition, hip pain in bed at night, while standing and walking were also significantly associated with sleep disturbances in the base models. These associations were attenuated by further adjustments but remained statistically significant in the final multivariate models . There was no significant association between the WOMAC hip pain score and daytime napping, TST, sleep latency, and sleep efficiency in base models and in multivariate models.

Don’t Miss: Why Does My Left Knee Hurt

Characteristics Of The Study Population

Among 2225 women , 517 women had moderate to extreme hip pain while performing â¥1 activities and 1708 reported mild or no hip pain for all of the activities . The average WOMAC hip pain subscore was 2.0 ± 3.3.

Women with moderate to extreme hip pain were on average slightly overweight, had poorer self reported health, had greater difficulty with IADL impairments, more depressive symptoms, more fatigue and had higher anxiety scores compared to women with none or mild hip pain. These women were also less likely to exercise and the majority complained of moderate to extreme back pain compared to women without hip pain .

Women with any moderate to extreme hip pain had higher rate of medication use for analgesics, opioids and NSAIDs when compared to women with no hip pain. Approximately 11% of women with moderate to extreme hip pain were taking benzodiazepines. 9% were on analgesics while a 31% were on NSAID medications and all were significantly higher when compared to women with no or mild hip pain .

How To Relieve Hip Pain While Sleeping

Switch your sleep position to fix hippain while sleeping and put a pillow between your knees to align the hips. A pillow under your knees could reduce hip stress also. The best mattress for hip pain is pressure relieving while offering cooling comfort all night. If youre a side sleeper, a soft, pressure relieving mattress is pivotal to sleep comfort. How to fix hip pain while sleeping is easier than you think.

Also Check: How To Get Rid Of Cellulite Above My Knees

Knee Replacement Pain At Night

Knee replacement surgery is often the treatment of last resort when other conservative measures have failed to address painful damage to the knee. A total knee replacement removes the kneecap and removes or repairs damaged bone and other surfaces before inserting an artificial replacement. Partial knee replacement surgery is less invasive and preserves the parts of the joint that are healthy.

The level of your knee replacement pain at night depends on which type of knee replacement surgery you get. The recovery time for total knee replacement can be from one to three months. Partial knee replacement offers a faster recovery time of a week or two. Regardless, during recovery, knee replacement pain at night can be extreme and make daytime activities even more challenging.

Why Do My Hips Hurt When I Sleep On My Side Home Remedies

Hip pain during nighttime can be quiet devastating as it makes impossible for a person to sleep. Pain in hip can be due to the position you sleep or may be due to various other factors. Hip pain is more prominent when you sleep on one side. It can be excruciating or moderate depending on the underlying cause. However, in any circumstances hip pain must be diagnosed as soon as possible and treated. When you spend sleepless nights, your daytime is always unpleasant and tiresome.

Often the pain is not limited to hip joint and it radiates to back and thigh.

You May Like: What’s Best For Aching Knees

How To Ease Tendinitis And Bursitis In The Hip

If You Have Hip Pain While Sleeping On Your Stomach

Although sleeping on your back is likely the best sleeping position for someone with hip pain, there are those of us who prefer sleeping on our stomachs. If that is the case for you, and you want to prevent hip pain when sleeping, then grab a pillow and try this sleeping position out tonight.

When sleeping on your stomach, you might bend one leg out to the side. If you do, you should place a pillow under your knee to elevate it slightly. This will relieve some of the pressure on your hip.

If this is too dramatic of a position for you, then try a folded blanket or a thinner pillow that makes you more comfortable.

Also Check: Does Arthritis In The Knee Cause Swelling

Your Sleeping Position Is Causing You To Wake Up With Hip Pain

The most likely root cause of your hip pain in the morning is your sleeping position. Most of us just try to fall asleep at any cost, in whatever position is the most comfortable.

Unfortunately, its not always true that the most comfortable sleeping position is also the most optimal sleeping position.

The worst sleeping position is lying flat on your stomach, whether you lean off to one side or not. We recommend sleeping on your back with a pillow under your legs, or on your side with a pillow between your legs.

This will take the pressure off your hip joints, which can really take a beating from poor posture over the course of your 8+ hour slumber.

If you struggle to find a comfortable position on your back or your side, and your pillow isnt helping, consider purchasing a special sleep pillow for your legs. These provide the perfect amount of support so you can be completely relaxed.

How To Prevent Knee Pain At Night

Lose Weight

One method to treat knee pain at night while sleeping is to lose weight, thus eliminating additional pressure to the joint. The additional, unnecessary weight can cause extreme pressure on your knees, resulting in anterior knee pain. The best way to do this is a multi-prong approach, including a healthy diet and ample exercise.

Exercise

Physical activity and losing weight go hand in hand. That is why its no surprise that active exercise is the next step in preventing knee pain when sleeping. Cardio and aerobic activities, including swimming, walking, cycling, and water aerobics, are good cardio exercises. If you already suffer from knee pain, focus on water exercises. Exercises also improve sleep, helps eliminate stress, and promotes good posture. Tai chi and yoga can also help you with pain management and improve your bodys overall balance. If youre not certain what exercise is appropriate for your knee pain while sleeping, talk to your doctor or physical therapist.

Good Sleep Position

Your sleep position can better or worsen your sleep position. If you sleep at an awkward angle, the result can cause knee pain at night while sleeping. Finding a good sleep position is an essential part of dealing with knee pain while sleeping because your body needs to gain restorative sleep to rebuild for the next day.

Adjustable Bed

The Yaasa One sleep system can relieve stress, produce quality sleep, improve physical health, and provide pain relief.

Don’t Miss: What Causes Pain When You Bend Your Knee

Pain In Hips And Knees Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore

Image of the hip joint

When it comes to your hips and knees, there are 5 symptoms you shouldnt ignore. If you delay seeing a physician, you could make your pain worse. You should make an appointment if you have any of the following:

1. Not being able to maintain your normal active lifestyle. If you find yourself not able to do the activities you normally enjoy, such as tennis, golf, cycling, or walking, you should see a physician.

2. Pain that gets worse at night and interferes with sleep. Inflammation, which is your bodys reaction to pain, tends to intensify at night. This inflammation can trigger higher levels of pain.

3. Catching, popping, or locking. This is a sign that the cartilage in the joint has torn or that bits of cartilage has broken off in the joint space. The cartilage may wear away completely if it is left untreated.

4. Difficulty doing simple tasks. Some patients will experience difficulty putting on shoes and socks or doing other simple activities, such as bending down.

5. Swelling. This could also be a sign that the cartilage in the joint is breaking down. The cartilage may wear out completely if it is left untreated.

Pain in the Knees

When You Need A Doctor

Some problems with broken sleep patterns are normal as we age, Dr. Schaefer says, but you shouldnt wake up and stay awake every night because of pain. If thats your situation, consult your primary care physician.

If the pain goes on for more than three or four days in a row or intermittently for two to three weeks, its time to get it addressed, he says. If the pain is so severe that you require alcohol or over-the-counter sleep aids to fall sleep, then its worth getting it looked at.

See your doctor if you have joint pain and:

• The pain isnt in a typical spot for arthritis.
• Youre losing weight unexpectedly.
• Have a fever or chills.
• Experience night sweats.
• Have a history of cancer.

Any of those problems can indicate a more serious condition in need of immediate medical attention, Dr. Schaefer says.

Recommended Reading: How Do You Say Knee Replacement In Spanish

Potential Causes Of Pain Radiating From Hip To Knee

Most hip pain is caused from overworking the muscles either by repetitive stress or overdoing exercises. The pain is caused by inflammation of the soft tissues and tendons of the hip. Usually this pain is relieved in a few days. Prolonged hip pain can be the cause of a specific condition. When the hip joint is injured, pain can be felt in the groin all the way down to the knee. Sometimes knee pain is the only sign that the hip is injured – this is called referred pain.

A slipped lumbar disc in your lower back can also cause pain that is felt in your hip. With a lumbar disc injury, your knee and leg may also feel weak. Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of your spinal cord and nerves, which can cause isolated hip pain felt along with a numb feeling in the knees and legs. A sprain in your lower back, or a lumbosacral sprain, is an injury to the ligaments in your lower back. Pain from this injury accumulates to one side of the spine around the hip, making it difficult to bend or twist.

All these hip pain causes can be treated with conservative, therapeutic treatments.