Experiencing hip pain during the night can be highly frustrating. It can prevent you from getting restorative sleep, resulting in fatigue during the day.
There are many possible causes of why hip pain occurs during the night, and most of them aren’t connected to any form of previous injury.
The position in which you sleep is a likely cause of experiencing hip pain at night. However, other contributors can be pregnancy, arthritis, or bursitis, in which the sacs surrounding the joints become inflamed.
During this guide, I will describe the possible causes of experiencing hip pain at night and talk you through how you can ease your symptoms.
It’s worth mentioning at this point. However, I’m here to give you the best, thoroughly-researched advice; any medical condition or pain which is causing you concern should be talked about during a consultation with your doctor or physician to rule out any underlying health conditions and discuss medication where necessary.
What Causes Hip Pain While Asleep?
Painful hips when trying to sleep at night can be caused by several conditions, such as tendonitis and bursitis. However, other aspects, such as pillow and mattress quality, can also contribute. There is also referred pain, which means if you’re suffering from neck pain, leg pain, or lower back pain, you can feel this in your hips and pelvic region.
Let’s take a more in-depth look at some possible causes of hip pain while you sleep.
1. Bursitis
I have already mentioned bursitis as a common cause of hip pain at night.
Bursitis is when the protective sacs surrounding the joints and bones become inflamed. Sign to look out for with bursitis include:
- A sharp, sudden pain that gradually turns into a dull ache
- Pain that worsens in the evening or while lying down
- Pain when walking, climbing stairs, or squatting
- Pain when standing after being seated for a long time
- Pain in the upper thigh and hips
It is common for anyone suffering from bursitis not to experience pain while standing in one place or taking short walks.
2. Tendonitis
Tendonitis is a condition that affects the tendons attaching the bones to the muscles, meaning they become inflamed. This can cause a dull ache in your hips and pain in the groin area.
The pain is often worse when standing after being seated for a while or walking up the stairs. You may also experience pain in your rump area.
3. Pregnancy
It’s common for women to experience various new aches and pains through different stages of pregnancy, and this is mainly because of the immense extra pressure that’s being put on your body.
One of the best positions to sleep in when pregnant is on your side. Still, you can also try using props such as pillows and blankets behind your back to help support your body and keep you in the correct position.
4. Sciatica
Sciatica is a nerve condition that can cause short sharp pains that travel from your lower back and buttocks down to your legs and sometimes right down to the feet.
Some sciatica sufferers also experience a long-term burning feeling or aching in the legs, making getting comfortable at night challenging.
5. Arthritis
Three different kinds of arthritis can occur in the hip region: psoriatic, septic, or rheumatoid. If you have arthritis of the hips, you are likely to experience groin pain, a grinding feeling when you move, pain when you bend over, or pain that worsens in cold weather.
Prevention And Treatment For Hip Pain at Night – What Can You Do?
You can do multiple things to relieve your hip pain at night. Firstly, the best thing to do is to seek advice from your doctor and discuss your specific symptoms with them; this way, they can come up with a treatment that will work best for you.
Below are some treatments you can try at home, but I must stress you should still speak with a professional before putting any remedy in place. It would help if you narrowed down the cause of your hip pain before attempting to treat it.
- Try using pillows placed under your affected hip.
- Pillows underneath your knees, specifically in cases of sciatica.
- If side sleeping, place a pillow or rolled-up blanket between your knees.
- Find a sleeping position that is most comfortable for you, but avoid putting pressure on your hips.
- Talk to a pharmacist about over-the-counter pain relief.
- Heat pads or ice pads placed on the hips can relieve hip pain, but be careful not to leave electric heat pads on while you’re sleeping. If using ice, use a towel to prevent ice burns. (Heat works best in cases of arthritis, and ice can be beneficial to help with swelling).
- Get regular massages to relieve tension around the affected area.
- Speak to a physical therapist about exercises you can do at home to relieve pain.
- Change your mattress or invest in a mattress topper that isn’t too firm.
In more severe cases, your doctor may recommend a minor surgical treatment or medical procedure such as arthroscopy, hip resurfacing, steroid injections, or fluid removal.
If you want to prevent your hip pain from flaring up in the evening, partake in exercises such as yoga, stretching, swimming, or pilates. It can massively improve your posture and reduce pressure or tension.
Lastly
If you’re suffering from hip pain during the night, one of the key things you need to concentrate on, besides pain relief, is your general sleep hygiene. Sleep is vital for recovery, so you must be getting the correct amount of sleep and having interrupted sleep.
Such as going to bed at the same time every night and ensuring you have a clean, comfortable, and quiet place to sleep. Avoiding screen time before bed contributes to a good night’s sleep.
If you can’t recognize a notable cause for your hip pain, then seeing your physician is essential. They will be able to examine your condition more closely and identify any underlying causes, such as swelling, arthritis, or tendonitis.
Suppose you think your hip pain at night results from an injury or have other symptoms such as a fever, sudden swelling, paralysis, or intense pain. If it means you can’t stand, you must be taken to the ER at the earliest opportunity.
It’s essential to remember that if your general sleep quality is bad, your recovery will take longer. The quicker you can find a remedy that works, the quicker your recuperation will be.
Simple things such as light exercise, a change in mattress, or a supportive pillow can drastically improve your sleep quality when trying to sleep with hip pain.
I hope that now you have a little more insight into the possible causes of your hip pain when sleeping; you now feel reassured that there is a treatment plan that can work for you and that your return to health is in sight.
