The backs of your thighs feel tight and achy when you lie down, and you can’t quite get comfortable. Sometimes the ache sits right up near your sitting bone. A few changes to how you lie can make a difference.

Why hamstrings can ache at night

Your hamstrings run from your sitting bones down the back of your thighs to just below your knees. They’re stretched when your hips bend and your knees straighten.

When you lie curled up on your side with your knees pulled high towards your chest, the top of your hamstrings near the sitting bone is stretched and squeezed for hours. This is a common reason for aches near the sitting bone at night or first thing in the morning.

Positions that may help

• On your side: keeping your knees less bent, and not pulling them high towards your chest, can ease tension at the top of the hamstrings.
• On your back: a pillow under your knees keeps them slightly bent and takes tension off the backs of your thighs.

Sitting during the day

Sitting for long spells presses directly on the top of the hamstrings. If the area near your sitting bone is sore, a cushion, changing position often or standing up regularly may help it feel easier by bedtime.

Gentle movement

Gentle movement and stretching during the day, within a comfortable range, may help your hamstrings feel less tight at night.

Something to try this week

If you sleep on your side, try keeping your knees a little less bent than usual, and notice how the backs of your thighs feel in the morning.

What to take away

• Avoid pulling your knees high towards your chest when you sleep.
• Put a pillow under your knees if you sleep on your back.
• Change position and stand up often during the day.
• Move and stretch gently during the day.

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