Pain between your shoulder blades or in the middle of your back can make it surprisingly hard to get comfortable. Lying on your back feels like pressing on a bruise, and turning over makes you wince. If this has started recently, this guide will help you find positions and simple tweaks that make bedtime easier, plus some gentle movement to try before bed.

You are in good company

Mid back pain is more common than many people realise, especially among people who work at a desk. Across many groups of working adults, around three in ten report mid back pain at some point over a year.

When it is recent, it often comes from stiff or irritated muscles and joints around the ribs and spine. These tend to settle well, especially when you keep gently moving.

Positions to try

Your mid back is linked to your ribs, so positions that let your chest and back relax tend to feel best. Some options to try:

• On your side, hugging a pillow to your chest. This stops your top shoulder rolling forward and twisting your mid back.
• On your side, with a pillow between your knees too, to keep your spine lined up from top to bottom.
• On your back, with a pillow under your knees and a pillow that keeps your head level rather than pushed forward.

Sleeping on your front usually means twisting your head and upper back to one side, which can be harder on a sore mid back. If this is your usual position, you could try starting the night on your side with a pillow to hug.

Mattress and pillow tweaks

You do not need a new bed to sleep more comfortably, but small tweaks can help. If your mattress dips in the middle, your back sags into it. Turning your mattress, or adding a firm topper, can give more even support.

If your mattress feels very firm and presses on sore spots, a softer topper can help. Research on back pain suggests that a medium-firm surface tends to be more comfortable than a very firm one.

Your pillow matters too. If it is too high, it pushes your head forward and rounds your upper back. If it is too low, your head drops. Aim for a height that keeps your head roughly in line with the rest of your spine.

Gentle movement before bed

A few minutes of gentle movement before bed can help your mid back loosen up, so it is easier to settle. Something to try, sitting or standing rather than in bed:

• Sit tall on a chair, cross your arms over your chest and slowly turn to each side, as far as feels comfortable.
• Gently draw your shoulder blades back and down, hold for a few seconds, then relax.
• On your hands and knees on the floor, slowly round your back up, then let it gently dip down.
• Take a few slow, deep breaths, feeling your ribs widen as you breathe in.

Keep each movement slow and within a comfortable range. A warm shower or heat pack before bed can help your muscles relax too.

Through the day

Keeping your mid back moving during the day helps it settle, especially if you spend long periods at a desk. Short breaks to stand, reach your arms up and gently turn from side to side can stop stiffness building by the evening. Your VIDA pain check-in is a good way to keep track of how things are shifting over time.

What to take away

• Try lying on your side hugging a pillow, with another between your knees.
• Use a pillow height that keeps your head in line with your spine.
• Use a topper to even out a sagging or very firm mattress.
• Do a few minutes of gentle movement before bed.
• Keep your mid back moving with short breaks during the day.

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