My chronic pain was keeping me awake until I started doing this gentle mobility routine before bed

Woman stretching in attic bedroom on floor next to a bed — (Image credit: Getty Images / luza studios)

I live with chronic pain and sometimes discomfort in my hips, neck and lower back can stop me from falling asleep, or the discomfort I experience from shifting position when I am asleep wakes me up.

In an attempt to ease some soreness for a better night’s sleep, I began doing a short stretching and mobility routine after brushing my teeth.

It was my usual post-workout stretches—frog pose, pigeon, figure-four and kneeling lunge—but rather than doing them after exercise, I did them right before bed.

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After a couple of days, the results were remarkable.

I went to bed feeling more relaxed

Releasing tension in my body meant that I went to bed feeling like I had just had a hot bath.

As I was falling asleep, my muscles felt less stiff and sore and I had less nagging pain in my lower back and hips.

I slept better

Unsurprisingly, not waking up every time I moved meant I had a better quality of sleep.

I woke up feeling refreshed rather than groggy. Plus, because I wasn’t roused from my slumber, I didn’t have my usual hour-long staring competition with the ceiling at 3am.

I woke up with less pain

Muscle guarding—corrective tension your body naturally employs to protect your from pain—continues even after you’ve fallen asleep.

Our muscles tense up around injuries or painful areas, causing involuntary spasming sensations that can pull you out of sleep and contribute to muscle stiffness when you wake, even if you sleep through it.

I spoke to April Flood, a physical therapist at Smith Physical Therapy, last year, and she explained that stretching before bed can reduce this nocturnal muscle guarding.

“Giving your muscles a good stretch is a cue for them to calm down, so when you roll onto your stomach at night, they don’t stay tight and guarded,” she says.

Even after just one night of stretching, my body felt noticeably less stiff and sore when I woke up.

The benefits improved with time

After a week, I noticed that my mobility improved and regular movement such as performing chores around the house felt easier.

The usual heightened awareness I carry with my body faded and I didn’t hold onto so much tension in my muscles. Even my mood and energy levels seemed to improve.

Now, if I skip stretching for a couple of days, I start to feel achy again and find it harder to find a comfortable sleeping position.

The benefits have been so impressive that I’ll continue doing these four stretches before sleep.

How to do the stretches

1. Frog stretch

FROG POSE: BEST STRETCH FOR LOW BACK PAIN AND HIP PAIN RELIEF! - YouTube

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Time: 30-60sec

Get on your hands and knees with your knees wider than hip-width apart.
Lower yourself onto your forearms, keeping your hands flat on the floor and your back flat.
Hold for a few rounds of breath.
Return to your hands and knees to release the position.

Progression: Deepen the stretch by moving your hips further back.

2. Pigeon stretch

Pigeon Stretch Tutorial - Proper Form and Technique - YouTube

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Time: 30-60sec each side

Get on your hands and knees and step your feet back.
Bring your right knee towards your right wrist and your left foot towards your left wrist.
Place the top of your left foot on the floor and lower your hips gently, keeping them square to the floor.
With your hands on either side of your leading knee, pull your shoulders back and look up if you can.
If your flexibility allows, walk your hands forward, rest on your forearms or forehead down toward the floor.
Reverse the movement and repeat on the other side.

Regression: If a horizontal position for your front shin isn’t comfortable for your hip mobility, adjust the angle so it’s more comfortable and less intense.

3. Figure-four

Figure 4 stretching - YouTube

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Time: 30-60sec each side

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
Place your right leg just above the ankle on your left thigh, just above the knee.
Take hold of the back of your left thigh and gently pull your left leg toward you, you should feel a stretch in your right glute.
Place your right ankle over your left thigh.
Hold the back of your left leg with both hands and gently pull your legs towards you until you feel a stretch.
Hold for time, then repeat on the other side.

Regression: Don’t draw your legs in as much, or keep your bottom foot on the floor.

4. Adductor rockback

Adductor Rockbacks - YouTube

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Time: 30-60sec each side

Get on your hands and knees and extend one leg out to the side, resting your instep on the floor.
Sit your buttocks back onto your other heel.
Place your hands on the floor, shoulder-width apart in front of you, keeping your torso upright.
Gently return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

Progression: Lift your hips and buttocks off your stabilizing foot to stretch your hips further and deepen the stretch in your inner thigh.

Lou Mudge is a Health Writer at Future Plc, working across Fit&Well and Coach. She previously worked for Live Science, and regularly writes for Space.com and Pet's Radar. Based in Bath, UK, she has a passion for food, nutrition and health and is eager to demystify diet culture in order to make health and fitness accessible to everybody.

Multiple diagnoses in her early twenties sparked an interest in the gut-brain axis and the impact that diet and exercise can have on both physical and mental health. She was put on the FODMAP elimination diet during this time and learned to adapt recipes to fit these parameters, while retaining core flavors and textures, and now enjoys cooking for gut health.