Sleep Better, Heal Better: The Spine-Sleep Connection
We’ve all heard the saying “a good night’s sleep can fix almost anything.” And while it might sound cliché, the truth is that restorative sleep is one of the most powerful tools your body has for healing, recovery, and overall wellbeing. But here’s the part many people overlook: your spine plays a central role in how well you sleep, and how well you heal.
At Salt Chiropractic in South Brisbane, we see firsthand how poor spinal function can disrupt sleep, and how restoring balance to the spine and nervous system can transform not only how you sleep, but how your body repairs itself. In this post, we’ll explore the connection between the spine and sleep, why it matters for healing, and practical steps you can take to improve both.
Why Sleep Matters So Much for Healing
When you fall asleep, your body doesn’t just “shut down.” It shifts into repair mode. During deep sleep, your nervous system recalibrates, hormones balance, muscles and tissues regenerate, and the brain consolidates memories and learning¹³.
Quality sleep is linked to:
Faster tissue healing after injury or exercise².
Lower inflammation levels, which reduces pain¹⁵.
Stronger immune function, helping you fight illness¹.
Better stress resilience, thanks to hormonal regulation³.
Sharper mental clarity and mood regulation³.
Simply put: sleep is when your body does its best healing work. But if your sleep is disrupted, this repair process gets cut short, leaving you tired, sore, and running on empty.
How the Spine Impacts Sleep
Your spine isn’t just a stack of bones. It houses and protects your spinal cord which is the main highway of communication between your brain and body. Any stress, misalignment, or dysfunction in the spine can send ripple effects through your nervous system, creating challenges that show up most noticeably at night.
Here’s how:
1. Pain and Discomfort Keep You Awake
If your spine isn’t moving well, you may experience tension, stiffness, or nerve irritation that makes it difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position². Tossing and turning to relieve pressure is a common sign of underlying spinal stress.
2. Nervous System Dysregulation
Your spine directly influences how your nervous system functions. If spinal joints are restricted, the nervous system can stay “switched on,” keeping you in a stress-response state (fight-or-flight) instead of resting and repairing (rest-and-digest)⁶. This often leads to shallow, restless sleep.
3. Posture and Breathing
Poor spinal alignment, especially in the neck and mid-back, can affect airway function and breathing mechanics. This may contribute to snoring, shallow breathing, or even sleep apnoea in some cases⁴.
4. Feedback Loops Between Sleep and Pain
Research shows that poor sleep increases pain sensitivity, while pain makes it harder to sleep². The spine often sits at the centre of this cycle, making chiropractic care a powerful tool for breaking it.
Chiropractic and Better Sleep
So where does chiropractic fit in? At its core, chiropractic care aims to restore proper motion and alignment to the spine, so your nervous system can function without interference.
Patients often report surprising improvements in their sleep after starting chiropractic care sometimes even before their pain has fully resolved⁶. Here’s why:
Relieved tension and pain → Easier to fall asleep and stay asleep².
Balanced nervous system → Better shift into restorative sleep cycles⁶.
Improved posture and alignment → Reduced strain on muscles, joints, and breathing pathways⁴.
Greater body awareness → A sense of relaxation and grounding that carries into the night⁶.
It’s not magic; it’s physiology. When the brain and body communicate clearly, the body can finally do what it’s designed to do: heal. While I often see people report that their sleep has improved, we are unable to promise any specific outcomes.
Practical Steps to Improve Sleep and Spine Health
While chiropractic adjustments can be a game-changer, there are also simple, practical steps you can take at home to support both your sleep and your spine.
1. Choose the Right Sleep Position
Back sleepers: Place a pillow under your knees to reduce stress on your lower back⁴.
Side sleepers: Use a pillow between your knees to keep your hips and spine aligned⁴.
Stomach sleeping: Avoid it where possible, as it strains the neck and lower back⁴.
2. Invest in Supportive Bedding
A medium-firm mattress and a supportive pillow tailored to your sleeping style can dramatically improve spinal alignment at night⁴.
3. Create a Sleep Routine
Go to bed and wake up at the same time daily. Dim lights, reduce screen use an hour before bed, and build in a winding-down ritual like stretching or meditation⁷.
4. Move During the Day
Gentle exercise and regular movement keep your spine mobile and your body primed for rest. Even a short walk after dinner can promote deeper sleep³.
5. Manage Stress
Chronic stress overstimulates your nervous system, making it difficult to sleep. Chiropractic care helps reduce this overload, but pairing it with stress-reducing habits (breathwork, journaling, yoga) maximises benefits⁶⁷.
The Bigger Picture: Holistic Health
The spine-sleep connection is about more than just getting eight hours. It’s about recognising that your body functions as an interconnected system. Your posture influences your breathing. Your nervous system influences your stress response. Your sleep influences your healing.
When one area improves, others often follow. That’s why at Salt Chiropractic, we don’t just chase symptoms. We look at the bigger picture: how your spine, nervous system, and lifestyle all work together to either support or sabotage your health.
Improving sleep isn’t just about feeling less tired. It’s about giving your body the environment it needs to heal fully, think clearly, and live vibrantly.
Key Takeaways
Sleep is your body’s natural repair mode. Without it, healing slows down, and stress and pain increase¹².
Your spine plays a central role in sleep. Poor spinal health can disrupt comfort, breathing, and nervous system regulation⁴⁶.
Chiropractic care can improve sleep. By restoring spinal function and balancing the nervous system, chiropractic helps unlock deeper, more restorative rest⁶.
Practical changes matter too. Sleep position, bedding, daily movement, and stress management all support the spine-sleep connection⁴⁷.
Holistic health is the goal. Addressing the spine and sleep together empowers your body to heal better, naturally.
Final Word
If you’ve been struggling with poor sleep, tossing and turning at night, or waking up feeling unrefreshed, your spine might be part of the picture. The good news? With the right care, you don’t have to accept poor sleep as “normal.”
At Salt Chiropractic, we’re here to help you restore balance, improve sleep, and bring out the flavour of your life - starting from the spine outward.
References
Irwin, M.R. (2019). Sleep and inflammation: partners in sickness and in health. Nature Reviews Immunology, 19(11), 702–715.
Haack, M., Simpson, N., Sethna, N., Kaur, S., & Mullington, J. (2020). Sleep deficiency and chronic pain: Potential underlying mechanisms and clinical implications. Neuropsychopharmacology, 45(1), 205–216.
Chaput, J.P., Dutil, C., & Sampasa-Kanyinga, H. (2018). Sleeping hours: What is the ideal number and how does age impact this? Nature and Science of Sleep, 10, 421–430.
Spine-health. (2023). How Sleep Positions Affect the Spine. Retrieved from: https://www.spine-health.com/
Pickering, M., & O’Connor, J.J. (2020). Pro-inflammatory cytokines and their effects on sleep. Neurobiology of Disease, 144, 105028.
World Federation of Chiropractic. (2021). Chiropractic and Sleep: Evidence Summary. Retrieved from: https://www.wfc.org/
National Sleep Foundation. (2023). Why Is Sleep Important? Retrieved from: https://www.thensf.org/