Best Sleeping Position for IT Band Pain

Elevating your legs with a pillow or adjustable bed frame while you sleep may help relieve IT band pain. 

When you’ve got a sore, tender IT (iliotibial) band, you know getting some decent shut-eye can be a tough hurdle to clear. Your IT band is the single largest strip of fascia in your body, and it’s highly susceptible to overuse and injury in runners and cyclists (“iliotibial band syndrome”).^1,2

If you’re working through IT band pain and want to minimize its interference with your sleep, propping up your legs while you sleep may be a key way to help you find IT band pain relief. By setting up your bed to offer maximum support, you’ll be helping your body optimize one of its main recovery strategies: a decent night’s sleep.³

Elevating Your Legs: Why It Helps with IT Band Pain

Keeping your legs lifted is the best sleeping position for IT band pain, and it’s often recommended as a recovery strategy for those who suffer from this type of discomfort.⁴ This usually requires sleeping on your back, which assists with spinal alignment. Specifically, a supine position helps your spine stay neutral throughout the night.

When your spine is neutral — i.e., allowing for the natural curvature of your spine — it alleviates stress on your IT band.⁴ It also supports the musculoskeletal structures connected to it, like your⁶:

• Legs
• Hips
• Lower back

Back sleeping is also ideal for evenly distributing a person’s body weight. Sleeping on your back can make you less likely to exert added stress on your body’s pressure points, which can aggravate IT band pain.

One solution is to prop your legs up with a pillow while you sleep. Doing so helps alleviate pressure and tension in your hips, which can aggravate IT band pain.

If you tend to move around a lot in your sleep (and your pillow winds up on the floor), another strategy is to sleep on an adjustable bed frame. These can be modified to keep different parts of your body lifted to help maximize relaxation and minimize pain.

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What Causes IT Band Pain During Sleep?

IT band pain is most common in runners and cyclists, but it can happen to anyone who’s physically active. Typically, it’s a sign that certain muscles are being underused, often a result of improper form or alignment.⁴

If you’re dealing with IT band pain while at rest, several factors may be contributing to the discomfort you feel, such as:

• Your sleep posture – Certain positions, like side sleeping, may cramp the spine and hips in some people.

• Unsupportive mattresses – Whether too firm or too hard, unsupportive mattresses can dump extra stress onto the body’s pressure points. The ideal mattress will be pliable yet firm, encouraging a more even weight distribution and proper spinal alignment.

While correcting certain sleep patterns can be important for IT band recovery, they’re most effective when complemented with physical exercises. Iliotibial band syndrome usually occurs when your IT band is compensating for other weaker zones of your body, so strengthening them could help lessen pain in the long term.

More Sleep Help for IT Band Pain

In addition to keeping your legs elevated, a few strategic interventions may assist with reducing IT band pain while you’re sleeping. If you’ve switched to supine sleeping and are satisfied with your mattress, these tips are well worth a try:

• Try a pillow between your legs – If you’re finding it tough to break a side-sleeping habit, simply sliding a pillow between your knees may help you find pain relief. While not as optimal as back sleeping, this can encourage better hip alignment and lessen strain to your IT band.

• Try body pillows – It may help to curl up with a full-body pillow while you sleep. This can help cushion your hips, legs, and spine, taking some of the pressure off your IT band.

• Try a Zero Gravity bed – If you have an adjustable bed frame, Zero Gravity mode can be a dream for soothing IT band pain. The Casper Zero Gravity mode is designed specifically for muscle relaxation and reducing pressure, and it can help you feel lighter while you sleep.

• Pre-sleep stretching – If you haven’t already adopted a daily stretching routine, introducing one before bedtime could be an ideal opportunity. Stretching your IT band and associated muscles may help relieve muscle tightness and minimize pain during the night. Likewise, doing some hip-strengthening exercises can sometimes help correct IT band strain.

• Foam rollers – Using a foam roller pre-bedtime is another simple and relatively mindless way to massage your muscles. Simply lie on your side with the foam roller beneath your side and move yourself back and forth, focusing on tender or “sticky” points.

Get Effortless, Custom Comfort with Casper

Everyone deserves to get a full night’s sleep, though sometimes it can take a little brainstorming to get there. If you’re looking for a sleep solution to solve nighttime pain, obsessively engineered mattresses and bed frames from Casper were made for you.

From the Adjustable Base Max to three ergonomic mattresses designed to support you, Casper helps athletes keep their recovery on track. Shop now to customize your comfort and get your deepest night’s rest yet.

Reviewed By

Jonathan Eilenberg

Jonathan Eilenberg is a Certified Professional Ergonomist (CPE) with a degree in Design and Environmental Analysis from Cornell University, specializing in Human Factors and Ergonomics. His expertise in biomechanics and ergonomics has significantly contributed to improving workplace productivity and comfort. With over six years in occupational injury prevention, Jonathan now applies his knowledge at Casper, developing biomechanically supportive mattresses, emphasizing proper sleep posture to enhance comfort and recovery. His work integrates ergonomic principles into everyday life, aiming to improve physical well-being through thoughtful design.

Sources: 

1. Cleveland Clinic. IT Band Stretches and Treatments to Relieve Knee and Hip Pain. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/it-band-stretches-and-treatments-to-relieve-knee-and-hip-pain 
2. Runner’s World. How to spot and fix IT band syndrome. https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/health/injury/a40675449/it-band-syndrome/ 
3. Active. How to Aggressively Treat IT Band Syndrome. https://www.active.com/running/articles/it-band-syndrome 
4. Very Well Health. Symptoms of IT Band Syndrome. https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-iliotibial-band-syndrome-3120472#toc-treating-it-band-syndrome