Alright, so you just got your back brace and you are ready to put it on to improve your posture or alleviate pain.
And now you are wondering if you can still have it on while sleeping.
Let me give it to you straight:
You should probably avoid wearing the brace while sleeping.
There are different kinds of braces for different purposes, but no matter which you should probably avoid wearing it while sleeping.
On this website, I write among other things about posture correction and products that can be helpful in this pursuit.
But whether you are using a back brace for posture correction, to recover from injury, surgery or diseases like scoliosis and osteoporosis the answer is the same.
I will elaborate on why below and also talk about some tips on how to do it should you decide to wear it anyway.
However, if you wear a specialized back brace due to surgery, injury or diseases you should always consult with a medical professional if you are in doubt.
You can read more about the use of back braces for pain relief here.
Other Related Questions
Before I get into why you should not wear a brace while sleeping, let me briefly link to some other short posts covering related questions you might have.
Back braces/posture braces can be very useful, and the concept of wearing it seems super simple, but you might still be wondering things like…
Wearing a posture brace, sometimes the instructions are not so clear.
Perhaps you heard someone mention that wearing these braces are actually bad for you.
Learning about improving posture while sleeping might be another thing you could be interested in given the topic of this article.
Finally, something that is on the mind of anyone wearing a brace for posture: how long does it take?
Sleeping And Back Braces
As hinted to above, you should not be wearing the brace while sleeping.
When you are sleeping you are moving around a lot without much conscious control. This is only natural and actually if you did not move around you would get big wounds.
All that shuffling around meddles with your brace and shifts it around. This is not good since your brace needs to be worn properly in order for it to work.
Simply put, it won’t provide you support to alleviate stiffness and pain or improve posture if it is not worn correctly.
Besides, having a tight back brace on while sleeping is likely going to make you sweat. Sweating and shuffling around could cause skin irritation or even small blisters.
How Best To Wear A Posture Brace While Sleeping
If you want to put on the brace while sleeping anyway, here are some tips on how to make it less harmful.
Raise legs using a pillow
You can relieve some of the pressure on your spine from your legs by raising them a little. Find a suitable pillow and place your legs there.
Careful when getting in and out of bed
Do not let yourself fall to the mattress. Try to instead gently roll on and off the bed.
Sleep on a good bed/mattress
On average you need a mattress that is neither too hard or too soft. Essentially, your mattress should support your back to maintain a neutral spine position. In this position, your spine actually has some minor curves.
Don’t use a big and tall pillow
If your head is being pushed forward by your pillow it puts excess stress on your spine. You can end up with the so-called forward head posture or even a Dowager’s hump.
Again what you need to focus on is a pillow that supports a neutral position.
Don’t sleep too much
While wearing the back brace sleep only if you really must and also try to avoid lying down.
Is Wearing A Posture Brace The Right Solution?
A posture brace can be a useful tool to help you improve your posture. But they are not a complete solution.
Unless you do various exercises and learn to maintain good posture as a habit (this is where posture braces are especially handy) you will probably never get a good posture.
You can’t rely on only the brace and actually wearing it long-term can weaken your muscles and make you dependent on it.
That is clearly not a good thing. Your end goal should be that you at some point don’t need the brace anymore.
Posture Correcting Shirts
Posture correcting shirts can be an alternative to braces and they do not share the same issues. However, they come at a higher price.
At first glance, these posture correcting shirts and look quite similar to compression clothing.
Though they are designed in a unique way which stimulates your muscles to contract or lengthen.
Unlike posture braces that mechanically pull your shoulders back, a posture correcting shirt will stimulate your muscles to do the actual work.
From this perspective, a posture correcting shirt can be well-suited for long-time use.
You can check out my top recommended posture shirts here.
Conclusion
It would be better to completely avoid wearing a posture brace while sleeping.
If you really must, then you should be careful!
If posture correcting while sleeping is the thing you are concerned about, then you should consider your bed and pillow.
My name is Marcus, I am a lawyer (LL.M.) and the founder of this website. Besides sometimes doing lawyer stuff, I like to write about fitness and health and share what I have found “works” for people like YOU. If you want to know more about me and my vision for this website then you can 