Evaluate your bed

While a soft, squishy mattress might seem like a cozy nest, it can lead to a lot of morning back pain. A firmer mattress is your best bet to prevent morning back pain. But don’t go too firm—an unyielding mattress can introduce its own back problems. “Look for a mattress that will allow your ‘hard points’ to sink in, but not the rest of you—you want the shoulder and hip to sink in a little bit, but then the rest of the spine to be supported,” Coffman says. “When looking from the side, the spine should look very straight—not bent.” How you sleep on the mattress matters too. For your best back health, it’s best to sleep on your side or on your back (sorry stomach sleepers). Sleeping on your stomach can aggravate back pain because it can put your head in an unnatural position for extended periods of time, throwing off your alignment. It can also put your low back in extension for a prolonged period, closing down joint space. Placing a firm pillow between the knees can allow the hips and pelvis to stay in alignment, keeping any rotation from coming into the spine from sleeping with one leg up, Coffman advises.