Sleeping with tennis elbow: 5 tips for better sleep at night

Tennis elbow occurs in 1-3% of the U.S. population each year. Despite its name, you don’t have to be an athlete to develop this condition. In fact, 90% of people with tennis elbow didn’t get this injury from playing sports. Repetitive strain on your arm may injure tendons and contribute to the development of tennis elbow.

Unfortunately, tennis elbow makes daily activities more challenging, including gripping, lifting and sleeping. While physical therapy can help relieve lateral elbow pain during the day, the right strategies can reduce pain at night to help you sleep. Let’s explore the top five tips on how to sleep with tennis elbow. 

What is tennis elbow? 

Tennis elbow is a repetitive strain injury that causes pain on the outside of the elbow. Also known as lateral epicondylitis, this condition occurs from overusing the tendons that connect the forearm muscles to the elbow. Repetitive motions like gripping or twisting can lead to microscopic tears in the tendons. As a result, the elbow becomes inflamed, causing lateral elbow pain.

Common symptoms of tennis elbow include:

• Pain on the outside of the elbow

• Difficulty gripping objects

• Tenderness around the lateral epicondyle, which is the bony bump on the elbow

• Pain that worsens with lifting, gripping or straightening the wrist

• Stiffness in the elbow

• Swelling around the elbow joint

• Pain that worsens at night

How tennis elbow affects sleep

While common activities can trigger tennis elbow throughout the day, you may also feel this pain when you’re resting. Sleeping and staying asleep with tennis elbow can be difficult for the following reasons:

1. Decreased blood flow  

Blood circulation can slow during sleep, decreasing the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to damaged tissues. Additionally, this decrease in oxygen and nutrients slows tissue repair, exacerbating lateral elbow pain.

2. Relaxed muscles  

Sleep causes your muscles to relax due to reduced activity. The combination of relaxed muscles and lying still can stiffen your muscles, irritating your tendons and exacerbating your tennis elbow pain.

3. Potential nerve compression  

Sleeping in certain positions can increase your pain from tennis elbow. When you sleep on your tennis elbow or put it under your head, you can cause nerve pressure, restricting blood flow and causing pain. 

5 tips to sleep better with tennis elbow

As pain and inflammation increase in your elbow, it becomes more difficult to fall and stay asleep. However, with the right strategies, you can relieve tennis elbow pain and sleep easier.

Here are our top five tips to sleeping better with tennis elbow:

1. Don’t sleep on the affected elbow 

Lying on your tennis elbow can cause nerve compression and exacerbate your lateral elbow pain. By sleeping on your back, you can help alleviate your tennis elbow strain by reducing pressure on the nerve.

2. Support your arm with pillows

Elevating your affected arm with pillows can reduce swelling and pressure. By lifting your injured arm with pillows, you support your arm in a neutral position. As a result, this elevated position can prevent additional strain on your tennis elbow.

3. Wear a tennis elbow brace

It's possible that a provider will recommend, or provide, a tennis elbow brace to support your arm and alleviate strain on the elbow joint. Additionally, wearing a brace helps prevent your forearm muscles from contracting too much, which relieves strain on the tendons and reduces pain. A tennis elbow brace also helps keep your elbow slightly bent, increasing comfort as you move throughout your day.

4. Take a pain reliever

Taking a pain reliever before you sleep may help manage discomfort associated with tennis elbow. Over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen and naproxen may help temporarily manage pain so that you can continue your daily activities. If you’re unsure which medication is best for you, consult your doctor to ensure the safest and most effective option. 

5. Stretch gently before bedtime 

Stretching your arm gently before you sleep may promote blood circulation. This increased blood flow helps reduce lateral elbow pain and stiffness, making it easier to fall asleep. Improving your blood circulation before bedtime also helps your body heal to accelerate the tennis elbow recovery process. 

Get help relieving your tennis elbow at KC Rehab

Tennis elbow can be challenging enough to deal with during the day, so you don’t want it to bother you at night, too. With these strategies on how to sleep with tennis elbow, you can fall and stay asleep easier. But if the symptoms are persistent or worsening, then physical therapy may also be able to further alleviate your symptoms.

At KC Rehab, we can help relieve the pain you’re feeling from tennis elbow. Our team can personalize your physical therapy to help you feel better and move better again. With our one-on-one support and expert guidance, we can help alleviate your discomfort to make your days and nights easier. Ready to ease your pain from tennis elbow and sleep well?

Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.