If your mattress is too hard, place a foam sheet about 5 cm thick on top of it. Hold the foam sheet in place with a fitted sheet. Try it for a week. You can experiment with foam sheets of various thickness. If your back pain doesn't get away, you may need to get a new mattress.

If your mattress is too soft or sags when you lie on it, you can firm up the base by laying it on the floor. Try it for a week. If you feel better, place a board between the mattress and the base of your bed. Or start shopping for a firmer mattress.

Another way to prevent back pain when you sleep is to support your lower back using a night roll. This will support the hollow of your back while you are lying on your side or back.

How to make your own night roll​

• ​​Fold a bath towel so that it is wide enough to fit three-quarters of the length around your waist.
• Place a folded towel on a flat surface and put an old belt across it so that the belt sticks out past the edges of the towel.
• Roll the towel up and bind it with tape to keep the arrangement in place.
• When you go to bed, fasten the belt around your waist so that the night roll fills the hollow of your back.
• Make sure that the night roll is tight enough so that it does not move up and down as you sleep.
• In general, the roll should fill the hollow at your waist when you lie on your side, and support the hollow in your lower back when you are lying flat.
• Adjust the roll so it doesn't cause you any discomfort.

Ref: R14