Rib pain can be more challenging than pain in other parts of the body because it restricts breathing. When you sleep, you put pressure on the rib cage, which often worsens the pain. Find the underlying cause, so you can get treatment, and try these tips for sleeping better with rib pain.

Why Do My Ribs Hurt When I Wake up?

Believe it or not, you are not alone if you wake up in the morning with pain in your ribcage that eventually lessens or goes away. Many people experience rib pain, and there are many potential underlying causes:

• Rib injury. Fractured or bruised ribs cause pain at all times, but it may worsen in the morning because you’ve been putting pressure on them throughout the night. You might have injured your ribs in a car accident, by falling, or when playing sports.
• Muscle injury. You can also strain the muscles between the ribs—the intercostal muscles—resulting in rib pain. Sports or heavy lifting can stretch and tear these muscles.
• Costochondritis. This is inflammation of the cartilage between the ribs and sternum in the chest. It can feel like a heart attack but it’s fairly common and can be treated with rest and medication.
• Fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is still not well understood, but it causes musculoskeletal pain throughout the body. It often causes pain and stiffness in the morning, so you might wake up with pain that lessens as you move more.
• Ankolysing Spondylitis. This is an inflammatory disease that causes vertebrae in the spine to fuse. It often affects the rib cage as well, causing stiffness, pain, and difficulty breathing. It’s important toget a diagnosis and treatment for this condition as soon as possible.
• Pleurisy. This is inflammation in the layers of tissue that cover the lungs. It might cause additional pain as you wake up because you’ve been putting pressure on the tissue. There are several underlying causes of Pleurisy, so it’s important to get a diagnosis.

Whether your ribs hurt only when you wake up, throughout the day, or at random times, it’s important to see your doctor. You might have an injury, or you could have a condition that requires treatment.

How Should You Sleep with Bruised Ribs or Other Rib Pain?

If you have rib pain from an injury or other cause, sleeping can be uncomfortable and difficult. Whether it’s a bruised or fractured bone or muscle pain between your ribs, a few tips can help you sleep better:

• If you have a bruised or fractured rib, the best way to sleep is upright. Use pillows and bolsters to help you sit up in bed, or sleep in an easy chair. Lying on your rib cage at night puts pressure on the injury, which can cause significant pain.
• Use lots of soft pillows to cushion your rib cage as you sleep. You can use them to prop up your body and create a barrier around you that restricts involuntary movements during the night.
• Try pain medications recommended by your doctor before you go to bed. Anti-inflammatory medications can help you reduce pain and sleep better.
• If your source of pain is not an injury, find the sleep position that feels most comfortable. For instance, if you have ankylosing spondylitis, avoid curling your spine and instead, sleep with your body in a straight line.
• Reduce stress with meditation. Stress can worsen all kinds of pain, especially pain associated with conditions like fibromyalgia.

Ultimately, the most important thing you can do to manage rib pain and sleep better is to see your doctor. You need to know what is causing the pain so you can address and treat it.