Hip pain is not an uncommon condition, but it can cause excruciating pain, waking you up during the night and even making it almost impossible to fall back asleep. The pain can either be due to your sleeping position or due to something else. For instance, if you do not move much when sleeping, there’s a chance of your joints swelling, which results in pain and stiffness.

In this read, we are going to look at things that may be causing hip pain at night and how to manage it in order to get a good night's sleep.

So, what the common causes of hip pain?

Hip pain at night can be as a result of various conditions, but the most common ones include:

1. Tendonitis

2. Bursitis

3. Sciatic-piriformis syndrome

4. Osteoarthritis

The pain can ideally be caused by your sleeping position, pregnancy, mattress or pillows. It’s is also possible for a condition like lower back pain to lead to hip pain. This is known as referred pain.

Sleeping Position

If you tend to wake up at night due to hip pain, then your mattress or the manner in which you sleep could be the culprit. A mattress that is too hard or too soft tends to trigger pressure joints, and thus a sore hip. Your posture when sleeping can ideally be the reason you are experiencing pain.

Try and sleep on your back, or if you are a side sleeper, then sleep in the side that does not hurt and place a pillow between the knees in order to keep the hips aligned properly.

It is also worth it to consider and take a look at the best mattress for side sleepers options for the maximum comfort and support.

Accident

A lot of people end up suffering hip pain after an accident, often a car accident. The shunt of the crash can cause you to bang or hurt your hip and can cause years of anguish and pain. If this occurs seek professional medical help and also make sure to cover yourself with legal help - if you’ve been hurt in a car crash, then you can learn more here.

Hip Osteoarthritis

Also known as OA, osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis in the hip region. However, there are other types of arthritis that can affect your hip and they include septic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

If you have hip arthritis, you're bound to notice the following:

1. Pain in the knee, thigh or buttocks

2. Pain in the groin region

3. Hip pain that prevents you from sleeping.

4. The pain worsened in the morning, during rainy weather, or after resting for a while.

5. Sharp pain when getting up from the chair, bending over or taking a walk.

6.  Grinding sound with movement

Bursitis

There are little sacs that are full of fluid around the hip bone and other joints. These sacs are known as bursae and act as joint cushions when you move. Bursitis is a condition that occurs when the bursae become inflamed.

Symptoms of this condition include:

1. Pain that begins as sharp pain and develops into an ache with time

2. Pain on the outside of the hip

3. Pain when you get up after resting or sitting for a long time and worsens after taking a long walk or squatting.

4. Pain that becomes worse at night when you sleep on the affected hip.

Hip Tendonitis

This is simply a condition that occurs when the tendons (things that attach muscles to bones) become inflamed. If you are suffering from hip tendonitis, then you may experience:

1. A dull and deep ache in your groin, particularly when you stand up or climb stairs.

2. Pain in your buttocks, if the hamstring tendon happens to be inflamed as well.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy is known to put additional pressure on the hips and spine. As such, it is advisable to wear supportive shoes and take stretch breaks after sitting or resting for an extended period. This helps reduce the risks of getting conditions like sciatica which can result in referred pain.

Sciatic-piriformis Syndrome

This is the numbness and tingling that runs from your lower back to the buttocks and occasionally down the leg.

If you have this condition, you are likely to feel a burning sensation on the calf when you are trying to sleep. You may also experience excruciating pain in your foot that causes you to wake up at night.