I Have Elbow Pain and It Gets Worse at Night

Your elbow may become more painful, sore, or throbbing at night when you are resting or trying to sleep, especially if the arm stays bent or pressed against the bed.

Elbow pain that seems manageable during the day can become much harder to ignore once you get into bed. You may notice a dull ache, throbbing, soreness, or sharper pain when your elbow stays in one position for a while, particularly if you sleep with your arm bent.

You may also notice that the pain wakes you when you roll over, straighten your arm, or accidentally put pressure on your elbow. Repeated use during the day can leave the area irritated, while several hours of resting in the same position can make the elbow feel stiff and painful when you move it again.

Your Elbow Hurts More When You Rest At Night

The pain becomes more noticeable once your elbow is still and you are trying to fall asleep.

During the day, you may be moving around enough that you do not pay as much attention to the ache. Once you lie down and stop using your arm, the soreness can become much more obvious, especially after a day of gripping, lifting, pushing, or repeated arm movements.

Bending Your Elbow At Night Can Keep The Pain Going

Your elbow may ache more when you sleep with your arm bent or wake up after keeping it in one position.

A bent elbow can put extra pressure on an already painful area and may make the arm feel stiff when you try to straighten it. You may find yourself changing positions, straightening your arm, or moving it around because keeping the elbow still makes the pain harder to ignore.

Why Your Elbow Pain Gets Worse During Nighttime Rest

Your elbow can take longer to recover when blood flow and circulation are reduced.

Muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues can become irritated or strained through repeated movement, overuse, awkward movements, prolonged positions, or everyday activities. Some of these tissues, particularly tendons and ligaments, naturally receive less blood supply than many other parts of the body and may take longer to recover after irritation or injury. Recovery can take even longer when the same movements or activities continue to place stress on them.

Reduced circulation through the area can make it harder for the tissues to receive the oxygen and nutrients they need to heal properly. This can leave your elbow feeling sore, tight, weak, stiff, or painful during everyday activities.

How To Help Your Elbow Feel Better

Improving blood flow and circulation can help your elbow feel better.

For centuries, Chinese herbs have been used to support healthy blood flow and circulation. Their medicinal properties help disperse stagnant blood and excess fluids that can collect around irritated or injured tissues and restrict normal circulation. As circulation begins moving more freely, fresh blood can better deliver oxygen and nutrients throughout the area to help it recover properly.

Topical remedies containing these Chinese herbs can help relieve pain and other symptoms while supporting healthy blood flow and circulation around the elbow. The right product depends on your symptoms and whether the problem is recent or has been ongoing for some time.

If you have pain, swelling, inflammation, or bruising, Bruise Relief Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by increasing circulation and dispersing stagnant blood and fluids around the irritated tissues. As circulation improves, fresh blood, oxygen, and nutrients can more easily reach the tissues that need them for healing.

If the area is especially swollen, red, or warm after a recent injury or flare-up, Ice Substitute Poultice can also be used to reduce swelling and inflammation while dispersing accumulated blood and fluids. As swelling and trapped fluids are reduced, circulation can move more freely through the area.

If you no longer have swelling or inflammation, but still have pain, stiffness, weakness, or sensitivity in cold weather, Pain Relief Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by strongly stimulating circulation and increasing blood flow to irritated tendons and ligaments. This is especially important because tendons and ligaments naturally receive less blood supply and can take longer to recover.

If you continue to have pain or stiffness around an injured tendon or ligament, or the area feels more painful in cold weather, Tendon and Ligament Poultice can also be used to further stimulate circulation to the area. By increasing circulation, it helps offset the reduced blood flow caused by cold weather, which can aggravate chronic tendon and ligament injuries.

If your muscles feel sore or tight, or if you are preparing for exercise or strenuous activity, Muscle Therapy Massage Oil warms and stimulates the muscles, increases circulation, relieves tightness, and improves flexibility. Using it before activity helps warm up the muscles, while applying it afterward can help relieve soreness and stiffness.

Frequently Asked Questions

You may also find these commonly asked questions helpful.

Why does my elbow pain get worse at night?

Your elbow may hurt more at night because resting makes the pain more noticeable, while keeping your arm bent or putting pressure on the elbow can aggravate the area.

Why does my elbow hurt more when I am trying to sleep?

Keeping your elbow still for a long time can increase stiffness and make soreness more noticeable, especially after repeated arm use during the day.

Can sleeping with my elbow bent make elbow pain worse?

Yes. Keeping your elbow bent for several hours can increase pressure around the area and make pain or stiffness more noticeable when you wake up.

Why does my elbow hurt when I straighten it after sleeping?

Your elbow can feel stiff and painful after remaining bent or still for hours, particularly when the area is already irritated from repeated use or injury.

When should elbow pain that gets worse at night be evaluated?

Persistent, severe, or worsening nighttime elbow pain should be evaluated, especially if you also have significant swelling, weakness, numbness, or difficulty moving your arm.

Safety Notes

This article provides general educational information about the topic described above.

Persistent, severe, or worsening symptoms should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional.