Many people find it difficult to move their legs while they are asleep. They may even experience the tingling pain traveling upwards when they try to move their legs.
The exact reason for such leg pain or restless leg syndrome is not very much clear.
However, according to research, the most common reason here could be stress, deficiency of essential minerals in the body, or consumption of certain medications that could create side effects.
In some cases, it could even be genetic syndrome which makes the mobility of the legs difficult in an individual.
In most cases, people tend to just adjust to the pain when they get up and shake their legs off until the pain is gone.
However, for some of them, it becomes hard to get rid of the problem until they get some medications.
Experts suggest that before relying on medications to treat restless leg syndrome, it is important for you to check on various other options that could help you provide relief to the pain in your leg naturally.
A wedge pillow can be of great help here as this could help you place your legs in a straight and comfortable position while you sleep comfortably.
What is a Wedge Pillow?
A wedge pillow is usually a triangle-shaped pillow to help accommodate the natural curve of a human body so that necessary comfort is provided in the best possible ways.
Regarding leg lift wedge pillows, these may come in multi-angles with varied shapes and sizes. Therefore, you need to check and pick the right one according to your needs.
If you feel intense pain after you sit for long hours or while you are asleep, you can try these wedged pillows for your leg and foot to help release all the discomfort and painful sensation while sleeping or resting.
You can either place it in a closed position between your two legs or in an open position for foot/ankle support.
By doing so, you are:
- placing calves and legs in a proper position
- elevating your leg position to relax legs and feet better
- providing the best comfort to your leg, thereby ensuring you are not stressed while you are asleep
While medications can help in relieving leg pain, it is important for you to be considerate about using these leg elevation wedge pillows to elevate legs while sleeping as it helps in improving circulation most naturally.
The best thing about using these leg wedge pillow for back pain is it acts naturally to stop all your pain and discomfort without any risks or side effects.
Benefits of Leg Elevation Pillow
Elevating your legs during sleep is one of the best natural ways by which you can relieve problems such as edema, swelling, sprain, fracture, etc.
Doctors usually recommend elevating your leg above the heart to reduce swelling and to heal your leg/ankle faster in case you have suffered from an injury.
The ideal benefit of a leg wedge pillow is to provide you with better sleep and comfort after a long day’s work.
While this is the most common benefit, below mentioned are a few other bed wedge benefits you can enjoy with:
- Ensures improved blood circulation by elevating the legs above the heart
- Reduces stress in the lower back of your body to relax your body completely
- Provides proper alignment to pelvis, helping relieve pressure from hip joints, knees, and ankle
- Helps to get rid of morning back pain to rejuvenate and refresh your body every morning
- Elevates and provide support for legs to relieve stress, muscle cramps, and swelling in the foot
- Relieves you from the discomfort and pain due to varicose veins and knee replacement/surgery
People suffering from lymphedema and pregnancy discomfort find these leg raiser pillows very much useful as these are ergonomically designed to help relieve pressure and strain on the hips, knees, ankles, and lower back.
A wedged leg pillow for side sleepers is also most recommended (especially for those suffering from restless leg syndrome), as it acts as a leg spacer pillow to provide the necessary support while sleeping.
The foot wedge pillow can also be used to treat non-inflammatory pain on your legs caused due to overweight issues and pain without swelling.
Morning stiffness that lasts for at least an hour after waking can also be reduced considerably when you use these pillows at night.
10 Best Leg Elevation Pillow Reviews
Proper leg elevation can have a positive health impact, especially for your feet, ankle, and legs.
However, finding the right kind of elevated leg wedge pillow is not an easy job as there are a variety of options available.
We have reviewed the top 10 options below to make it easy for you.
You can check their detailed reviews along with the pros and cons of each before making a final buying decision.
1- Lounge Doctor Leg Rest
The Lounge Dr. elevating leg rest pillow wedge is the first on the market to come with a patented design of its own.
Designed by a certified vascular surgeon, it helps to provide complete rest to your ankle and legs while keeping them in an elevated position.
The Lounge Doctor leg elevating pillow not only helps to release pain in ankle joints and knee but also helps in relieving the discomfort caused due to pregnancy, back pain, Lymphedema, restless legs, and other venous issues.
Use it after your full day of hectic work, and you will surely feel the ultimate relaxation.
Another benefit of using this lounge elevated pillow is that it is made up of thick foam, giving you ultimate comfort. You could also remove the outer cover and wash it at your convenience.
This lounge elevated pillow comes in various sizes, and you can choose the best that suits your needs by checking out dimension details.
The best thing is it is light in weight, and you could carry it along anywhere while you are traveling.
2- Procare Full Foam Leg Elevator
Procare foam leg elevator is a certified frustration-free elevator cushion for your leg, helping you best to deal with your sprained foot/ankle, knee injury, or recover after your surgery is complete.
This premium quality leg elevator comprises dense, fire retardant foam that prevents compacting.
It is intended for individuals with leg casts and those who require a certain amount of stable elevation for recovery. This is also best suited for internal/external rotation control.
With this Procare leg elevator, you can easily maintain your leg at a 45-degree angle, ensuring there is an adequate flow of blood to the injured area helping you with faster recovery.
Yet another benefit of this foot pillow for the bed is that your leg is comfortably placed, thereby ensuring that it does not twist and turn as you roll.
This is a much better option than the traditional pillows that can be used for elevation support.
3- Hermell Products Wedge Pillow
While pillows can be of minimal help, having an elevator cushion for your legs can give you the greatest advantage for healing and recovery.
Made up of high-grade, durable polyurethane foam, Hermell Products Elevating Leg Rest Pillow eliminates the need for haphazard pillow stacking.
With the help of this Hermell Wedge Pillow, you can ensure that your both legs are kept in a comfortable position, helping you recover from injury, swelling or pain at a faster pace by promoting proper blood circulation.
Hermell Elevating Leg Rest Pillow is a brilliantly designed zero gravity wedge pillow that not only helps relieve leg and back pain due to restless leg syndrome but also helps in dealing with issues such as varicose veins and phlebitis.
This pillow for the foot is assembled in the USA, and it comes with a removable, machine washable white cotton blend pillow cover to help you clean the pillow whenever required.
4- Everlasting Comfort Knee Pillow
Everlasting Comfort Knee Pillow is one of the best orthopedic pillows for legs that help keep your knees separated while you rest.
Its perfect ergonomic curved design and contours help you provide ultimate support to align your legs, hips, and spine.
With this leg spacer pillow you can easily deal with health issues such as back pain, hip pain, knee pain, pelvic or thigh pain, joint & sciatic nerve pain.
Also, it helps in relieving problems such as arthritis, bursitis, and pregnancy discomforts and pain.
The removable and adjustable hook-and-loop strap is provided with this knee pillow that helps to keep it in perfect alignment between your legs when you roll over while sleeping.
Thus it ensures an undisturbed night’s rest and pain-free, relaxed morning.
This leg lift pillow for side sleepers has a 100% pure memory foam cushion (with no additives) and a lifetime warranty.
As a bonus, 2 pairs of premium quality memory foam earplugs are provided with this pillow when you buy them at Amazon.
5- Milliard Foam Leg Elevator Cushion
This Milliard foam leg elevator cushion support helps in the easy recovery of injured legs and sprained ankles or knee joints by helping reduce swelling and sprain.
If you have just finished up your surgery, then this leg elevator can become your support system to help keep your leg in an elevated position so that you relax to the maximum.
A sculpted leg channel and 45° angled thigh ramp is provided in this elevation pillow for feet to ensure better safety and rest while you are relaxing your leg.
It is made up of high-quality supple polyurethane foam, and it comes with a removable cushion cover that is washable and easy to clean.
The key benefit of using this Milliard leg elevator cushion is that it helps in faster recovery by arresting blood flow and reducing blood pooling to injured joints and bones while keeping it at an elevated position.
By using this you are also ensuring that your leg does not get disturbed when you move due to tossing or turning while resting.
6- Intevision Bed Wedge Pillow
Intevision wedge pillow is yet another great pain relieving pillow which is not just useful for legs, back, and neck but also for relieving conditions like acid reflux, snoring, allergies, etc.
Made up of high-quality two-layer memory foam (for enhanced air circulation), it adds maximum comfort so that you can enjoy an uninterrupted night’s sleep every night.
Furthermore, this U.S. patented orthopedic wedge pillow for leg elevation and spinal problems comes with a machine-washable white cover for easy washing and comfort.
The pillow comes packed in a vacuum-sealed package, and it regains its original intended shape automatically when opened.
Above all, the Intevision bed wedge pillow comes with a money-back guarantee as you can return the product within 30 days if you are not satisfied with it.
7- Cushy Form Leg Elevation Pillow/Bolster
A cushy form pillow is another great leg elevation pillow that can be used for easing back, leg, knee, ankle, and hip joint pain.
No matter whether you are a side sleeper or a back sleeper, this pain reliever positioning pillow is a must-have for you.
If you are a side sleeper, simply insert this half-moon bolster between your knees and let it work to provide you with proper spinal alignment while you sleep all night comfortably.
If you are a back sleeper, simply place this Cushy Form wedge pillow under your knees or ankles to lift your legs or feet respectively.
This enhances circulation and helps in reducing varicose veins.
This semi-roll pillow is highly recommended by doctors, physical therapists, sports trainers, and chiropractors during pregnancy or after surgery for faster recovery.
This USA-made Cushy Form pillow uses 100% visco-elastic memory foam, which is hypo-allergenic. The outer cover comprises extra soft, breathable, and washable organic cotton material for the best comfort.
Above all, it comes with a 100% money-back guarantee which allows you to return the product if you are unsatisfied.
8- Restorology Leg Rest Pillow
Restorology pillow for leg elevation is designed perfectly for keeping your tired or injured legs at an optimum height so that you can relax most comfortably without feeling any discomfort.
This pillow comes with an extra-wide platform which is an ideal option for those suffering from problems like varicose veins, phlebitis, restless leg syndrome, and back pain.
It also helps reduce the swelling (caused due to arthritis or any other problem) by improving circulation and lymphatic flow.
Furthermore, this Restorology leg elevation pillow comes with dense luxury foam that does not flatten and keeps its shape over long-term usage.
Covered with a lush microfiber cover, which is machine washable, it provides extra comfort to the user for a long without the need for any expensive cleaning.
While buying this pillow you can rest assured about the quality as it comes with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee that lets you return the pillow if you are not satisfied.
9- The Angle Pillow by Back Support Systems
“The Angle” by Back Support Systems is another great pain-relieving bed wedge pillow that is good for spine health.
It is made up of environmentally safe, medical-quality polyurethane foam and comes with a hypoallergenic cotton blend cover which is home washable.
People suffering from conditions like restless leg syndrome, bulging discs, herniated disc, low back pain, etc., find it much useful as it provides the needed rest to your legs and lowers your back by keeping it at an appropriate angle.
While lying on a flat surface, you can keep this Angle Pillow under your legs or knees for getting proper support to your hip areas.
As it is available in varied sizes for different body types, care that you get the right size according to your body to get the maximum comfort.
The Angle has already helped millions of people who are suffering from lower-back problems by lessening pressure on muscles and discs.
If you are suffering from any such related problems, you should get this best hip pillow for sleeping.
10- Tempur-Pedic Leg Pillow
The last on our list is a TempurPedic leg pillow which is uniquely designed in a “peanut” shape.
This multipurpose Tempurpedic pillow can not only be used as a leg elevated while sleeping. Still, it can also be used as an ideal neck roll, lumbar cushion, or leg spacer pillow.
This US Made Tempurp-Pedic travel pillow comes with TEMPUR material (80% Polyester/20% Propylene) and is ideal for side sleepers.
Featured with a carrying strap, it is easy to take this sleek pillow with you, maybe in a car, a plane, or to your office.
The removable and washable cover is provided to help wash it at home and to keep your pillow fresh and hygienic all the time.
Although all the above brands and varieties are good to choose from and can serve your purpose very well, there are many other brands to look at.
These are like ComfiLife, Langria, Modvel, Cushion Lab, AbcoDirect, ZIRAKI, Brentwood Home, PharMeDoc, etc.
You can check them out if you want to do more research before purchasing.
Can I Sleep With My Legs Elevated?
If you are wondering about the benefits of sleeping with legs elevated, let’s tell you that there are many.
Many doctors do not recommend keeping your legs elevated for long hours.
But as long as you are doing it right, this can prove to be advantageous for your feet while resting.
With a proper leg elevator pillow and a knee pillow, you can sleep all night comfortably long without any issues.
Some of the benefits of sleeping with feet raised are:
- Reduced pressure on leg veins
- Reduced appearance of varicose veins
- Better circulation and reduced foot swelling
How High Should You Elevate Your Feet?
The best height for leg elevation is about 6 inches above the heart, whether you have a leg sprain or are recovering after surgery.
However, if you have undergone surgery, you may need to additionally use a post-operative shoe for faster healing.
Not raising your legs at a proper angle (or at an uncomfortable height) can lead to blood clotting and hence should be avoided.
You should, however, take proper support of an elevation pillow (for your feet) and a contour pillow (for your head) to keep you comfortable.
This will ensure that your legs and feet along with your head, are all raised at an appropriate angle and height.
Make sure you use a proper pillow or a wedge designed specifically for elevation.
Using any other prop or accessory can be risky and can make your condition worse.
How Long Should You Elevate Your Legs?
For getting the maximum benefits out of your leg elevation treatment you need to raise your legs for about 10 to 20 minutes.
You can try this therapy three to four times a day until you get relief from the swelling (usually for about 2-3 days).
Do note that you do not require to elevate your leg too much.
However, if you do not keep your feet elevated for this much time, the blood and body fluids in your legs may not get drained out.
And for this reason, you may not be getting the most out of your leg elevator.
How Long To Elevate Foot After Surgery?
Leg elevation time for patients who have undergone surgery may vary depending on their treatment procedure and their present condition.
However, for most patients, doctors recommend a post-operative period of elevating the feet between 5 days to 15 days.
2 to 3 days of prolonged elevation is also required just after the surgery to subside the bleeding and heal the wounds faster.
For conditions like diabetes, there can be additional elevation time required due to poor blood flow which slows down the healing process.
Is it bad to sleep with your knees bent?
No, it is not. But make sure you lie on your back and place a pillow under your knees. If you sleep on your side, keep your knees slightly bent and place a pillow between your two legs for a more comfortable experience.
Where does the fluid go when you elevate your legs?
A swollen leg is a sign of fluid in your leg that may be caused due to bad circulation. When you elevate your legs higher than the heart, the fluid in your leg will tend to move towards your heart due to the gravitational force. This ultimately relieves the swelling and pain.
Can you elevate your legs without using a wedge pillow?
If you do not have a wedge pillow available for leg elevation, you can simply lie down flat on the floor (on your back) and put your legs up against the wall. Try to place your legs straight up in a condition where your legs and torso form a 90-degree angle.
Tips for Choosing The Right Elevated Leg Pillow
Choosing the right foot wedge is one of the best options regarding “how to elevate feet while sleeping?”
However, as there is a wide variety out there on sites like Amazon, Walmart, and others, it is good for you to know how to choose the one that is the right fit for you.
✅ Proper elevation:
First of all, it is important for you to know that pillow for restless leg syndrome can benefit only if it comes with proper leg elevation features.
In case you raise your feet too high or too low, it may prove worthless for you and can even increase the pain.
✅ Quality fabric and material:
Next, while finding the best leg supports for beds, is to check the quality of material and fabric it is made up of.
You should choose the material which is not too hot but breathes freely.
Memory foam pillows are best suited for you as they automatically contours to your body shape, providing the maximum comfort you are aiming at.
✅ Proper shape and size:
Elevating leg rest wedge comes in different shapes and sizes.
While the basic ones are designed like a traditional bed pillow, there are many other shapes like triangles, circles, rectangles, etc., from which you can choose.
Also, there are tiered leg wedges that come with multiple angles to provide maximum comfort to your legs, knees, and ankle.
✅ Firmness and Construction:
Wedge pillows for leg support and better circulation usually come with the tag ‘Medium Firm’ or ‘Firm’. Many of these also come with a softer feel.
Keep in mind that some of these pillows may offer you varying firmness settings on their different sides.
These can be made up of single foam pieces or with multiple different layers – adjusted as softer foam layers on top of firmer foam layers.
These different layers of pillow allow you to rotate your leg pillow to the different sides so that you can adjust the firm feel while resting.
✅ You’re Budget:
While there are some leg elevation pillows that cost $100 or more, there are still many models that can be purchased for less than $50.
When you buy them from online retailers, make sure that you also take into consideration the shipping costs that may be involved.
Also, ensure that the material and comfort you are getting are according to the exact price you pay for.
The good part is, as these elevating leg pillows are priced very affordable, you can choose more than one to try differently according to your needs.
Believe me; you will not regret the money you invest in these leg support pillows, as they can serve you best for years to come.
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