Pain after sleeping on my front- how can I stop it OR stop doing it?

[Summergarden]

I’m a lifelong front/ tummy sleeper and am lucky enough to generally fall asleep within a minute or 2 when doing so.

But for a few weeks now I’ve been waking each morning with lower back pain that lasts a couple of hours. A quick google search suggested sleeping with a small, flat pillow could prevent it but unfortunately it didn’t.

Has anyone found any miracle cures to prevent lower back pain when sleeping on their front or any tips on successfully transitioning to sleeping on their back or side? Of course I have tried to do so but just lie awake for ages before eventually giving up and flipping onto my front so I can fall asleep instantly.

Many thanks in advance.

Has your mattress finally given up? Maybe try a decent mattress topper, or a nuclear option, that might achieve nothing, of a new mattress??

I have exactly the same thing. My doctor husband massively disapproves of it, saying it’s going to knacker your back whatever you do. I’m now mainly on my side through correcting it loads at the start.

I was always a front sleeper, never any back pain but I did have neck pain (most likely from a desk job but not helped by my pillow) so I got one of those groove pillows a couple of years ago. It took a short while to get used to it but now I can't sleep without it. It turned me into a side sleeper overnight and it's so so comfy.

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I don’t think my mattress is the cause as it’s only 3 years old and feels and looks ok.

Small pillow/cushion under my hips works in the moment, if it is detrimental long-term though I’m not sure but I just can’t sleep the same if I’m not on my front

Maybe I should retry this with a different pillow, a flatter one. Thanks.