The 2026 Sleep Mobility Report
How chronic pain affects turning in bed at night
This report presents original survey data on nighttime repositioning difficulty — how often people with chronic pain wake from turning, what makes it harder, and what helps. The data comes from surveys of Snoozle customers and howtosleepwithoutpain.com visitors.
This report presents self-reported survey data from Snoozle customers and site visitors. It is not a peer-reviewed clinical study. Data reflects subjective experience, not clinical measurement. This content does not constitute medical advice. Snoozle is not a medical device.
What did the survey find?
The single most-cited barrier to turning was not pain itself but mattress friction — the feeling of being stuck to the bed surface. This aligns with friction coefficient data showing that common bed surface combinations (cotton on mattress protector, cotton on memory foam) create high resistance that requires significant muscular effort to overcome.
Which conditions make turning in bed hardest?
Respondents self-reported their primary condition. The conditions most associated with nighttime turning difficulty were:
| Condition | % of respondents | Avg. wake-ups/night |
|---|---|---|
| Arthritis (osteo & rheumatoid) | 38% | 4.5 |
| Chronic back pain | 27% | 3.8 |
| Fibromyalgia | 16% | 5.1 |
| Parkinson's disease | 7% | 6.2 |
| Post-surgical recovery | 6% | 4.0 |
| MS / neurological | 4% | 4.8 |
| Age-related stiffness (no diagnosis) | 2% | 3.2 |
Parkinson's patients reported the highest wake frequency (6.2×/night), consistent with published research identifying impaired bed mobility as the most troublesome nighttime symptom in Parkinson's (Neurodegenerative Disease Management).
What makes turning in bed harder?
Respondents were asked: "What makes turning in bed difficult for you?" (select all that apply). The top barriers:
- 67%Mattress friction / feeling stuck to the surface
- 58%Joint pain triggered by the turning movement
- 52%Muscle weakness or stiffness (especially at night)
- 44%Memory foam creating a valley/dip effect
- 39%Mattress protector making sheets grippy
- 31%Partner disturbance (trying not to shake the bed)
- 28%Bedding getting tangled during movement
Do slide sheets help with turning in bed?
A subset of respondents who used the Snoozle Slide Sheet for at least 7 days were asked about their experience. The results:
The most commonly reported benefit was not "less pain" but "less effort" — users described being able to reposition without fully waking, without bracing against the mattress, and without needing their partner's help.
What is the Bed Mobility Difficulty Index?
The Bed Mobility Difficulty Index (BMDI) is a self-assessment we developed to help people understand how much nighttime repositioning affects their sleep. It scores 6 factors on a 0–3 scale:
- Turning frequency: How often do you need to reposition at night? (0 = rarely, 3 = every 30 min or less)
- Wake frequency: How often does turning wake you? (0 = never, 3 = every time)
- Pain during turning: How much pain does the turning movement cause? (0 = none, 3 = severe)
- Effort level: How much effort does each turn require? (0 = effortless, 3 = major effort with bracing/pushing)
- Mattress friction: Do you feel stuck to or trapped by your mattress surface? (0 = never, 3 = constantly)
- Morning stiffness: Do you wake stiff or sore from not repositioning enough? (0 = never, 3 = every morning)
Score 0–5: Mild difficulty. General comfort adjustments may help.
Score 6–11: Moderate difficulty. Friction reduction (slide sheet, smoother sleepwear) is likely to improve sleep quality.
Score 12–18: Severe difficulty. Bed friction is significantly disrupting your sleep. A slide sheet combined with a repositioning technique should be the first intervention tried.
Methodology and limitations
This report is based on self-reported survey responses collected from Snoozle customers and howtosleepwithoutpain.com visitors. It is not a peer-reviewed clinical trial. Key limitations:
- —Self-selection bias: respondents sought out content about bed mobility, so they skew toward people with turning difficulty.
- —Self-reported data: all measurements are subjective, not clinically observed or instrumented.
- —Product user outcomes reflect Snoozle users specifically, not slide sheets in general.
We publish this data because no comparable dataset exists for nighttime repositioning difficulty in home settings. Clinical research on bed mobility focuses on hospital patients and caregiver-assisted transfers — not on independent, at-home, nighttime turning. This gap means people with turning difficulty have little data to validate their experience or guide their choices.
Frequently asked questions
How many chronic pain sufferers have trouble turning in bed?▼
In our survey, 91% of respondents with chronic pain reported difficulty turning in bed at night. The most common conditions were arthritis (38%), chronic back pain (27%), and fibromyalgia (16%).
How often do people with chronic pain wake up from turning?▼
Respondents reported waking an average of 4.2 times per night due to repositioning difficulty. 73% wake 3 or more times per night from turning-related pain or effort.
What is the Bed Mobility Difficulty Index?▼
The BMDI is a 6-factor self-assessment that scores how much nighttime repositioning affects your sleep. It measures turning frequency, wake frequency, pain during turning, effort level, mattress friction, and morning stiffness on a 0–18 scale.
Do slide sheets reduce nighttime waking?▼
In our user survey, 78% of Snoozle Slide Sheet users reported fewer nighttime awakenings after 7+ days of use. The primary mechanism is friction reduction — less effort to turn means less cortical arousal during repositioning.
What percentage of chronic pain patients have trouble turning in bed?▼
Published research on Parkinson's patients rates impaired bed mobility as the most troublesome nighttime symptom. Our survey data shows similar patterns across arthritis, fibromyalgia, and chronic back pain, with 91% reporting difficulty.