Arthritis affects around 3.7 million Australians, and it's most common in people aged 75 and over, where nearly half are living with the condition. For a lot of those people, their beds can be part of the problem. Lying flat puts constant pressure on hips, knees, and lower backs that are already inflamed, and once that pain interrupts sleep, it tends to get worse the next day, too.

Arthritis Australia notes that as many as 80% of people with arthritis have trouble sleeping, and disturbed sleep can lower your pain threshold, so discomfort that was manageable during the day can feel worse at night.

An adjustable bed doesn't cure arthritis, but it does give you a way to change position and offload pressure from painful joints, which, for many people, makes a real difference to how they sleep and how they feel when they get up in the morning.

Key Takeaways

• Elevating the head and feet redistributes body weight and takes direct pressure off the hips, knees and the lower back.
• Around 80% of people with arthritis report disrupted sleep, and poorer sleep is linked to worse next-day pain, so improving sleep position can have a flow-on effect.
• Starting positions (roughly 30° at the head, 15° at the feet) are a comfort experiment; everyone's joints respond differently.
• For arthritic hands, motor noise, remote size and ease of use matter as much as the recline itself.
• Getting in and out of bed safely matters just as much as the sleeping position, especially for elderly clients and NDIS participants living with reduced mobility.

Why a Flat Mattress Is Hard on Arthritic Joints

On a flat surface, your body weight settles into a handful of pressure points (predominantly your hips, shoulders, and lower back) rather than spreading evenly. If those areas are already inflamed, that concentrated pressure is exactly what keeps people awake, shifting and repositioning pillows through the night, trying to find relief that doesn't last.

Raising the head and feet changes that. It distributes weight across a larger surface area and takes direct load off the joints that are doing the complaining. Slightly elevating the legs can also help fluid drain away from swollen ankles and knees, since gravity is doing some of the work instead of the joint. None of this reverses the underlying disease process, but for many people, it's the difference between tossing and turning all night and comfortably settling.

Our adjustable beds range offers this independent head and foot elevation, and it's worth pairing with a pressure care mattress if pressure points are a recurring issue rather than an occasional one.

Finding a Position That Works 

There's no single "correct" angle for arthritis. As a starting point, many people find head elevation of around 30 degrees and foot elevation of around 15 degrees comfortable. This is a gentle recline rather than sitting bolt upright. From there, it's trial and error: a few degrees more or less at the knees can be the difference between relief and new pressure elsewhere.

Because arthritis affects everyone differently, we'd always recommend working through starting positions with a GP, physiotherapist or occupational therapist rather than guessing on your own. This is particularly important for NDIS participants, where the right setup often needs to be documented as part of an assessment before funding is approved. Our NDIS sleeping solutions page has more detail on how that process typically works.

What to Look for When Arthritis Affects Your Hands

If arthritis is in the hands or fingers, the bed's controls matter just as much as the mattress angle. A few features worth checking before you buy:

• Quiet, independent motors, so the head and foot can be adjusted separately without disturbing a partner, and without a grinding noise every time you move.
• A large, backlit remote with clear buttons. Small, fiddly controls are difficult to use with swollen or stiff finger joints, especially at night.
• A lock-out function is useful in shared households or where a carer needs to fix a position and stop it from being accidentally changed.
• A sensible weight rating. Check this against the person's actual needs, particularly if a pressure care mattress or additional bedding is being used on top.

Our electric hi-lo beds combine this kind of easy control with height adjustment.

For Carers and Family: Safety Getting In and Out

Arthritis pain can also affect the simple act of getting into and out of bed, and that's where fall risk starts creeping in. A bed that's too low forces extra strain through the hips and knees to stand up; one that's too high can be just as unstable. Hi-lo beds let the entire base be raised or lowered to the right height for standing transfers, taking a lot of that strain out of the equation.

Bed rails are worth considering, particularly overnight when someone might need to reposition without a carer present. It's also worth thinking about how a bed pairs with a lift recliner chair for daytime use. Consistent, supported positioning across both is often more helpful than solving sleep in isolation and leaving the rest of the day unaddressed.

Where to From Here?

If you're weighing up between a standard adjustable base and a hi-lo bed, we've broken down the practical differences in adjustable bed vs hi-lo bed. And if the mattress itself needs sorting once you've settled on a base, our guide to the best mattresses for adjustable beds covers what works with a moving frame versus what doesn't. For the broader picture beyond arthritis specifically, we've also covered the wider health and lifestyle benefits of adjustable beds.

If you'd like to talk through options for a specific client or family member (including what's available through NDIS or Home Care Packages), our team at Back To Sleep is happy to walk you through the adjustable bed options and match features to your specific needs.

This article is general information only and isn't a substitute for individual medical advice. If you or a client are managing arthritis, please speak with a GP, physiotherapist or occupational therapist about what positioning and equipment is right for your specific situation.

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