PostgreSQL Performance Best Practices for Homelab and Self-Hosted [2026]

You have spun up a PostgreSQL container on your Proxmox LXC. Your self-hosted services (Nextcloud, GitLab, Paperless-ngx, maybe even your own app) all depend on it. Everything works — until it doesn&rsquo;t. Queries slow down, the disk starts thrashing, and your homelab&rsquo;s database becomes the bottleneck. PostgreSQL, out of the box, is configured for a desktop workstation with generous…