Best Sleeping Position for Pregnant Women: You Should to Know

Pregnancy is one of the trickiest and hardest times in a woman’s life. Everything changes, including the ones that you had perceived to be normal. Sleeping can also become an issue. It is therefore important to understand the best sleeping position for pregnant women.

Pregnancy is associated with all sorts of discomfort. Sleeping helps the body to rest and unwind. For a pregnant mom, knowing the best sleeping positions can help you. This is good for you and the baby as well.

The reason why pregnant women feel so uncomfortable during pregnancy is because of the changes that happen in their bodies during this time. The changes make things difficult and this can disrupt slumber. Discomfort is caused by:

• Heartburn
• Back pain
• Abdominal size increase
• Insomnia
• Breathing problems

When pregnant, women are advised to sleep on their side. It is recommended that a woman sleeps on the left side to allow nutrients and blood to get to the placenta and the baby. Knowing the right positions is the best way to guarantee your health and the wellbeing of your baby.

What is the best position to sleep while pregnant?

Many pregnant women worry about the best sleeping position because they do not want to harm their baby or themselves. Most women wonder whether they should sleep on their side, back, or stomach.

Safety is one of the most important aspects to consider when pregnant and it should not be taken lightly.

During pregnancy, it is better for the soon to be mom to avoid sleeping on her back or stomach. While it may be safe to sleep on your tummy in the first few months of pregnancy, you may need to change, as your tummy gets bigger. The best side to sleep during pregnancy is on your left side.

What sleep positions during pregnancy should I avoid?

Choosing a sleeping position during pregnancy gets trickier as you grow bigger. After 28 weeks, a pregnant mom should avoid lying on their back.

At this stage, it is safe for you and the baby if you sleep on the side. The other position to avoid is sleeping on your belly. While you may be able to do it when the pregnancy is young, it gets more uncomfortable as the month’s progress.

Trying to sleep on your stomach during pregnancy can be tricky and quite uncomfortable as well. Understand your body and change positions according to what feels safe.

Sleeping on the stomach and back should, however, be avoided as you get halfway through the pregnancy.

What will happen if you lay on your stomach while pregnant?

Sleeping on the stomach is common and possible during the first trimester. As you get bigger, slipping on your stomach may become impossible.

If you want to sleep on the stomach after this period, you should consider using a sleeping pillow. This is not recommended for overnight sleep.

Sleeping without a special pillow on your stomach can affect you in different ways. Blood flow decreases and this is not a good thing for the baby.

Also, the pressure you cause on the abdomen leads to breathing issues. High blood pressure is also a possible issue. Other issues that may come up are related to sleeping on your back.

Can I sleep on my right side during the third trimester?

Most women find the third trimester of pregnancy a very anxious and tricky time to deal with. This is the time when you are excited to meet your little bundle, but you still have to deal with so many other things in preparation.

For the baby to get adequate nourishment from the mother, it is not advisable to sleep on the right side for a long period.

While you may need to change positions during the night, the best position in the third trimester is the left side. Try to sleep in this position for as long as you can.

Can I sleep on my back during pregnancy?

If you are used to sleeping on your back, when you get pregnant, you need to make some adjustments. Yes, you can sleep on your back when the pregnancy is still young.

However, at twenty weeks and above, this is one of the sleeping position in pregnancy that you should avoid at all costs. If you lie with your belly facing up, then the uterus weight can compress the vena cava, one of the most important blood vessels.

This means that blood flow to the baby is disrupted. This sleeping position can cause shortness of breath, dizziness, and nausea.

The vena cava is the reason why most doctors recommend that women sleep on their side during pregnancy and it can make a great difference.

When should you use a pregnancy pillow?

There is no right or wrong answer for this because people use the pregnancy pillow even when they are not pregnant. Pregnancy pillows can be great for back pains, carpal tunnel, and sciatica pains.

They can be helpful for those who suffer from heartburn, by propping yourself, reflux is eliminated. Pregnancy cannot deal with sleep deprivation that is caused by hormones, but can help with pain issues.

Using a pregnancy pillow can prove to be more beneficial around 20 weeks into the pregnancy. This is the time when you will tend to feel more comfortable using it.

At 20 weeks, the womb is getting bigger because the baby is growing at a high rate. This can cause all sorts of aches such as ligament pain.

Harmful and helpful sleeping position for pregnant women

Sleep is very important for pregnant women. During sleep, the body can repair and reset itself. The blood vessels are also able to restore at this time,

Helpful position

So, what are the Best Sleep Positions During Pregnancy?

The left side: make sure you sleep on the left side, especially in the third trimester. However, also note that the right side is also acceptable. Sleeping on the left side helps with:

• Circulation
• Oxygen optimization
• Sufficient transfer of nutrients to the baby
• Reducing swelling
• Kidney function

Harmful positions

Lying on your back: do not lie on the back all through the night. The weight of the uterus can cause a lot of harm and suppress the main blood vessels. The womb may cause weight on the back and intestines, which makes hemorrhoids and backaches worse.

Lying on your stomach: the growing tummy restricts sleeping on the tummy even though there are women who still attempt this sleeping position. Even with a pregnancy pillow, it is not wise to sleep on the tummy. The effects can be quite similar to those experienced when one sleeps on their back.

The advantages of having the best sleeping position for pregnant women

Sleeping on the back during pregnancy has advantages:

1. Improves breathing since your body is free and not constricted in any area
2. It improves the performance of the digestive system, especially because you don’t cause unwanted strain on your intestines
3. It helps prevent the occurrence of hemorrhoids
4. It helps prevent snoring, especially in women who don’t snore
5. It also helps prevent back pains because the spine is not under unnecessary pressure
6. Helps prevent dizziness since you and the baby get your fair share of blood supply
7. It keeps the blood pressure regulated

Conclusion

Pregnancy is one of the hardest periods in a woman’s life, but one of the most rewarding. While the woman’s body reacts differently to pregnancy, the one thing that stands true is the fact that every woman needs to get enough sleep for their wellbeing and the wellbeing of their baby.

A woman needs to understand the changes in her body and why she feels the way, she does. Aches, pains, swelling, fatigue, and sleeplessness are some of the common things that women could experience when pregnant.

Having a good night sleep can help alleviate these in an incredible way. By choosing the best sleeping position for pregnant women, you can add some joy into your journey.