Sleeping Soundly During Pregnancy: What Pregnancy Sleeping Positions to Use and What to Avoid

At the beginning of pregnancy, everything is so exciting. But even in the early stages, it soon becomes rather apparent that you will be getting up more than a few times to pee during sleeping hours. And equally as annoying, you’ll find it’s hard to get comfortable now. How should you be sleeping and why is it important?

Well, for starters, you need all the sleep you can get. Your body is busy making another little person inside of you. It is exhausting. Proper sleep and proper nutrition will help you have a good pregnancy and a healthy baby.

Sleeping position

As your baby grows and changes, so too does your own body. And suddenly, you’ll find the positions you once found comfortable during rest are no longer comfortable at all. Experts recommend that you adopt the side position for sleeping while you are pregnant. In particular, it is the left side that is the best of all because it increases the flow of blood and nutrients to the placenta and your baby.

Another good tip with side sleeping is to keep your legs and knees bent. Many women find a pillow between their legs really helps alleviate pressure on their hips. They make special pregnancy pillows for this very purpose though you can grab an extra pillow from your guest room in a pinch.

If you’re a back sleep, you’ll need to stop doing this. In the beginning, it’s not a big deal but as your uterus gets bigger, when you lie on your back, the pressure from the weight of it can cut off circulation to you and your baby. So save yourself trouble by avoiding this position.

However, don’t roll to the other side either. You can’t sleep on your stomach anymore while pregnant either. Again, in the beginning, you’ll likely not notice at all. But as your belly bulges, it will be next to impossible to even entertain laying on your tummy anymore.

If you’re having trouble with acid reflux during your pregnancy, you should elevate your upper body with extra pillows. This can be a bit of an awkward way to sleep but it’s better than being up all night with heartburn that makes your esophagus feel like it’s going to burn through your throat and incinerate your whole room.

Unfortunately, pregnancy is a time when we’re becoming more and more uncomfortable. Everything begins to take its toll on us. Do your best to get enough rest and remember that the end result is worth it. Once you have your baby, you can go back to sleeping on your back again…if you can get any sleep once the baby arrives that is!

 

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