Best Sleeping Positions During Pregnancy

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As a soon-to-be mother, you are told to sleep well and get enough rest. But with so many changes happening in your body, can you “sleep comfortably”?

Lack of sleep is one of the major complaints that pregnant women have. Around 66 to 94% of women experience sleep disturbances during pregnancy due to a variety of reasons, including backaches, frequent urination, and even a growing belly (1). How do you get around these to get a good nights’ sleep? The answer lies in the right sleeping position.

Read this MomJunction post to find out about the different sleeping positions during pregnancy, by each trimester.

What Are The Causes Of Discomfort While Sleeping During Pregnancy?

Various physical, psychological, and hormonal changes affect your sleep patterns throughout the three trimesters. Some of them include:

Nausea and vomiting

Anxiety, heartburn, and constipation

Frequent urination

Backaches and leg cramps

Shortness of breath and snoring, nightmares

Restless leg syndrome

So how should you sleep to prevent sleeplessness due to these factors? Will sleeping like you usually do help? Read on to find out more about that.

Normal Sleeping Positions Affecting Pregnancy

Three sleeping positions that are usually preferred could affect your pregnancy at different stages.

1. Sleeping on the back

As the pregnancy progresses, the uterus grows. Sleeping on the back puts pressure not only on the back but also on the pelvis, causing backache. This might disturb your sleep cycle and make you irritated.

Lying on the back during pregnancy may also put pressure on the largest vein (inferior vena cava), which could lead to low blood pressure, hemorrhoids, and decreased blood circulation resulting in decreased nutrition supply for the baby and the mom. Sleeping on the back might also cause snoring and heartburn in some women (2).

2. Sleeping on the stomach

It is okay to sleep on your stomach during the initial stages of your pregnancy. However, once your belly starts to grow, this position becomes difficult for you. Also, sleeping in this position can put pressure on your bladder, which may cause frequent urination.

3. Sleeping on the side

You may sleep on your right and left side, but sleeping only on the right side during pregnancy could compress the largest vein of the body. That’s why pregnant women are recommended to sleep more on the left side.

So back to the question: what sleeping position can help you sleep and rest better? In the next section, we’ll tell you about the ideal sleeping positions for each trimester.

Best Sleeping Positions In the First Trimester

In the first three months of your pregnancy, you experience hormonal fluctuations that make you tired, moody, nauseous, anxious, uncomfortable, and want to urinate frequently. If that’s the case, you can try these sleeping positions:

You may sleep on your back, as your belly doesn’t grow much during the first trimester. However, as the uterus grows with the progressing pregnancy, this position should be avoided.

During the first trimester, you may also sleep on the side (SOS). Though sleeping on your left is recommended, it is okay to sleep on your right side as well.

Best Sleeping Positions In the Second Trimester

You may not experience nausea or frequent urination in the second trimester, but you may have nightmares and suffer from heartburn and headaches. Sleeping on your back at this time could result in backaches, and the growing belly can make it difficult to sleep on the stomach. So, SOS would be the best sleeping position during the second trimester (3).

A bigger belly may make it difficult to sleep better in the third trimester. Read on to know what sleeping position helps best at the time.

Best Sleeping Positions In the Third Trimester

This is the time when sleeping becomes too difficult for expectant mothers. Sleeping on your stomach is not possible now, and sleeping on your back could result in muscle and back pain (4).

During the third trimester, you may snore and experience sleep-disordered breathing due to hormonal changes, changes in the throat, and obesity (5). Some women even experience restless leg syndrome (RLS), which also disturbs sleep often.

The best sleeping position during the third trimester is SOS or sleeping on the side.Sleeping on your left could help improve blood flow for you and your little one.

Making a few changes in your lifestyle can also help you sleep better throughout the pregnancy.

Tips To Sleep Comfortably During Pregnancy

Incorporating certain habits can help you sleep comfortably during the three trimesters.

Drink less water during the night: You can drink more water during the morning and afternoon hours but less during the evening and night so that you don’t have to wake up in between to go to the toilet.

Take short naps during the day: You may nap for a while during the day but don’t sleep for so long that you disrupt your night-time sleep.

Eat light snacks: To prevent nausea, you can eat some snacks such as bland biscuits or crackers at regular intervals. You may also eat something light before going to sleep to avoid midnight hunger pangs.

Try relaxation techniques: Breathing, yoga, and meditation can help you relieve stress and let you sleep well.

Make yourself comfortable: The physical changes you experience could disturb your sleep and make you irritated more often during the first trimester. Having dim lights in your room, wearing comfy clothes, and lying down on softer pillows can let you sleep comfortably.

Avoid spicy food: Heartburn is usually caused by fried, acidic, and spicy foods. So try to avoid that at this stage of pregnancy. And drink enough water as well.

Use pillows for support: Even sleeping on your sides could be a little uncomfortable as your belly grows. Use U-shaped and C-shaped pregnancy pillows under the abdomen or between your legs to support your belly and sleep comfortably.

Listen to music: Your sleep could be disturbed due to nightmares, stress, or other reasons. Listening to music before you go to bed can help you de-stress. You can also try talking to your partner or a therapist if you’re stressed.

Talk to your doctor: RLS could be due to iron deficiency. Your doctor can prescribe you medications that can help you treat any nutrient deficiency or blood pressure that makes sleeping difficult.

You may have to deal with a few sleepless nights when the baby is born. But you don’t have to lose sleep when you’re pregnant. Try these sleeping positions and follow the sleep-hygiene tips that we have recommended to sleep and rest better. The more peaceful your sleep is, the better you will feel. If you are unable to sleep irrespective of the position, talk to your doctor about it.

Do you have any experiences to share? Please write in the comment section below.

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