Women often wonder, what are the best sleep positions for pregnancy? Especially when they begin to get uncomfortable with their growing belly.
There really aren’t many ideal sleep positions in pregnancy. But according to scientific research, the most important position is on the left side.
Sleeping Positions of Pregnancy
There are many “safe” sleep positions for pregnancy. However, the best sleeping positions are on the sides. It takes pressure off your internal organs and blood vessels. As a result, it provides better circulation.
Plus, with good blood flow, you are less likely to have swelling, hemorrhoids, and varicose veins.
Best Sleep Position for Pregnancy
Ayurveda medicine says there’s a major difference between sleeping on the left side and sleeping on the right side.
I know, this sounds strange. Why would there be a difference?
There’s new evidence showing that the left side is the best sleep position during pregnancy.
The New Zealand study concludes that women’s chances of having a stillbirth doubles when they don’t sleep on their left side. (1)
Sleeping on the left side has many health benefits as well.
Increases Blood Circulation
Doctors recommend that women sleep on their left side to increase blood flow. In turn, this allows more nutrients to get to the baby.
Laying on your side also relieves pressure from the back, and prevents the uterus from compressing the liver and vena cava.
The vena cava is a major blood vessel located on the right side of the spine that circulates blood to the heart.
Relieves Heartburn and Acid Reflux
Not only does sleeping on the left side improve circulation through the heart, it can relieve heartburn and acid reflux as well.
These are common issues pregnant women suffer with due to progesterone levels increasing. The progesterone causes the muscles connecting the stomach to the esophagus to soften, making it easier for acid to travel upward.
Laying on the right side can actually exasperate the pain of these two conditions.
Test this theory out whenever you’re struggling with heartburn. The effects are pretty quick. Lie down on your left side for 10 minutes and let your body do the work.
Assists Waste Removal
The left side is important because it’s the dominant lymphatic side. Sleeping on the left side helps your body filter lymph fluid and waste through the lymph nodes. Whereas the right side decreases the sufficiency of the lymphatic system.
The Journal of Neuroscience found that the left side sleeping position allows the brain to remove waste more efficiently. Which is especially important during pregnancy. (2)
If we aren’t able to properly eliminate toxins, our body becomes congested and leads to symptoms like nausea, swelling, headaches, and much more.
Improves Digestion
The simple matter of gravity makes sleeping on the left side great for digestion. It assists in moving food waste from the ascending colon into the descending colon.
This heightens the chance of having a bowel movement in the morning. A great benefit for those who struggle with constipation.
Worst Sleep Position for Pregnancy
Sleeping on your back is so tempting when pregnant. It can be incredibly relaxing. Unfortunately, you should avoid this position after the first trimester. The uterus becomes too heavy, and begins to compress organs and major blood vessels under it.
This disrupts the blood flow to your baby, and restricts its oxygen. You may also be left nauseous, dizzy, and short of breath.
A recent study shows that sleeping on the back during the second and third trimester reduces blood flow in the umbilical cord by an average of 11.2 percent.
Other issues related to back sleeping are:
- Backache
- Hemorrhoids
- Breathing issues
- Digestive problems
- Low blood pressure
If you wake up on your back, there’s no need to worry. Roll back to your left side. You would feel the effects of restricted blood flow long before your baby has a problem.
How to Get Comfortable
You may be thinking that’s all well and good, but sleeping on my side is extremely uncomfortable.
Friends have told me of the great lengths they went to in order to find comfortable sleeping positions during pregnancy. They would often end the night in the oddest positions.
And truthfully they still weren’t comfortable. Just able to achieve a small amount of relief.
This doesn’t have to be the case. We don’t have to sleep diagonal across a recliner with one leg dangling over the armrest. There are many options out there to assist with comfort while our bodies grow.
Pregnancy Pillow
The best way to lay on your side is to bend your knees and place a desired amount of pillows between them. This helps keep pressure off the muscles around your hips and pelvis.
I could never use random pillows though. One wasn’t enough support, and two was way to much. Which caused even more pain in my hips.It was like a constant fire sitting on my hip joint.
Also, the pillows I used to keep me from rolling onto my back never stayed in place.
I ended up buying a pregnancy pillow. My sister thought I was crazy to pay “that much money for a pillow”. Even though I bought it on sale.
But, wow, what a game changer. With this pillow I rarely woke up on my back, it had my ideal amount of cushion to support my knees, and I put the larger end under the bottom of my belly.
That in itself was life changing. I hadn’t even realized that I needed support under my growing abdomen to take pressure off my back.
The cost seemed steep for a pillow, but it was absolutely worth it. Plus, my husband used to steal it, I caught my brother sleeping with it on the couch, and it’s even used today, years after my last birth.
Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy
Our bodies go through a ton of changes with the growth of our babies. And this often causes misalignment that put pressure on the nerves, hips and pelvis.
The difference between my first and second pregnancy were like night and day. Though there were many factors that played into this, chiropractic care made my third trimester tremendously better the second time around.
I had my first adjustment around 20 weeks, and returned every other week. The chiropractor not only kept my spine in line, but worked on my hips and pelvis too.
I was about 30 weeks when I began to feel an odd burning in the muscles in my pelvic area. Not long after an ache began in my hip. I knew it was the beginning of the intense discomfort I suffered from for weeks the first time around.
Fortunately, after a chiropractor appointment, they both went away. I could actually hear a pop when she adjusted my pelvic area.
I never would’ve guessed I was out of line, but clearly it was the cause for my discomfort.
Think About It
While sleeping on the left side doesn’t benefit everyone (mostly those with heart disease and sleep apnea) it’s important for your health and the baby’s.
Pregnancy pillows, natural pain relief, and chiropractic care are amazing ways to ease aches and discomfort. By adding them into your pregnancy routine, the prospect of sleeping on your side is likely to become a non-issue.