Best Sleeping Positions During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is an exciting time for expectant mothers. During pregnancy, it’s important to get a good night’s sleep to maintain your energy levels to support the changes your body is experiencing as your pregnancy develops. 

The change in a mum-to-be’s weight and body shape, as well as other changes that may be occurring during pregnancy can make it difficult to get comfortable and get a good night’s sleep at a time when sleep is very important. Ensuring you have the best mattress for pregnant women and the optimal sleeping position can help ensure a restful and restorative sleep.

There are certain sleeping positions that work best for pregnant women and are commonly recommended, and there are also specific sleeping positions that should be avoided during pregnancy, we’ve outlined both of these below and we hope that we can help all you pregnant mums-to-be find a sleeping position that will help you to avoid sleepless nights!

Sleeping positions during pregnancy

As your body weight and size changes and your bump begins to grow, your ability to sleep in certain positions will become limited. So let’s look at your best options

Sleeping on your stomach

While it’s fine to sleep on your stomach during pregnancy, the reality is that this position will only offer you comfort for sleeping in the early stages of your pregnancy, during your first trimester. As you move into your second trimester and your bump begins to grow, this position will offer less comfort as you will become unable to lie flat to the bed as you would normally.

Sleeping on Your Side

Sleeping on your side is a great option during pregnancy, it takes pressure off your abdominal area. Many people experience discomfort from having their legs together with knees touching and in this instance, introducing a pillow between your legs should help to minimise this discomfort and take some of the pressure off your back.

While sleeping on either side is likely to help you find the comfort needed for a good night’s sleep, sleeping your left side is optimum. Sleeping on the left side allows for maximum blood flow to your heart and to the foetus and uterus. So it’s good for baby and good for you!

Sleeping on your back

When it comes to sleeping on your back during pregnancy, it’s a similar situation to sleeping on your stomach. While sleeping on your back may be comfortable during the first stages of pregnancy, it can quickly become uncomfortable for you as your pregnancy develops and your bump continues to grow. it is often recommended by experts that you avoid sleeping on your back during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. During these stages of your pregnancy your bump expands and your baby develops, adding more weight and pressure to your body and if you’re sleeping on your back, this additional weight is being supported entirely by your back. This can lead to back pain and low blood pressure as well as fatigue from restless night of poor-quality sleep.

If you are ordinarily a back sleeper, you may find yourself drifting off to sleep or wake up having turned over on to your back, and this is fine, as long as you are not spending long periods of time asleep on your back absorbing the additional weight from your abdomen.

General Tips For Comfort During Pregnancy

• Drinking plenty of water is recommended during pregnancy, but a full bladder can keep you up at night with frequent trips to the toilet, try to limit your liquid intake a few hours before bedtime

• Get comfortable with some extra pillows, you might want to use them to prop yourself up as this can help with symptoms of heartburn or to put between your legs to take pressure off your knees or just to provide some additional comfort and support for your body during sleep. Elevating your head can also help with snoring!

• If you're experiencing aches, pains or cramps, elevating your legs may help with discomfort. Elevating your legs encourages increased blood flow and circulation and helps to reduce swelling.

• Limit your caffeine intake – during pregnancy, it’s likely you’ve already reduced your caffeine intake, if you are drinking caffeinated drinks try to do so earlier in the day to avoid feeling over stimulated close to bedtime

If you are pregnant and you think it may be time to change your mattress, check out our guide onthe best mattresses for pregnancy for some inspiration and guidance.