A lot of soon-to-be mothers complain about lack of sleep during pregnancy. Pregnant women have to go through pains, aches, nausea, and fatigue; thus, getting a good night sleep is essential. Unfortunately, a good night sleep is hard to achieve, especially when you’re hot, sweaty, sore, and your hips are aching.
The best way to sleep like a baby during pregnancy is to find the most comfortable and safest sleeping position. It may require giving up your favorite position, but once you get used to it, you will definitely enjoy a well-rested sleep. This article discusses the most recommended sleeping position to help you sleep soundly at night.
Sleeping On Your Back And Tummy Is A Big No-No
During the early stages of pregnancy, you really don’t have to worry about which position you sleep in; however, once you reach the second trimester, you will need to avoid certain positions, such as sleeping on your back and tummy.
When you sleep on your back, your uterus will put pressure on the vein that returns blood back to your heart. To this end, if you lie in this position for a long time, the amount of blood and nutrients that reach your baby will be limited. In addition, this position might also cause dizziness and nausea. The following are some of the reasons why sleeping on your tummy and back is a big no-no:
- As your belly grows, sleeping on your belly becomes impossible. It is also very uncomfortable.
- Sleeping on your back will also put the weight of your uterus on your intestines, and two major blood vessels. This may result to pregnancy complications.
- This position also causes backaches, your digestion becomes less efficient, and you might experience difficulty breathing.
If you really want to rest on your back for a short period, you should prop up your upper body using pillows. This will help reduce the pressure on your veins, back, and intestines. This is very crucial because any intrusion with blood supply to the placenta means oxygen and nutrients supply to the fetus will also be affected.
What Is The Recommended Sleeping Position?
Doctors and midwives recommend pregnant women to sleep on their left hand side. This position prevents your uterus to put pressure on your back, intestines, or veins. In addition, it also allows the placenta to continually receive the right amount of nutrients and oxygen. Sleeping on your left hand side during pregnancy won’t restrict blood flow. In fact, it actually enhances the circulation which means that your body won’t have to work double time to make sure that you receive optimal blood flow for you and your unborn child.
It is also recommended to avoid lying on your right hand side because it puts pressure on your liver; however, this position is much better than sleeping on your tummy or back. With that said, do not worry about waking up on your right side. As long as you spend most of the night sleeping on your left, you should be safe. Here are a few tips to help you get comfortable with this sleeping position.
- Use a lot of pillows for extra support and comfort
- Place a pillow between your legs, then cross one leg over the other. This is ideal for you and your baby because it improves blood flow to the placenta. It also helps your kidney to function better.
- Choose the right mattress. You should choose a mattress that is firm and yet still soft enough. The mattress should be able to conform to the natural curves of your spine. In addition, it must be able to maintain the natural alignment of your body even when you are sleeping on your side.
You can consider getting a memory foam mattress since it can easily contour to your body’s shape. This means that you will be provided with the best degree of comfort and support. In addition, memory foam uses a heat reactive material; thus, it changes firmness depending on your relative heat levels. Hopefully these tips can address discomforts so that you will get better sleep at night.
Citations:
Featured images:
- License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/pregnant-mother-resting-photo-p179905
The author, Kris Hopkins, recalls how hard it was for her to get a good night sleep when she was pregnant. Thankfully, when she bought a memory foam mattress, she was able to sleep soundly at night. She recommends her readers to visit online mattress stores to discover and view more mattress options.