How Come Pregnant Women Shouldnt Sleep on Their Back

If you normally sleep on your back, it's safe to continue doing so during the first months of pregnancy. But from 28 weeks, it's safer for your baby if you sleep on your side - whichever side you prefer. As your bump gets bigger, you may also find that it's more comfortable to sleep on your side.

Why is it better to sleep on my side?

Sleeping on your back after 28 weeks can raise the risk of stillbirth. Experts think the flow of oxygen and nutrients to your baby is better when you sleep on your side.

So it's worth getting into the habit of sleeping on your side during the first months of pregnancy.

Of course, we all toss and turn during a night's sleep, but going to sleep on your side means you will stay in that position for most of the night. So if you wake up on your back, try not to worry. Just roll on to your side, and get as comfortable as you can before dropping back to sleep again.

Is it safer to sleep on my left side?

It's safe to sleep on either your left or your right side, so don't worry about which side to choose as you drop off.

One small study found that pregnant women who slept on their left side halved their risk of stillbirth, compared to pregnant women who slept on their right side.

However, this hasn't been seen in larger, more recent studies. So most pregnancy health experts recommend that women sleep on whichever side that's most comfortable.

How can I get comfortable sleeping on my side?

Try using pillows to help you find a comfortable sleeping position. Bend your knees and place two or more pillows between them. This keeps the pressure off the muscles around your hips and pelvis. You may also find it helps placing a pillow under your baby bump.

You may want to consider buying a specially-shaped pregnancy pillow or full-body pillow to help you find the perfect sleep position.

How to sleep comfortably with your bump

See how to use pillows to support your bump and find a comfortable sleeping position. More pregnancy videos

For more sleep during pregnancy tips, learn what to do if the following conditions are keeping you up:

• morning sickness
• back pain
• heartburn and indigestion
• anxiety over labour and birth as your due date approaches.

Also, see our top tips for getting more sleep in pregnancy in your first trimester, second trimester and third trimester.

References

Casagrande D, Gugala Z, Clark SM et al. 2015. Low back pain and pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 23(9): 539-49. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov [Accessed March 2021]

Marcin A. 2020. What are the best sleeping positions when you're pregnant?. Healthline. www.healthline.com [Accessed March 2021]

NHS. 2018. Common health problems in pregnancy. NHS, Health A-Z. www.nhs.uk [Accessed March 2021]

NHS. 2021. Tiredness and sleep problems. NHS, Health A-Z. www.nhs.uk [Accessed March 2021]

Stacey T, Thompson JMD, Mitchell EA, et al. 2011. Association between maternal sleep practices and risk of late stillbirth: a case-control study. BMJ 14:342:d3403. [Accessed March 2021]

Stone PR, Burgess W, McIntyre JP et al. 2017. Effect of maternal position on fetal behavioural state and heart rate variability in healthy late gestation pregnancy. J Physiol 595(4): 1213-21. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov [Accessed March 2021]

Francesca Whiting is an editor at BabyCentre. She's responsible for making sure BabyCentre's health content is accurate, helpful and easy to understand.

How Come Pregnant Women Shouldnt Sleep on Their Back

Source: https://www.babycentre.co.uk/x1047808/is-it-safe-to-sleep-on-my-back-now-that-im-pregnant

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