How to Improve Sleep and Alleviate Discomfort While Pregnant
If you’re anything like me, then you understand how important sleep is and how frustrating it can be to struggle with getting good rest, especially when pregnant. If you find yourself waking up in the morning (or middle of the night) with those irritating pregnancy aches and pains that just seem to get worse AFTER sleeping or you find yourself waking up for what feels like absolutely no reason at all, then you’re in the right place! In this blog post, I’m going to discuss the ideal sleeping position(s), how to utilize pregnancy pillows, and some helpful tips for pregnancy insomnia. Sometimes just a few tweaks and positional adjustments is all it takes to turn a night of tossing and turning into a more restful night of sleep!
The “Ideal” Pregnancy Sleeping Position:
Ready for it?? And the #1 absolute BEST sleeping position while pregnant is…just kidding! You didn’t think it’d be that easy, did you?
If pregnancy were a one-size fits all situation then it might make coming up with a solution for sleep aches and pains a little easier, but alas, that just isn’t the case! But one important thing to keep in mind is that you DO NOT have to sleep in one perfect position all night long while pregnant in order to avoid issues. In fact, for some people it may be near impossible to stay in one position all night long! So, instead of shooting for perfection, just try to keep the following things in mind:
Pillows are your friend! Utilizing pillow support in the right spots can be the key to a less painful morning wake up.
Side sleeping is a GREAT option…and may even feel the most natural to you as you progress into your third trimester.
A small adjustment from what you’ve been doing may be all it takes. For example, if you’re already sleeping on your side and are still waking up uncomfortable, it may just take a slight shift forward or backward to fix the problem.
With those three things in mind, let’s dive into that “ideal” sleeping position a little further.
Side Sleeping Vs. Back Sleeping:
You may have heard at one time or another that sleeping on your back during pregnancy is “bad” and should be avoided at all cost. You may have even heard that you should only sleep on one particular side while your pregnant as well and are currently trying to remember WHICH side that even was…? If you’ve heard either of these things, let’s get into all the different ways of sleeping and things to keep in mind.
Side sleeping is typically recommended as a really great option during pregnancy for a few reasons:
It decreases pressure on the blood supply that runs through the center of your body (behind baby) which often can get compressed when sleeping on your back.
Is often more comfortable for breathing and your belly.
The LEFT side in particular can actually facilitate blood flow, ensuring that vital organs and the baby are receiving nutrients and oxygen that blood carries with it.
So, you may be wondering if the left side is the preferred side, what about the right side?? Sleeping on your right side COULD potentially place more pressure on the liver, which can lead to more swelling. But if you find sleeping on your right side the MOST comfortable, don’t worry! It is not a deal breaker to sleep on your right side and sleeping on your side (either side) is considered “safe”.
Some of you may be thinking, “But I’m already sleeping on my side and I’m STILL waking up in pain!”, so let’s dive into that a little further.
If side sleeping is already your “go-to”, but you are still waking up in pain, make sure to try these few adjustments:
When sleeping on your side, you really want to try to align your pelvis in what’s referred to as a “neutral” position. Neutral can be hard to come by as you progress further into your pregnancy as your body is naturally shifting and adjusting for the growth of the uterus and baby. In this case, using pillow support to promote that neutral pelvic alignment can be so beneficial! Essentially, neutral alignment is is trying to keep the widest part of your hip in alignment all the way down the chain…meaning the knee and ankle joints are close to the same height as your hip bone while lying on your side. If you’re unsure what this might look like, take a look at the pictures below to understand pelvic alignment a little better and how pillows can help.
Photos above: Wrist is extended, not curled under. Shoulders are in a good alignment by hugging a pillow. Belly is supported with a pillow. Pelvis/hips/knees/ankles aligned with pillow support.
Another helpful tidbit with pillows and neutral alignment, sometimes one pillow between the legs just isn’t enough. If you find that one pillow still causes you to have a downward slope from the widest part of your hip down to your knee and ankle, then two pillows might be something to try in order to level out the top leg and reduce that downward angle.
Also, another thing to consider is the size of the pillow you are using between your legs. You want to try to find a pillow that is long enough between the knees to support the hip, knee AND ankle joints, and oftentimes, a standard sized pillow isn’t quite long enough. If the ankle is allowed to flop down to the bed or on top of the other ankle, this can often cause that downward sloping angle starting from the knee down and the weight of that can actually cause a “pull” on the hip, pelvis or even the low back. If you’re really struggling to figure out why you’re waking up in pain and you’re already using a pillow between your knees, make sure to check the ankle support, as this can often be the sneaky culprit!
Aside from a neutral pelvis, here are a few extra pillow tips to keep in mind if you are trying to figure out where the heck everyone is putting all of these pillows!
A small/mini pillow can be really beneficial between the bed and your belly (see picture above on the right). This can help to support your belly, especially if you find yourself carrying pretty far out away from midline.
A small/mini pillow can also be beneficial between the bed and smallest part of your waist (see picture above on the right), especially if you tend to have more of an hourglass figure. This can reduce the pressure on the spine and SI Joint and help to support that free floating area, especially if you sleep on a firmer mattress.
Hugging a pillow in front of you can help keep your shoulders from caving in towards each other which can contribute to upper extremity numbness and tingling. It can also help to reduce the pressure on your upper back/neck!
If you’re already side sleeping AND you’re also using pillows to find that neutral position and you’re STILL having pain and discomfort, it may just require a slight tweak. The greater trochanter is a part of the femur (thigh/hip bone) that is the most prominent and widest part of the hip and is essentially the “bony” part that you’re going to feel on the outside of your upper thigh. If you find yourself laying directly on top of this bony prominence, it can often lead to a bursitis type of pain. However, one simple solution to this is to roll slightly forward or backward off of that greater trochanter in order to offload that bony prominence and reduce that direct pressure and compression. If you are doing this and rolling slightly backward, you can use pillows behind you to support that position as well!
Now, let’s assume that side sleeping just isn’t your thing and staying in that position feels challenging. Adjusting that typical side sleeping position by utilizing a hiked leg can really be beneficial to increasing comfort! Make sure to still use pillows for that top hiked leg in order to still maintain that neutral alignment and reduce the downward slope from your hip bone down to your ankle bone. And if back sleeping has always been your go-to, keep reading, that’s up next!
And lastly, if you’re looking for my personal FAVORITE pregnancy pillow (and what I’m currently using), you can check it out by clicking HERE
Is sleeping on your back while pregnant bad?
Here’s the whole thing with sleeping on your back while pregnant…it comes back to the blood supply issue. We have some major blood carriers that run through the center of our body behind where the baby is at. And this isn’t an issue when you’re upright or even laying down but slightly inclined, but it can become an issue if you tend to sleep flat on your back where gravity is forcing all that pressure directly onto your blood supply. However, in most cases, if your blood supply is being affected, you will naturally move into a different position. Also, your body will typically send you a few warning signals if this is happening, such as:
Waking up
Dizziness
Lightheadedness
Aching
The bottom line with the whole side sleeping vs. back sleeping situation…choose a sleeping position that feels comfortable to you! Because let’s be real, whatever position you can get in that is going to allow you to fall asleep and stay asleep for as long as possible, is likely going to be the BEST position for you and allow your body and mind to recover the best - which is what sleep is all about, right??
Make sure to use pillows as support where needed to work towards that pelvic alignment, and do try to avoid back sleeping in the third trimester. Oftentimes, as your pregnancy progresses into that last stage of pregnancy, you will find yourself naturally wanting to sleep in a side lying position, so then it just comes down to optimizing your side sleeping! .
Sleep Tips for Pregnancy Insomnia:
Even if you are as comfortable and optimally positioned as possible, you still might struggle with sleep due to the dreaded pregnancy insomnia! If this is something you’re struggling with, the following tips may be beneficial for you:
Tart cherry juice - this naturally improves melatonin in our bodies. To spice it up a bit as a nighttime mocktail option, try tart cherry juice combined with spindrift!
Magnesium
Lavender essential oil
Diaphragmatic breathing prior to bed to relax and get into the parasympathetic state (the rest and digest nervous system)…and if you’re needing a refresher on HOW to properly diaphragmatically breathe, make sure to check out this BLOG POST for my tutorial.
Listening to your birth playlist or meditations before dozing off
Getting enough activity in your day (walking, exercise etc.)
Snacks before bed, typically ones higher in fat and protein, can help stabilize your blood sugar at night to help with sleep
Try a few of these out and see what works best for you!
Pregnancy issues going BEYOND just “aches and pains”?
If you’re finding yourself struggling with more than just a few aches and pains…and not just associated with sleep or upon waking from the night, then you’re going to want to check out my Mind Body Core Prenatal Program!
This prenatal program covers just about EVERYTHING, including…
A pregnancy specific strength training exercise program
Diastasis protection during pregnancy
Trimester specific education along with core and mobility for each trimester
Specific labor prep exercises in third trimester
Labor prep mobility flows
Breathing techniques to prepare for labor and to help with pregnancy
Labor education and pain management during labor/delivery
Push Prep
How to know when to see a pelvic floor PT and what does that look like during pregnancy?
Specific pelvic floor dysfunction sections including…
Pubic symphysis dysfunction
Pelvic girdle pain
Vulvar varicosities
Incontinence
Pain with intercourse
Tight pelvic floor
Tailbone/sacral pain
Prolapse
Sciatica/low back pain
Upper back pain
Swelling
Round ligament pain
Umbilical hernia
Diastasis recti during pregnancy
Pregnancy postures
Sleep positions
Numbness/tingling (upper and lower extremity)
What to do the first 1-2 weeks postpartum
And even expert guidance on prenatal nutrition from a Registered Dietitian!
You can check it out by clicking below! While the full Prenatal Program is all-encompassing, I also have options for the Core/Mobility Program and Labor Prep for some smaller options - learn more below!