Your sleep is bound to get disturbed during pregnancy because of the increased weight on the abdomen. Given this situation some positions are advisable during pregnancy. The best is to sleep on one side – especially the left side. Bend your legs and the knees and use a pillow in between them for support. Sleeping on the left side helps to:
- Improve the blood flow to the placenta
- Helps the kidneys to eliminate excess fluids from the body thereby reducing chances of edema
However, given that sleeping only on one side might be a little challenging for you, rotating from one side to the other, while favouring the left side, is alright.
Placing a pillow in front to support the weight of the abdomen also offers some comfort during this phase.
In cases of heart burn, prop up the upper part of your body by using extra pillows also offers comfort.
Avoid sleeping on the back because then the weight of your uterus will get completely burdened on the back muscles, the spine and the intestines and also major blood vessels – the aorta and the vena cava. In some cases this can cause:
- Muscle pain
- Hemmorrhoids (the swelling and the itching of the anal tissues)
- Shortness of breath
- Reduced circulation of the nutrients to the foetus
- Sleep apnea (when breathing temporarily stops during sleep. This causes sleepiness during day time.)
So start sleeping on your left side once you know that you are pregnant and gets lots of pillows to support your back and stomach.
Which sleeping position did you sleep in when you were expecting your child? Share with us all about sleep during pregnancy here or here
