Sleep Position

Best Position To Sleep During Pregnancy – Learn How To Get More Rest

pregnant-woman-asleepPregnancy opens a whole new world for a mother to be and with the many stages of pregnancy she will need to change every aspect of her life like the foods that she eats, what she drinks, how long she will continue to work and of most important of all how she sleeps every night.

Pregnancy Sleep
Sleeping becomes a challenge for all pregnant women especially those women who are used to sleeping on their stomachs because they will have to stop sleeping that way for their duration of their pregnancy. Many doctors recommend that pregnant women sleep on their left side. This is the best position to sleep during pregnancy because it’s safe for mother and baby and as the baby grows this will become the position of choice that a mother will naturally choose the most.

When a pregnant woman sleeps on her left side this helps her to keep the baby from applying pressure to the veins in her legs and feet plus this position will also help her heart to work easier because it won’t have to work double time pumping blood to her lower extremities.

It’s also important for a pregnant woman to sleep on the left side of her body because this position takes pressure off her liver and provides more blood flow for her uterus and the fetus. Women who are experiencing difficulties sleeping on their left side should consider purchasing a maternity pillow or body pillow because these pillows will give them the support that their bodies need for a good night’s sleep.

How To Prepare For Sleep During Pregnancy

Since sleep is one of the most important parts of pregnancy for any woman it’s important for her to do everything she can to prepare for a good night’s sleep like:

1. Drink plenty of water during the day but cut down on the water before going to bed. This will reduce the amount of bathroom trips during the night.

2. Get plenty of exercise during the day. At the very least a pregnant woman should be walking as much as possible because walking will help to strengthen her leg muscles. Never exercise at night because exercise releases endorphins which make it harder to sleep.

3. Since stress and anxiety are two of the biggest issues that any pregnant woman can face it’s important for any woman to talk about what she’s thinking about or worrying about with her spouse, partner, friends or family.

4. Establishing a bedtime routine is one of the most effective ways for any pregnant woman to get to sleep. A routine also works at helping the growing baby to relax as well and use the night time hours for sleep instead of playing.

5. Heartburn is one of the biggest culprits that stops any pregnant woman from having a good night’s sleep. To avoid this problem it’s important to not recline until two hours after eating and if heartburn strikes during the night plenty of pillows should be used so she can keep her head elevated plus having some Tums or Mylanta next to the bedside helps too at fighting heartburn during the many stages of pregnancy.