Sleeping position for pregnant women is the best and can make you restful

Lack of sleep is the most common problem posed by pregnant women. Sometimes, I have tried various positions but it still feels uncomfortable so that you don't sleep well. Here are the sleeping positions for pregnant women that are comfortable and can make you sleep soundly all night.

Why is it difficult for pregnant women to sleep well?

Pregnant women tend to be easily sleepy during the day and have trouble sleeping at night.

This is because when you are pregnant your body goes through various changes, both hormonal changes and physical changes.

Changes in the body of pregnant women, starting from a larger stomach size, back pain, back pain, going back and forth to urinate, stomach acid reflux, shortness of breath, to stress.

These things may make you confused about which sleeping position is actually comfortable for pregnant women.

Plus, because all kinds of body changes often mess up your nighttime sleep.

What is a good and comfortable sleeping position for pregnant women?

During the first trimester of pregnancy, pregnant women are usually not too worried about choosing a comfortable sleeping position.

Your stomach has not increased in size so you can still sleep comfortably on your back or stomach.

However, as gestational age increases, these two sleeping positions will actually pose a risk to the health of pregnant women and the baby in the womb.

Doctors and midwives generally recommend The best sleeping position for pregnant women is lying on your side to the left, especially during the second to third trimester before delivery.

Otherwise, tidur on the right side is not recommended as a good sleeping position for pregnant women because it can put pressure on the liver.

Meanwhile, if pregnant women sleep on their left side, this allows blood circulation in the body to remain smooth.

This smooth blood flow is useful for optimizing nutrition and oxygen to the baby through the placenta.

Is there a risk if a pregnant woman is sleeping on her stomach and on her back?

As explained above, a good sleeping position for pregnant women is on your side to the left.

Well, what if you sleep on your back and on your stomach? It turns out that sleeping on your back and on your stomach is not recommended during pregnancy in the 2nd trimester until just before delivery.

Here are the reasons why supine and prone sleeping positions are not recommended during pregnancy:

1. Risk of supine sleeping position

The supine sleeping position is actually still allowed in the early trimester of pregnancy. However, when the stomach has increased in size, you should avoid this sleeping position.

This is because the position of the mother who sleeps on her back during late pregnancy will put extra pressure on the inferior aorta and vena cava.

The aorta and inferior vena cava are the blood vessels along your back that carry blood from your heart to your legs.

This sleeping position for pregnant women can slow down the body's blood flow, causing shortness of breath, back pain, hemorrhoids, and low blood pressure.

In addition, the size of the stomach that is getting bigger will also put pressure on the intestines while sleeping on your back, making you dizzy and nauseous.

According to the Mayo Clinic, sleeping on your back during pregnancy can be taxing on your spine and back muscles due to the growing size of the uterus.

In fact, sleeping on your back during pregnancy can cut off the blood supply from your body to the fetus.

2. Risk of prone sleeping position

Not much different from sleeping on your back, when sleeping on your stomach, your stomach will press on the uterus which can also cut off the supply of blood and nutrients to the baby.

This of course can endanger the safety of the baby in the womb.

What's more, your stomach and breasts will also get bigger in the final trimester.

This condition can make your sleep feel very uncomfortable when you are on your stomach.

The prone position to sleep in late pregnancy can make it more difficult for you to breathe freely.

However, every now and then, it is okay for pregnant women to lie on their stomach or lie on their back. With a note, this sleeping position is not done too long.

What are the benefits of a side sleeping position for pregnant women?

In addition to finding a good and right sleeping position for pregnant women, there are several other tips that can help you sleep well, such as:

1. Wear a pregnant pillow

Interestingly, you can use a pregnant pillow that has been specially designed to provide comfort while sleeping during pregnancy.

Launching from the Sleep Advisor page, the pregnant pillow has been adjusted so that it is able to support your stomach while helping you to place your knees comfortably.

This pregnant pillow also keeps your lower back comfortable during sleep.

As the size of the stomach increases, the use of a pregnant pillow can be very beneficial because its shape and size have been adjusted to the needs of pregnant women.

Sleeping in the recommended position during pregnancy also gets better with the help of this pregnant pillow.

2. Go to the bathroom before bed

Before you determine a comfortable sleeping position and as you wish, finish all bathroom matters, including urinating and defecating before bed.

This way, you don't have to wake up in the middle of the night frequently to go back and forth to the bathroom.

As a precaution, don't drink too much water just before bedtime. Drinking lots of water before bed can make moms urge to pee in the middle of the night.

If you are lazy to get up, you may choose to hold your pee while pregnant, which is not allowed.

It's best to drink plenty of water 2 hours before bedtime. This helps pregnant women stay in the right sleeping position, which is on their side.

3. Stick to a sleep schedule

Finding a comfortable sleeping position for pregnant women is indeed important. However, sleeping on time according to schedule is no less important.

Try to set a schedule for sleeping and waking up at the same time every day. Don't be tempted to wake up later, even on weekends.

Waking up too late can actually make you sleep late and the next bedtime becomes messy.

4. Adequate exercise

Making the body tired during the day can help pregnant women sleep better at night.

Take advantage of exercise as a way to keep your body moving and get some useful fatigue.

Exercise can also relieve symptoms that usually appear and can affect a pregnant woman's rest, for example, such as leg cramps during pregnancy.

Walking, swimming during pregnancy, pregnancy exercise, and prenatal yoga are some choices of sports for pregnant women that are safe to do during pregnancy.

It is important to know, you should not do sports right before bedtime.

Instead of making the sleeping position more comfortable, this can actually make it difficult for pregnant women to sleep so that they wake up at night.

5. Do relaxation before bed

Relaxing tense body muscles can make it easier for pregnant women to find a good and comfortable sleeping position.

The reason is, when some parts of the body are tense, lying on the right or left is uncomfortable.

Massaging or stretching body parts such as calves, shoulders, and arms, has been shown to be effective in helping pregnant women sleep soundly.

In addition, massaging or relaxing before bed will relax the muscles in your body.

Here's how to relax before going to bed:

Start by tensing and releasing the muscles of your hands and arms, first on one side and then on the other.
Repeat for the upper arms, face and jaw, chest and shoulders, and stomach.
After that, work your way up to your thighs and so on to your feet.

If you are still having trouble sleeping even though you have tried various positions, consult a doctor immediately.