


Sharp: Yes, because this has been happening certainly for centuries and centuries, so probably not a huge deal. Miller: So the key thing is if the woman starts out lying on her side and wakes up on her back, which is pretty common, that's probably just fine.ĭr. But the truth is everybody wakes up on their back, and there's rarely a pregnant woman that I see who doesn't ask that question.ĭr. Sharp: Well, there is one study that was relatively good, but not fantastic, that did show improvement in outcomes where patients slept on their left side. Miller: But does that matter or is that just an old wives' tale that you have the sleep on your side?ĭr. It's easier for the blood to get through.ĭr. So if you can have them kind of pressing against the aorta, which is the high pressure side, it's not as big a deal. Ideally, sometimes when a pregnant patient is more than 20 weeks pregnant, there is a little bit more compression against that vena cava. And then on the right side there is the vena cava, which is the return pipe. Miller: The aorta is a blood vessel that brings blood down to the lower part of the body and to the baby.ĭr. Sharp: Well, it is recommended, and the reason for that is the big vessel, the aorta, comes off the left side and it's the higher pressure.ĭr. Do women really need to sleep on their side when they're pregnant? What's the story there, Howard?ĭr. He's a professor of obstetrics and gynecology here at the University of Utah. Tom Miller.Īnnouncer: Access to our experts with in-depth information about the biggest health issues facing you today. Do you really have to sleep on your side? We're going to talk about that next on Scope Radio, and I'm Dr. Miller: You're pregnant and you're uncomfortable.
#Which side should i sleep on while pregnant trial
There’s probably going to be some trial and error involved before you find the best position for you.Dr. Here’s the million dollar question – and there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. If you’re finding it’s happening quite often, maybe pop a pillow behind your back so that it’s a little harder to just roll onto your back in your sleep. If you do wake up and you’re on your back, just roll over to your side. It’s bound to happen – try not stress about it too much. It’s recommended we start sleeping on our side from the start of the third trimester – that’s from week 27. Sorry ladies, but the larger that bump gets, the less sleep position freedom we have.

Another theory is disturbed breathing during sleep, which is worse in women who are overweight and sleeping on their backs. This might restrict blood flow to the baby. The experts don’t know why exactly, but the theory is that the weight of the baby and uterus puts pressure on the main blood vessels that supply the uterus. The latest research says the risk of stillbirth doubles if we sleep on our backs in the last three months of pregnancy. While the jury is out on whether the left or right side is better to sleep on, experts do agree that sleeping on your side is better than sleeping on your back during pregnancy.

I’m reading mixed articles and I’m unsure whether it’s safe to sleep on my back or not.ĭonna, Mum's Grapevine pregnancy group member Why it’s recommended to sleep on your side I’m 31 weeks pregnant, have a bulged disc and sleeping on my back is the only position I’m comfortable enough to actually get any sleep. Here’s why we should sleep on our side when pregnant. Getting comfy in bed with a baby bump can be tricky, but did you know that certain sleep positions during pregnancy are unsafe for bub?
