How To Sleep When Pregnant: A Complete Guide

Figuring out how to sleep when pregnant can be tricky. That’s why we’ve gathered this guide full of helpful tips for women who are struggling to toss, turn, or get some shut-eye, thanks to their growing baby bump. Here are our top tips for figuring out how to sleep when pregnant, from combing through mattress reviews to find the best bed for your sleep style, to what side of your belly you need to sleep on.

The Best Sleeping Positions For Pregnant People

If you’re thinking about how to sleep when pregnant without causing any harm to your baby, then you’ll find that sleeping on the left side of your body is going to work best for a good night’s sleep. Some reviews contest this. One 2019 study found that sleeping on either side of your body will be fine for the health of your baby.

The reason most experts recommend sleeping on the left side for women seeking help on how to sleep when pregnant is because of the way doing so shifts your internal organs. When you sleep on your left, you’re allowing an optimal amount of blood flow to the IVC, a vein responsible for supplying blood to your heart and therefore, to your baby as well.

Sleeping this way is also going to help you put pressure off your liver, as well as your kidneys. This is going to leave you with more room to function properly without running the risk of swollen hands, ankles, or feet.

Finding The Most Comfortable Mattress For A Good Night’s Sleep

One of the most important lessons in learning how to sleep when pregnant comes in the form of mattress reviews. Finding the right bed for your sleep can be difficult, especially if you don’t know where to get it.

Mattress reviews can be useful in helping you find a good fit for your comfort. The secret is to look beyond mattress reviews that are written for pregnant women, and instead, focus on ones that night reveal specific insight into your unique pressure point.

So, for instance, if you’ve begun struggling with back pain in your sleep, looking up mattress reviews that talk about support and pressure-relief will be specifically important. This way, you can be sure to find the right mattress for you, even if you haven’t tried it firsthand.

Why Is Sleep So Important When You’re Pregnant?

Sleep is especially important for pregnant women, since it is the one time your body is dedicated totally to recovery and repair. Sleep helps with memory consolidation, which can be very useful if you struggle with a bad case of baby brain.

Sleep can also help regulate your immune system, which needs to stay healthy in the midst of pregnancy for maximum caution. Additionally, sleep is essential in the regulation of blood sugar, which can affect everything from your energy levels to your risk of a condition known as gestational diabetes, which can be particularly toxic for your wellbeing.

When you’re pregnant, it’s important to take every precaution – from combing through a fair selection of mattress reviews to figuring out how to make a healthy sleeping position as cozy as possible – to ensure you’re getting a good night’s sleep.  Getting a healthy sleep schedule sorted early on in your pregnancy will put you in good stead to welcome your tiny new roommate, who’s bound to keep you up for many weeks to come. Be sure to enjoy it, and rest up in preparation for their arrival to stay focused on your own wellbeing and health.

Julie Higgins
Author
Julie is a Staff Writer at momooze.com. She has been working in publishing houses before joining the editorial team at momooze. Julie's love and passion are topics around beauty, lifestyle, hair and nails.