Do you find yourself wrestling in bed and trying to get comfortable before falling asleep? Does your regular sleeping positions work for you during pregnancy? Are you confused about whether sleeping on the back during pregnancy is wise or not?
There are a lot of dos and don’ts in pregnancy. The list of pregnancy begins to feel endless in regard to what to do and what not to do. There are some potentially harmful and some that aren’t really worrisome. There are also things that you can actually do something about, and others that you can’t do. There is a certain position of sleep that you have to give checklists.
This article, we will give you brief information about the pros and cons of sleeping on your back during pregnancy.
Sleeping Position During Pregnancy:
Pregnancy has a list of uncomfortable changes that the body needed to deal with. These can interrupt with your normally peaceful rest.
In a 2016 study of nearly 2,400 women, about 76 percent (R) reported poor sleep quality during pregnancy, are more or less than at any other time.
It’s common for pregnant women to sleep on their backs while pregnant, or even if they fell asleep on their side. But they will get up within a few minutes of landing on your back because the position is so uncomfortable after the first trimester of pregnancy.
Sleeping on your back while pregnant is generally safe, initially at the first trimester but the Sleeping Positions (R) can feel uncomfortable and may cause avoidable health problems towards the second and staring of the third trimester.
Sleeping on your back during pregnancy later gets difficult as the mother womb (uterus) gets heavier around the second trimester (R) So it’s best to lie on your side. By the third trimester, sleeping on your back will become doubles for the risk of stillbirth.
Effects Of Sleeping On Your Back During Pregnancy:
During pregnancy sleeping on the back is a bad idea as the reason has to do with anatomy and a lot more. Lets us figure out some of the reasons or effects of sleeping on your back in pregnancy.
1. IF you sleep or lay on your back after about the second or third trimester of pregnancy, then the weight of your pregnant uterus can decrease the blood flow in the vena cava, and in return, the vein will carry blood from the lower part of your body to the heart. As a result, there will be a risk of decreasing the blood flow to your uterus and thus, to your baby.
2. By the third trimester, sleeping on your back during pregnancy increase the chance of being more than doubles the risk of stillbirth.
3. When you do lie on your back for even a short period during pregnancy it affects the flow of blood and oxygen to your baby. You may feel faint or dizzy.
4. Sleeping on your back during pregnancy result in digestive issues like indigestion or heartburn.
5. There may be trouble in breathing properly or experience shortness of breath while sleeping on the back during pregnancy.
6. Sleeping on your back during pregnancy can strain the back muscles which resulted in backaches.
7. If you have high blood pressure or diabetes then it affects the level of oxygen and nutrition value that get transfer to the baby while sleeping on your back in pregnancy.
8. As the pregnancy progresses, your stomach will start to grow bigger and all that additional weight and pressure will need some support especially when you are lying down. So for these reasons sleeping on your back during pregnancy doesn’t work.
9. The very foremost reasons that you should not sleep on the back during pregnancy is because it becomes a kind of uncomfortable for you.
10. It can cause problems with the circulation of blood in your system and that can affect your body during pregnancy.
When To Stop Sleeping On Your Back During Pregnancy
You should stop sleeping on your stomach or back by around 20 weeks of pregnancy. You may notice that sleeping either way especially on your stomach or back around this point of time is pretty uncomfortable. Sleeping on your back during pregnancy can lead to enlarging uterus which can compress the large veins in the back of your abdomen. And as mention above it can turn or decrease the amount of blood returning to your heart. As a result, blood pressure can drop, and you may feel lightheaded or nauseated. So, in general, after 20 weeks I recommend sleeping on your side will be the best and comfortable for you during pregnancy.
It is very important to choose sleeping positions which are not only comfortable but also beneficial for the baby’s health. I would advise to try and practice sleeping on the left side instead of sleeping on your back during pregnancy. Pregnant women may also consult a doctor to discuss comfortable sleeping positions during pregnancy.
