Sleep hygiene during pregnancy pregnancy can be challenging but it’s essential for your body to thrive. The internet is full of fancy pillows and products you can buy to keep you comfortable, but I want to elaborate with some easy tips.

Sleeping Position

Most pregnant patients are instructed to sleep on their left side during pregnancy. This is to promote the optimal amount of blood flow through the inferior vena cava (IVC). This recommendation is taken very seriously by many patients and tends to contribute to ongoing left sided hip pain due to the pressure being put on the downside hip all night while sleeping. A number of studies have been published in the last 5 years that show equal safety of sleeping on your right or your left. I instruct my patients to switch sides when needed to help alleviate pain, pressure and tenderness overnight.

Pillow Between The Knees

Sleeping with a pillow between your knees will likely be your first move! Most of the time, while sleeping on our side, the top leg falls forward putting stress and tension on the low back, hips and pelvis. By adding a pillow between your knees while sleeping on your side you will reduce pressure and tension, allowing for a more comfortable sleep. If you notice that the pillow between your legs was once helping and is no longer, consider using the thicker pillow for more support.

Pillows Behind You

If your hips continue to bother you sleeping on your sides, consider having your partner stack some pillows behind you while lying on your side. The roll backwards slightly. This will put you on a 45 degree angle, taking some pressure off of your hips and still keeping you off of your back.

Leg Cramps

These are the worst! They wake you up and the residual pain and tightness can last for hours to days. If you begin experiencing these, try the following:
  • Make sure you are drinking 1/2 your bodyweight in oz of water per day.
  • Increase your electrolyte intake with coconut water or by adding LMNT salt to your water
  • Increase your magnesium glycinate intake before bed by slowly working your way up to 300mg per night.

Rehab Before Bed

If you are struggling to get comfortable overnight, try doing your rehabilitation stretches and exercises before bed. This can often help patients stay comfortable longer overnight. My favorite movements to do before bed are below:

  • Box squats to the side of the bed (25 reps)
  • Seated figure 4 stretch (10/side)
  • 1-2 minutes of hip figure 8s
Try these tips and let me know if they improve sleep hygiene during pregnancy. If you still can’t get a good night sleep because of pain or discomfort, book a prenatal massage or chiropractic appointment so we can help.