Seeking Help Sleeping While Pregnant.

Hi- I went through the same thing. I'm a back-sleeper (with back problems on top of that!). I would sleep for a while on my left side and wake up with sharp pains in my left hip. I had to switch on lay on my right side. Then the same thing would happen... back I went to the left side. The body pillow gave me some relief and my doctor said that while the left side is best, the right side would be second best option. Good luck!

As some others have said, it just might be a rough road ahead until the baby arrives. When I was pregnant with my twins, I tried to sleep on my side. Probably b/c I was on bedrest for 12 weeks, it was just so hard to be on my side all the time. My hips felt like someone was taking a mallet to them and smashing them. I'd stay on my left for 6 minutes, then right for 6 minutes and on an on... Finally, my OB prescribed me Ambien. She said to take it only 3 nights a week (so I wouldn't get addicted) and I could take Tylenol PM the other nights. It was really the only thing that helped.... I was at my wit's end....

Sorry you are so uncomfortable R.. Unfortunately, it doesn't get any better...worse in fact, because it will become more interrupted by your bladder. You have the pillows and that's great, maybe some soothing sounds and hot tea before bed, throw in a soothing scented sachet in your pillow to boot. It doesn't matter what side you sleep on, just that you sleep. I know how you feel. I was a stomach sleeper all throughout my life. My first pregnancy, that went out the window for obvious reasons. It's 9 years later and I haven't slept on my stomach since. I go numb if I'm on my left side too long (which never happened before children) LOL (side to side to back...)Ahhh the sacrifices we make being mothers.

Pass out in a cozy chair for nap time if you can ;)

Sleep on!

Congrats and good luck!
E.

I had the same problem...had to sleep with a body pillow and also prop myself upright because of heart burn. It was hard at first but I did adjust to it, but I can tell you sleep with NEVER be the same! You can lay on either side, I don't buy that stuff about avoiding the right side...I did and my baby and I are fine!!

Good luck..hope you sleep a little better! Do it now while you can!!

Well, you are not the only one up at night. I am 7 months pregnant with my second and I was an insomniac before having kids. When I can sleep it is with 2 body pillows (one on each side) and 3-4 regular ones. Also we got a memory foam topper for the mattress during this pregnancy and it helps a lot to relieve the pressure on the hip from side sleeping. I have found the main differnece betwen sleeping on the right vs. the left is that I get more heartburn sleeping on the right (I think this has to do with how the stomach is tilted). I wake up during the night to pee and such and it helps me to stretch my arms, shoulders and neck a little before going back to bed. Sometimes if neither side is comfortable anymore I stretch on my hands and knees (helps the lower back and hips). If I am really tired I put pillows under my chest to support my weight and not put pressure on my belly. Sometimes 15 minutes of stretching and some tylenol pm makes the difference. I have also sometimes fallen asleep sitting up propped up on pillows like I was in a recliner.

I feel your pain. Sleeping is tough in the last few months but try to think of it as preparation for the potential lack of sleep later on. (My baby was a great sleeper!)

When on your side, try putting the body pillow between your legs and run it up your back. Then you can lean back on it. At the same time, put the wedge, by Boppy, under your belly. This worked wonders for me! Another thing you might try is propping up a bunch of pillows behind you so you're half sitting half lying down.

Good Luck!

Try a wedge shaped pillow. You can buy them in Babies R Us (or probably cheaper online). It looks like it will do nothing but it really helps. You wedge it under your back while you are on your side and it allows you to slighly sleep on your back (but you're totally on your side). I LOVED mine and don't know what I would have done without it. Those big pillows didn't work cause I am short!

Try this link http://store.babycenter.com/product/code/3115.do

Just don't be confused by the wedge that goes under the tummy - I mean the one that goes under your back/butt.

My doctor told me that all this sleeping business was a bunch of BS! She said I could sleep on my back if I was comfortable, but to switch to my side if I had trouble breathing. By 6 months, I was having trouble breathing (my son was HUGE!), so I switched to my sides. But my hips and legs would cramp up terribly, so I had to go back and forth all night. I never did well with the big, fancy pillow, so I just surrounded myself with a pillow behind me, another one under my belly, one between my thighs, and even one between my calves! (A chiropractor showed me that one- it helps!) I also ended up sleeping in a separate bed from my husband eventually, because I just kept waking him up every time I tossed and turned.

There's no secret to good sleep while pregnant. It just doesn't happen! But don't stress about your choice of sides. That "left side only" stuff hasn't actually been proven. Your baby will be fine!

well R. if i was you talk to your doctor and get 2 flufy blankets and put it on the side of your bad side i know how you feel because i went threw the same thing

Hi R.,

I am 6 mos pregnant as well with my first. Getting used to new sleeping positions was definitely difficult for me. I was a belly sleeper and so you can imagine how hard it was for me to change up. I read that you are supposed to be on your left side, but after speaking with my doctor and some other preggy friends they said that they used both sides which is what I do now and it has helped alot. I think I was up more during the night because I was so anxious about whether I was on the left side or slipped to another position. There really isn't a horrible way to sleep just a suggested method. I also got a body pillow and try to have support via a blanket or pillow for my back so I know I don't "slip". I still don't sleep great, but I sleep ALOT better and don't actually get up to go to the couch any more. I am able to stay in bed all night.

Hope that helps!

R.

R.,

Either side is okay to sleep on. Rather interesting to note: My mother's doctor never told her to sleep on her side. Mine didn't either - I got information from an EMT class and learned about the Snoogle at Babie's R Us. Had I had neither, I wouldn't have known.

Sleeping period didn't happen very much after 6 months for me ;) so I will tell you - either side is okay. Sleeping on your back can be uncomfortable, and it can cut off your blood supply returning to your heart. The baby rests on a lot of displaced organs when you are on your back, and when you tip yourself to the side - sometimes you can get away with just tipping your hips while your back is flat, but I didn't do it, I was so heavy I moved the pillow out of the way :| before I even fell asleep!

Snoogle or body pillow, if you fold it into an L-shape, put part between your thighs and the rest between your arms (snoogle comes up to rest under your head too), you shouldn't have body parts falling asleep.

Nothing is a guarantee, though, so if you still find it happening, contact either OB or your Dr. There may be something else up.

Sometimes I would fall asleep in a semi-reclining position. Since I can't roll anywhere that way, it wasn't bad. The only problem was falling asleep with the light on. What a pain!

Good Luck!
M.

I agree with the one person about the way you sleep is all up to you. You'll get to the point that your baby will be to heavy for you to sleep on your back. I was on bed rest for 12 weeks too, and I was in and out of the hospital. They didn't care which side I layed on as long as I was on my side. That just helped free the blood flow to the placenta. Talk it over with your doctor too so you'll be comfortable which ever way you sleep.

Congrats! Soon you really won't be sleeping so hopefully you can solve this - : ). I only heard that you shouldn't sleep on your back b/c of blood flow. Sleeping on your left is best b/c of the heart and blood flow/circulation. You can sleep on your right it's just that left is the best. I flipped between left and right. If you are really willing to invest in sleep...I swear by the Memory Foam mattresses. I have to admit that I've always been a good sleeper but when I was pregnant I think that mattress really helped.

their is so much they don't tell you about what you will feel like when you are pergnant! who are "they" anyways! the sleeping thing sucks - i didn't have a full nights sleep for the last 4 months of pregnancy and still not one - my son will be 2 on friday! par for the course. you are doing everything recommended and it's just another thing you will have to deal with. "they" say it will prepare you for when baby comes - they're right about that! say goodbye to your restful nights sleep & don't let it get you down...it'll all be worth it. hood luck!

Either side is fine and you can be on your back but you have to be propped up quite a bit to make sure you aren't cutting circulation. Just keep trying different things and use lots of pillows.

I had the same problem around 6 months of pregnancy. We had to resort to getting a sleep number bed. Pretty expensive, but I've never felt more rested. The only problem I had after that was I'd sleep for 4 hours and be totally rested and ready to start my day and it was the middle of the night. LOL!!! A less expensive option might be warm soaks before bed. Hope you find a solution and good luck with your new baby. :)

Congratulations and so sorry about the uncomfortable sleep situation. I know exactly what you are going through. I too would go numb, from my shoulders to my fingers and even my legs. I eventually had to sleep (if you could call it that) sitting up with 6 pillows around me in various propping positions. It was horrible. I wished I had the room to buy a cushy recliner. I would have done it no matter the cost (I don't even like how they look but...). If you have the room and you probably want more kids, I would invest in one. I think I'll need to move to a new house before I get pregnant again so I can buy a recliner to sleep in LOL. Best of luck and know that when your baby arrives it will all be worth it and become a distant memory, until someone posts it on this site :).

I know it's disappointing, but from now on you will not be sleeping like you used to, LOL.
I didn't beleive my girlfriends when they would say "mommies sleep differently" but, as a mother of one and one on the way I can tell you it is true, Mothers don't sleep nearly as soundly as anyone else, Also you find yourself waking for no apparent reason.
I have this theory that the last trimester's sleep cycles prepare your body for "mommy sleep"
So just take it as practice, and try to nap during the day. Congrats and welcome to the club!

To be comlletely honest, the best thing yoy can do is hope the next 3 months go by fast. I have three kids and sleeping comfortably while pregnant was not something I am familiar with. I am a stomach sleeper, so it was really tough for me. I know you are supposed to avoid sleeping on your right side, because I have been told that there is an artery on your right side that supplies a blood to the placenta, also more of your internal organs are on your right side, so sleeping on your right side your belly puts a lot of pressure on those organs.
One place that I did find comfortable to sleep was on the couch. I was able to sleep on my side, but lean my back on the back of the couch. Pregnancy truely is a learning experience. Just be sure to take notes (lol), so that if a baby number two is in your future you will know just what to do! Good Luck!

Hi R.,

congrats on your pregnancy. I have had three pregnancies and know how uncomfortable the sleeping gets towards the end. I slept on both sides with all 3 pregnancies. my first two pregnancies went very well and my third pregnancy was very high risk with twins. All 4 of my babies were just fine. so my advice is to flip back and forth between your two sides, get as comfortable as you can and get as much sleep as you can NOW! once your baby arrives sleep is a thing of the past.

best of luck to you.

W.

I feel your pain. I would sleep on my sides and both legs would go completely numb, leaving me to toss and turn all night. Do you have a recliner? I found that sleeping in our recliner helped a lot. My husband missed me but sleeping in the family room got me through the last 3 months of the pregnancy!
Lynsey

Boy can I relate!

If you are comfortable sleeping on your right, go for it. It's not harmful. The left thing is about it being best for digestion. And try recliner sofas and love seats as a break.

UGGH I am not looking forward to that again! (currently 6 weeks along with number two, my first baby is now a year old). Good luck!!! -N

I had the exact same thing, but also developed carpal tunnel, so every time I slept on either side, my arm and hand would also fall asleep. It sucks, no magic answer. I didn't sleep for like 6 months. Sorry! I just got up and watched a lot of tv at 1 am. For some reason naps may be a little easier during the day. As long as the pregnancy is going well, your right side is okay to sleep on, but the left is safer. That is because the way the pregnant uterus lays, if you lay on your right side, there's more risk for pressure on your vena cava, a main blood vessel that you have. But, my doctor said if it's occluded, you'd feel it, and would automatically turn on your left. I think she was right because I did, and just consistently felt more comfortable on my left. Here's a quick tip - get a good night's sleep in the hospital after you have the baby, because it will be years before you get a night's sleep after that!!

Ditto what the others say. There is no getting around this. As I was told "suck it up"! Its a small price to pay for such a wonderful future with your baby.

I used a body pillow and just did my best to sleep on my side. I was an AVID stomach sleeper and it was hard, but I did it. Definitely take naps if you can. And yes, you'll go numb in places you didn't think existed. This is normal. Just do your best, lots of pillows, and think about your new baby...and you'll get through it. :)

i used a body pillow but dont think it really helped me either. although i know there are sleep positions that are better than others for the health of the pregnancy, i would sleep any position you could. sleep is so important esp when you are tired from being pregnant. it only got worse for me the last trimester. some nights i wanted to cry. if you find any position that you can sleep ok with, do it.

what i eventually did was lay on my stomach, and have my stomach to the side with one leg up, and the pillow- a somewhat soft one- smooshed from my head down to the top of my chest. it helped me but it was def more on my stomach than on my side if that makes sense. i dont miss those times at all so good luck to you!!!

Congrats on the pregnancy! Don't stress too much about the side sleeping. I am a right side sleeper, and so I found it hard to sleep on my left side during pregnancy. I would do it, but find myself occasionally turning onto my right side. So, I asked my OB about it, and she said it was really OK to be on either side...left is better, but as long as everything is progressing well, don't stress too much about left v. right (I too found my side got numb after a while, so I had to switch). However, as the baby gets bigger, really sleeping on your back is not a good idea, since the weight of your uterus and baby can compress the major vessels that drain blood from your legs, and therefore decrease your overally circulating blood supply. If you're really worried, just ask your OB about it! Just so you know, I have a beautiful 3 mo old daughter, and the pregnancy and delivery were fine, so no problems related to occasional right side sleeping!