Sleeping on your left

[LadyLupton]

Hi Girls,

Another thread about sleeping positions! I've been training myself to sleep on my left but if I stay on there for the majority of the night my hip pops out and ... I just get very uncomfortable, no matter how many pillows I barricade myself in with. I was under the impression sleeping on your right isn't as good but it's not bad so I have been turning over when I wake up feeling all misaligned.

Then I was speaking to my friend the other day and she was saying that your right is pretty much as bad as lying on your back and she's managing to spend all night on her left! That put the fear of god in me so I've been trying superhard to just sleep on my left. After two nights of this I feel like a cotton T shirt that's been spun too much, completely pulled out of my frame. Also, if I'm on my left all the time the baby seems to get stuck in a corner and then sets about having a right old kick around which makes me up and basically tells me he wants me to be on my right too!

Common sense tells me that me being comfortable and getting a good night sleep is preferable to me manhandling myself onto my left all the time, but then there's the fears around sleeping in the wrong position.

My question to you all is: Are you guys sleeping mainly on your left or also on your right? If so, how do you manage to stay comfortable in the same position? Is there some trick I'm missing?

x

 

[helena]

I sleep on both, nothing wrong with the right. I just avoid my back and try and make sure I get some left side time, but change as often as I want to make myself comfy. No point waking up sore!

Years ago they knew nothing about sleeping positions and babies were fine.

Have to tried a big long pillow to help making side sleeping more comfy?

 

[YouandMe]

I'm having a pretty hard time with this myself. As I write his its 2AM here and I'm up sipping hot water with honey and lemon because of a terrible cough that's keeping me up. Anyhow, I've been trying ad hard as I can to stay on the left but after a while I will turn if it means sleep!! Lol

I read in one of the many pregnancy books I have that your body eill wake you up if it gets to the point it msy harm you or baby ie: dizzy, or feeling faint, or a headache will occur to wake you up. I don't know if this is true or how true but it comforted me a little. And when I talk to my Mom and Grandma about it they just laugh and say they never worried about it when they were pregnant so... It must be something your body will look out for you for right?? Lol

 

[dozydormouse]

I second Helena - there's nothing wrong at all with sleeping on your right it's just that left is supposedly the best - obviously not for you though LadyLupton, so i say you go with the right if it means you get comfy sleep!

I avoided my left side as much as possible last night but that's because had my flu jab yesterday and the old arm is a bit bruised :teehee:

 

[jrand2more]

I try and sleep on my left as much as I possibly can, but I have irritable legs syndrome, and I find that lying too long in the same position aggravates it. So I've started pushing my pregnancy pillow under my stomach and between my legs at an angle so that I don't put too much pressure on my side and can kind of lie on my front, but not really, and no pressure on bubs. If that doesn't work, then I lie on my right side. I don't really know whether this is fine or not, but I reckon that lying in one position all night is not good either otherwise I wouldn't be going through those annoying spasms

 

[joo]

There's nothing wrong with sleeping on your right side. Apparently there are more benefits sleeping on your left because somehow that position allows more nutrients to baby or better drainage from kidneys - I have read both so not sure what's correct.It is recommended in 2nd tri to not sleep on your back as the weight of uterus can slow some blood flow down, causing you a headache/light headedness. I agree with previous poster your body will wake up if uncomfy. I try my hardest to sleep on,left or right, I constantly wake up & toss & turn because it makes my hips sore. Sometimes when both hips are sore while I'm asleep I roll on to my back, again after sometime my body wakes me up to tell me it's time to move because my back hurts or I have a headache. I think the most important thing is that we find a position we are comfy in to get as much sleep as possible so don't feel bad if you wake up on your right or your back x

 

[Snoopee]

I spoke to my midwife about this and she said it was a complete myth that sleeping on your right is any worse than sleeping on your left, it's only sleeping on your back that you need to start avoiding later in pregnancy.

 

[lolly25]

I spoke to my midwife about this and she said it was a complete myth that sleeping on your right is any worse than sleeping on your left, it's only sleeping on your back that you need to start avoiding later in pregnancy.

Yep totally agree need to avoid on back from 2nd tri due to pressure from uterus on major blood vessels can cause dizziness and drop in bp. But any side is good xx

 

[LadyLupton]

Thank you for all your replies. I guess I am being a little neurotic about this and I'm not seeing the bigger picture! x

 

[F0xybabe]

I've also been told that sleeping on right side is almost like sleeping on back. My doctor said if I sleep really far on my right side it should be okay but to mostly sleep on my left side.

I try not to sleep on my ride side but like you I feel horrible when I lay on my left side too much so I move to my right occasionally to get comfortable and give my left side a break. Even if it is a bit like lying on my back, its the least I can do so get a good nights sleep! And its not like I'm spending the whole night on my right side

 

[TryinFor1]

I have never heard sleeping on your right is like sleeping on your back. I am not sure how it would be as bad, since the point of not sleeping on your is because of the pressure of the uterus on major vains in your back.

The left is supposed to be the best because of increased blood flow to the baby, but imo, sleeping on your right isn't going to do any harm. I switch all night long. Few hours on my left, few hours on my right, whatever is comfortable....just no back or belly. I do miss being able to sleep on my belly... I was able to till like 22 weeks.

Anyway, I would say its fine but I never had anyone tell me its bad and I will continue to sleep the way I have been. My hips hurt so bad already I do not want to spend the entire night on one hip! Lol

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I sleep on either my left or right. I stayed on my right all night last night! Its fine.

 

[kintenda]

There's nothing wrong with sleeping on your right side. Apparently there are more benefits sleeping on your left because somehow that position allows more nutrients to baby or better drainage from kidneys - I have read both so not sure what's correct.It is recommended in 2nd tri to not sleep on your back as the weight of uterus can slow some blood flow down, causing you a headache/light headedness. I agree with previous poster your body will wake up if uncomfy. I try my hardest to sleep on,left or right, I constantly wake up & toss & turn because it makes my hips sore. Sometimes when both hips are sore while I'm asleep I roll on to my back, again after sometime my body wakes me up to tell me it's time to move because my back hurts or I have a headache. I think the most important thing is that we find a position we are comfy in to get as much sleep as possible so don't feel bad if you wake up on your right or your back x

This is true! Sleeping on your right side is not bad at all. It's your back that you should should try to avoid, but you will find that you will wake up if your blood supply is compromised, so don't worry too much. I get a bit irritated when people scaremonger instead of actually reading evidence about subjects (and by that I mean proper evidence, not just wikipedia!) x

 

[MileyMamma]

I sleep on both too, I think as long as you get a good nights rest your doing good, the more you force yourself to sleep on your left I think the harder it will be to stick to so get cozy, snuggle down and get some rest

 

[blinkava]

The left side give you better blood flow, but it's ok to sleep on the right as well. I'm only comfortbale on my right side, I always start on my left but switch to my right due to my hip popping out. I guess anything is better than sleeping on your back so don't worry!