Sleeping on floor while pregnant

Is It Safe to Sleep on the Floor While Pregnant?

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By Tian C - Updated: March 10, 2022

Pregnant women have been sleeping on the floor for hundreds of years. The availability of beds during olden times was minimal. However, doctors now advise pregnant women to avoid sleeping on the floor. This is because the spine is curved in nature and is more susceptible to pains during pregnancy as it is under a lot of pressure to accommodate the baby’s weight and also your weight gain. Nevertheless, as long as you are comfortable, it is quite alright to sleep on the floor when you are pregnant.

Video : Sleeping On The Floor During Pregnancy – Is It Safe?

Sleeping on the Floor When Pregnant

While it is safe to sleep comfortably on the floor during your pregnancy, there are a few reasons why doctors advise you to avoid sleeping on the floor.

The spine is curved in nature and is very sensitive when you are pregnant. A flat floor might give you more pains if you sleep on it.

The ligaments are under stress during pregnancy, and in an advanced stage where your uterus is expanded, and the baby starts kicking, they might fall on to the lower side because of gravitational pull. This would cause discomfort and may result in an injury.

Getting down to the floor and then getting up will become uncomfortable with a growing belly. To get up, you might have to squat which, in rare cases, can trigger premature labour or cause premature birth.

How can Pregnant Women Sleep Comfortably on the Floor?

Pillows are your best friend during pregnancy. They will help you to hold your shape and make you feel comfortable with a growing belly. Try cushioning the floor with soft blankets or even pillows and then sleep on them. There are a lot of pillows and cushions available in the market specially designed for pregnant women. Buy anyone that suits your needs.

A good night’s sleep may often elude you when you are pregnant because you just cannot get comfy. Therefore, if you feel comfortable sleeping on the floor, it is safe to try.

Also Read: Best Sleeping Positions during Pregnancy

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Sleeping On The Floor May Be Good For You

By Simon Books

Published Sep 21, 2020

Sometimes it's recommended to sleep on the floor if you have back problems, but this can pose other issues for expecting women.

Photo by George Jr Kamau from Pexels

Mattresses are present in every home and they are a comfortable material to sleep on. However, have you ever wondered how or where people used to sleep before the invention of the bed and mattress? The early human beings slept on the floor, just as is the case with most animals out in the wild. People used to sleep directly on the ground, and we can only assume that they started looking for softer materials to improve their sleep much later. However, the ground was the first sleeping surface before people graduated to sleeping on beds.

RELATED: Why Toddlers Prefer Sleeping On The Floor Not Their Beds

Why You Should Sleep On The Floor

As is the case with all things, there are advantages and disadvantages to sleeping on the floor. Here are some reasons you should consider sleeping on the floor once in a while:

It Alleviates Back Pain

A lot of the benefits associated with sleeping on the floor will be felt mostly on your back. The effects on your posture and pain will be intense when you sleep on your back. Because there is no soft mattress hugging your body, sleeping on the floor will help your spine to realign itself back to its natural posture. In addition, you become more aware of your body while on the floor. It is most important to sleep on your back while sleeping on the floor. Sleeping on the side leads to more pain since it forces your hamstrings and flexors to eventually tighten.

It Can Treat Insomnia

One of the leading causes of insomnia is sleeping on a bad surface. If you keep tossing and turning on your mattress all night, sleeping on the floor could be a good solution. It might be uncomfortable initially but your body will adjust eventually.

It Improves Your Posture

This is a good way to improve your posture. Sleeping on the floor will force your head, neck, and back into their natural alignment. Also, since back pain can result from bad posture, sleeping on the floor can solve both the issues.

It Can Reduce Chances of Overheating

When you sleep on a mattress, especially a bad one, you will most likely experience overheating issues. The heat produced by your body can get trapped in the mattress causing excessive heat, interrupting your sleep. Sleeping on the floor is the best way to avoid the overheating problem.

Sleeping on The Floor While Pregnant

Although there are many more benefits of sleeping on the floor, your physical condition will dictate whether it is safe to do so. If you have certain medical conditions, or you are physically unable to lay on your back, then you should not force yourself to do so. More so, if you are pregnant, it is possible but not advisable to sleep on the floor. Here is why not to do so.

The Condition of Your Spine

When a woman is pregnant, her spine has a natural curve to support the baby better. Furthermore, during this period, the spine is extra sensitive. For this reason, sleeping on the floor might cause a woman to develop severe back pain. This is because one will be forcing the spine against its natural alignment for pregnancy.

Condition of The Ligaments

During pregnancy, doctors advise against sleeping on the floor because of the state of the ligaments. When you are pregnant your ligaments are normally under a lot of stress. During the advanced stages of your pregnancy, your uterus expands and your baby will start kicking. If you sleep on the floor, they may fall downwards as a result of gravitational pull. This can lead to discomfort and in more serious cases, injury.

The Physical Movement

Although doctors strongly advise women to exercise when they are pregnant, the physical movement involved here can be counterproductive. With a growing belly, getting up and down from the floor can be quite tasking. Mild squats are good for the body during pregnancy. However, going all the way down to lay down on the floor and then getting up from the floor can be disastrous. In severe but rare cases, this can cause premature labor or lead to premature birth.

This is not to say that it is completely unsafe to sleep on the floor. Done correctly, it can be beneficial for you and your unborn baby’s health. The most important aids if you want to sleep on the floor during pregnancy are pillows. They help maintain your posture, make you comfortable, and do not strain any part of your body. If you are losing sleep during pregnancy due to various factors such as overheating or general discomfort on the mattress, sleeping on the floor can help. Just grab some cushions and pillows and lay them on the floor. Some of them are specially made for expectant mothers and are available in stores.

NEXT: Chrissy Teigen Is Having Problems Sleeping While Pregnant

Sources: parenting.firstcry.com, md-health.com, stylecraze.com, menshealth.com,

Is it possible for pregnant women to sleep on their backs or on the floor

Pregnancy and childbirth

The full term of bearing a child is 38-40 weeks. During this time, the fetus is fully formed for independent life. Depending on the stage of pregnancy, recommendations for sleep may vary. There are restrictions associated with the need to change the usual way of life.

When asked if pregnant women can sleep on their side, the answer is yes, this is the most comfortable position

Photo: Tetra Images — Jamie Grill/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images

Sleeping according to the rules

The main condition is that the sleep in the process of maturation of the unborn baby should be full and comfortable. There are several general recommendations regarding the position of the body during sleep:

1. At the beginning of pregnancy until the 12th week, you can sleep in almost any comfortable position, since the size of the fetus is still small.

2. Sleeping on the back should be excluded from the 13th week: the pressure of the baby on the internal organs increases and there is a possibility of squeezing the inferior vena cava, which passes through the entire spine. Doctors note that this sleeping position is associated with the risk of stillbirth.

3. In the third trimester it is best to sleep on the left side, as the kidney is squeezed on the right side.

You should not sleep on your stomach during pregnancy: in this position, there is a lot of pressure on the fetus. However, it is also catastrophically inconvenient.

Pay attention to how you feel when looking for a comfortable position. If lying on your side or back you feel that your condition is deteriorating, unpleasant symptoms begin to appear, you should choose a different position.

Posture during sleep should be pleasant and comfortable for both mother and baby. If your baby starts to actively push when you settle down to sleep, he may not like your position.

Can I sleep on the floor while pregnant?

When asked if pregnant women can sleep on their backs or stomachs, find a suitable place to sleep. There are no exact and strict criteria for choosing a mattress, as well as prohibitions to sleep on a flat hard surface.

When choosing a place for a good rest, consider several factors:

If you are buying a new mattress, it is better to choose an orthopedic version of medium firmness, as this will allow you to correctly distribute the load along the spine.
If you want to sleep on the floor, place pillows under your stomach and legs to make it comfortable not only for you, but also for your child.

The main thing is that the future mother's sleep should be long and comfortable. If, upon waking up, you feel that your legs or arms are numb, change your mattress or position, buy a special pillow for pregnant women.

If you have any doubts about the best position to sleep in, ask your gynecologist for advice.

Olga Nesmelova

How to sleep during pregnancy

It is difficult to overestimate the role of sleep in the life of every person. A complete healthy rest allows you to fully restore the functioning of the nervous system, relieve stress, improve performance and increase activity. Chronic sleep deprivation is the cause of many diseases. What can we say about a woman who is at the stage of bearing a baby. During this period, more than ever, she needs a healthy, long and full sleep. However, unfortunately, it is during this period that one can only dream of a restful sleep.

As soon as a woman finds out about her new position, she has to give up a lot for the sake of the health of her unborn baby. And you need to give up not only bad habits: alcohol, cigarettes, coffee, but also from a comfortable sleep.

The cause of insomnia can be :

Anxiety;
Frequent urination;
Fears and phobias before a new stage of one's life;
Nervousness and irritability;
Digestive disorder;
Toxicosis;
Physical indisposition;
Uncomfortable posture.

During the period of bearing a child, the female body experiences an extraordinary load, especially in the last trimester. The need for more sleep increases, because the body expends much more energy. Therefore, healthy sleep and pregnancy are inextricably linked.

Let's try to figure out how to sleep during pregnancy, so as not only not to harm the health of your unborn baby, but to sleep well.

Looking for a comfortable sleeping position

Each person has his own favorite position, in which it is easy to fall asleep and sleep. Many do not imagine a comfortable rest on their backs, accustomed to sleeping on their stomachs. This habit will have to be sacrificed, as it is unsafe for the normal development of the fetus. If in the first three months of pregnancy a woman can still sleep in the position in which she is used to and feels comfortable, then after the first trimester the growing belly will not allow her to lie safely in this position. Despite the natural protection of the baby in the form of amniotic fluid, there is a high probability of injuring the baby in a dream, squeezing it. But what is the right way to sleep during pregnancy?

Back position

Even if you are used to sleeping in a Spartan position, on your back, with your arms spread wide, from the 28th week you will have to radically change your lifestyle. The fact is that as the fetus grows, the load on the intestines and vena cava will increase significantly, blocking the access of oxygen to the baby.

If you sleep on your back during pregnancy, you may experience the following problems:

Dizziness;
Nausea;
Convulsions;
Numb limbs;
Pressure reduction;
Hemorrhoids;
Heaviness of breathing.

If you feel these symptoms or the baby gives persistent signals, you need to urgently change your position, so squeezing the vena cava is fraught not only with poor health for the mother, but also with a lack of oxygen supply to the fetus.

Stomach position

One of the most beloved positions for many people, which allows you to quickly fall asleep while hugging a pillow. Many women, as soon as they find out about the change in their lives, are interested in the question, is it possible to sleep on your stomach during pregnancy? Doctors recommend abandoning this position already in the first weeks, even before the enlarged belly makes it impossible to fall asleep peacefully.

If you are afraid during sleep, without controlling your movements, to arbitrarily roll over on your stomach, you can put a large pillow that does not allow you to change position.

Side position

In order to normalize your sleep and not harm the health of the baby, experts recommend sleeping on your side during pregnancy. And if at first this option seems unacceptable to many, after the second trimester, lying on your side is the only possible one. But here the question arises, on which side to sleep in order to ensure the safety of the fetus?

Sleeping on the right side can cause squeezing of the kidney, which can have dire consequences. The ideal posture is lying on the left side. Thus, you not only do not injure the unborn baby, but also improve blood flow along with oxygen to the placenta.

But one should not ignore the individual characteristics of each organism and the position of the fetus in the uterus. When the baby is in a transverse position, choose the side where the baby's head is. And with a breech presentation, doctors recommend changing the position several times a night.

If you still cannot improve your sleep, you feel unwell and you are tormented by insomnia, then it is better to consult a specialist. A good gynecologist will analyze the situation and help solve the problem.