Sleeping Positions During Pregnancy: How to Sleep More Comfortably

Pregnancy can change the way you sleep. As your body changes and your bump grows, your usual sleeping position may become less comfortable, while pressure around the hips, shoulders and lower back can become more noticeable.

Understanding how your sleeping position changes during pregnancy and how your pillows, mattress and sleep environment can support greater comfort can help you adapt as pregnancy progresses.

Quick Overview

Pregnancy can change how your body feels while sleeping, particularly as your bump grows and side sleeping becomes more important later in pregnancy. This guide explores comfortable sleeping positions, practical pillow support and how factors such as mattress support, pressure distribution, firmness and temperature can affect your sleep.

How Can Pregnancy Change the Way You Sleep?

Pregnancy can affect sleep in ways that go beyond simply making it harder to find a comfortable position.

As your bump grows, your body shape and weight distribution change. You may become more aware of pressure around your hips and shoulders when sleeping on your side, while your lower back may also feel different from before.

Other changes can affect your sleep environment too. You may feel warmer at night, need to get up more frequently or find that movements in bed become more noticeable.

These changes mean that the way your body interacts with your sleep surface can become increasingly important.

Rather than thinking about sleep position in isolation, it can be useful to consider the relationship between your posture, pillows, mattress and the rest of your sleep environment. Your wider sleep optimisation habits can also influence how well you adapt to changes in your sleep routine.

How Do Sleeping Positions Change During Pregnancy?

Your preferred sleeping position does not necessarily need to change as soon as you become pregnant.

During early pregnancy, you may be able to continue sleeping in the positions you normally find comfortable. Sleeping on your stomach, for example, is generally fine if it remains comfortable at this stage.

As your bump grows, however, your body naturally changes the way it rests on the mattress. Positions that once felt comfortable may become awkward or create more pressure.

By the third trimester, sleeping on your side becomes particularly important from a safety perspective. From 28 weeks, current guidance recommends going to sleep on your side, either left or right.

This doesn't mean you have to remain completely still throughout the night. The important consideration is the position you settle into when going to sleep.

What is the Best Sleeping Position During Pregnancy?

For later pregnancy, side sleeping is the recommended position to go to sleep in.

You can choose either your left or right side. There is no requirement to sleep exclusively on the left.

The recommendation becomes particularly relevant from 28 weeks, when research has found an association between going to sleep on your back and an increased risk of stillbirth.

For someone who is used to sleeping on their back or front, adapting to side sleeping can take time.

This is where comfort becomes important. If your side-sleeping position is uncomfortable, you may find yourself constantly shifting position or struggling to settle. Supporting your body properly can make the transition easier, particularly if you're already familiar with the considerations involved for side sleepers.

Is Sleeping on Your Back During Pregnancy Comfortable?

Back sleeping can feel quite different as pregnancy progresses.

As your body changes, lying flat on your back may become less comfortable, and you may naturally prefer to turn onto your side.

From 28 weeks, the recommendation is to go to sleep on your side rather than your back.

What if you wake up on your back?

If you wake during the night and discover that you've rolled onto your back, there's no need to panic.

Simply turn onto your side and settle back to sleep. This is specifically addressed in current pregnancy sleep guidance.

The practical takeaway is to make side sleeping your normal starting position rather than worrying about controlling every movement you make while asleep.

Does It Matter Which Side You Sleep On?

One of the most common questions around sleeping positions for pregnant women is whether one side is better than the other.

For going to sleep during later pregnancy, either side is suitable.

That can also make it easier to manage comfort.

If your hip or shoulder becomes uncomfortable on one side, changing sides can redistribute the pressure across your body.

You don't need to treat your sleeping position as a fixed posture. Instead, think about finding a comfortable side-sleeping setup that allows your body to settle naturally.

How Can You Make Side Sleeping More Comfortable During Pregnancy?

Changing your sleeping position is only part of the solution. How your body is supported while you're in that position can make a significant difference to comfort.

Use pillows strategically

A pillow beneath or around your bump can provide additional support, while a pillow between your knees can help make side sleeping more comfortable.

You don't necessarily need a specialist pregnancy pillow. Some people prefer a long body pillow, while others find that two or three ordinary pillows give them enough flexibility.

Pay attention to your hips and shoulders

When you sleep on your side, your shoulders and hips become important contact points with the mattress.

If these areas experience excessive pressure, you may find yourself changing position frequently during the night.

The way your mattress responds to your body therefore becomes increasingly relevant to overall comfort. This is one reason mattress support should be considered alongside pressure distribution rather than looking at firmness alone.

Don't try to create a perfectly rigid posture

There's no need to position yourself like a diagram and remain there until morning.

Your body will naturally move while you sleep.

The objective is to create a comfortable starting position and a sleep surface that accommodates your body as you move.

Consider temperature as well as support

If pregnancy makes you feel warmer at night, the mattress and bedding become part of the overall sleep environment.

Breathability, airflow and suitable bedding can all contribute to a more comfortable night's sleep.

How Does Your Mattress Affect Sleep During Pregnancy?

Your mattress doesn't determine the medically recommended sleeping position. What it can influence is how comfortable that position feels.

When you're sleeping on your side, your shoulders and hips carry a greater proportion of your body weight against the mattress. As your body changes during pregnancy, you may become more aware of how effectively your mattress accommodates these areas.

A well-designed mattress needs to balance two things:

• Accommodation — allowing the body to settle into the surface sufficiently to help distribute pressure.

• Support — providing progressive resistance so the body doesn't sink excessively.

This is why mattress support shouldn't be reduced to simply choosing the firmest mattress available. A mattress can feel firm without necessarily providing the right balance of pressure distribution and support for a particular sleeper.

Factors such as sleeping position, pressure points, spinal posture, body weight and the way the mattress responds to the body can all influence how supportive and comfortable it feels.

For Sleep Harvester, these considerations form part of a broader approach to body-adaptive mattress design, where support is considered alongside the way different bodies interact with the sleep surface.

Is a Firmer Mattress Better During Pregnancy?

Not necessarily.

Firmness and support are related, but they aren't the same thing. A mattress can feel firm without distributing pressure particularly well, while a mattress with some initial cushioning can still have a strong underlying support system.

For a side sleeper, the mattress needs to accommodate the body's natural contours around the shoulders and hips while providing sufficient support underneath. Your body weight, sleeping position and personal comfort preference can all influence how a particular firmness feels.

This is why choosing a mattress based solely on a firmness label can be misleading. The right level of mattress firmness depends on factors such as your sleeping position, body weight and personal comfort, particularly as your body changes during pregnancy.

What Should You Look for in a Mattress During Pregnancy?

Rather than looking for a mattress simply labelled as a “pregnancy mattress”, consider how the mattress performs for your individual body and preferred sleeping position.

There is no single mattress specification that will suit every pregnant sleeper. Factors such as body weight, sleeping position, pressure distribution and support all contribute to how comfortable a mattress feels.

If you're experiencing discomfort around the lower back, factors such as pressure distribution and support may be particularly important when choosing a mattress for pregnancy and back pain.

The type of mattress you choose can also affect how these characteristics are balanced, depending on its construction and materials.

How Can You Create a More Comfortable Sleep Environment?

Your mattress is only one part of your sleep setup. Small changes elsewhere can also make side sleeping more comfortable as your body changes during pregnancy.

Choose supportive pillow positions

Experiment with the position of your pillows rather than assuming there is one correct arrangement.

A pillow under or around the bump, between the knees or alongside the body can provide additional support and help you find a more comfortable side-sleeping position.

Keep the bedroom comfortable

If you feel warmer than usual at night, consider your room temperature, bedding and the breathability of your sleep surface.

Temperature regulation can play an important role in maintaining a comfortable sleep environment, particularly if you are more sensitive to heat during pregnancy. The cooling properties of a mattress can also influence how comfortable you feel during the night.

Minimise unnecessary disturbance

If you share a bed, movement from your partner can become more noticeable when you're already waking frequently during the night.

A mattress with good motion isolation can help reduce the amount of movement transferred across the sleep surface when your partner changes position.

Make getting in and out of bed easier

As your body changes, getting into and out of bed can require more movement than before.

A stable mattress edge can provide a more secure surface when getting in and out of bed, while keeping the area around the bed clear can make the process easier.

Final Thoughts

Pregnancy can change both your sleeping position and the way your body feels against the mattress. As your bump grows, finding a comfortable side-sleeping position may require some adjustment to your pillows, mattress and wider sleep environment.

From 28 weeks, going to sleep on your side is recommended, with either the left or right side being suitable. Beyond position, paying attention to pressure distribution, support and overall comfort can help you create a sleep setup that works with your changing body.

There is no single sleeping position, mattress firmness or sleep setup that will suit everyone. The most useful approach is to understand how your body is changing and make practical adjustments that help you sleep as comfortably as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best sleeping position during pregnancy?

From 28 weeks onwards, the recommended position to go to sleep is on your side. Either the left or right side is suitable.

When should you stop sleeping on your back during pregnancy?

From 28 weeks, current guidance recommends going to sleep on your side rather than your back.

Can you sleep on your right side while pregnant?

Yes. Either the left or right side is suitable when going to sleep during later pregnancy.

What happens if you wake up on your back while pregnant?

There's no need to panic. Turn onto your side and return to sleep.

How can I make side sleeping more comfortable during pregnancy?

Try supporting your bump with a pillow and placing another pillow between your knees or legs. You can also experiment with your pillow arrangement and consider whether your mattress provides an appropriate balance of pressure accommodation and support.

Is a firm mattress better during pregnancy?

Not necessarily. Firmness is only one aspect of mattress performance. Body weight, sleeping position, mattress construction, pressure distribution and personal comfort all influence how supportive a mattress feels.

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