• About Us
  • Blogs & Vlogs
  • Newsletters
  • The Purple Tent
  • Contact Us
  • Log In/Register
  • Patrons
Global Women Connected
  • Women’s Health
    • Puberty
    • Menstrual Cycle
    • Female Disorders
      • Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
      • Endometriosis
      • Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
      • Pelvic organ prolapse
      • Fibroids
      • Ovarian Cysts
      • Urinary Incontinence
    • Cancer
      • Symptoms
      • Preventation
      • Breast
      • Cervical
      • Ovarian
    • Menopause
  • Sex
    • Sex introduction
      • Sex Education Guide For Parents
      • Masturbation & Orgasms
      • Sex During & After Pregnancy
      • Sex In Older Age
      • Porn
    • Contraception
      • Condoms
      • Pill
      • Implant/injection
      • Patch/ring
      • IUD
      • Diaphragm/cap
      • Permanent
      • Natural
      • Emergency
      • Young adults
      • 40s and 50s
    • Sexually Transmitted Diseases
  • Pregnancy
    • Preconception Care
    • Tests During Pregnancy
    • Birth
    • Teenage Pregnancy
    • Ectopic Pregnancy
    • Miscarriages
    • Termination Of Pregnancy
    • Maternal Mortality
    • Cancer During Pregnancy
    • Value Of Female Children
  • Wellbeing
    • Energy Management
    • Exercise
    • Sleep
    • Burnout
    • Body Image
    • Eating Disorders
    • Plastic / Cosmetic Surgery

The importance of sleep position during pregnancy

Author: Dr. Helen O’Neill

6 years ago 0
Share this:

Global Women Connected supine_and_prone_2012-02-20An increasing amount of data now shows that poor sleep – such as sleep disordered breathing and insomnia – has a negative impact on pregnancy outcomes. One study investigating placental implantation has shown that dominant sleeping position can also influence where the embryo will attach. This study looked at whether maternal socio-demographic and clinical characteristics influence the site of placental localisation.

Two more recent studies in New Zealand and Ghana, have shown that supine sleep (on your back) is independently associated with stillbirth and this was due to low birth weight during pregnancy. Both of the studies suggested that if sleeping on your back is associated with stillbirth, then altering the sleep position of pregnant women may reduce stillbirth by approximately 25%.

The majority of pregnant women (about 80%) spend some time sleeping supine, and it has been suggested that pregnant women would benefit from education and potential intervention. Several potential methods to reduce supine sleep include the use of mattress wedges or pillows  or other interventions such as the ‘tennis ball’ technique (where a tennis ball is placed on the mattress to encourage side sleeping) or even novel devices that could alert pregnant women to change position.

However, according to Dr Louise O’Brian (lead author of “Maternal sleep position: what do we know where do we go?”), it is important that these findings are repeated and confirmed in other studies before intervention studies are launched.

Read more:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4402690/#B19

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/14767058.2013.870547

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2824023/

 

Image credit:

Wikipedia.org

 

1 1

baby implantation insomnia position pregnancy sleep

Previous Post

Why do women need folic acid in pregnancy?

Next Post

Bioethicists eye designer babies and CRISPR cows

Cancel Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Menopause and your menstrual cycle

3 years ago 0
From puberty to the menopause, most of our lives will be governed by our monthly cycles of periods, ovulation and often premenstrual tension. After the menopause we are free of our menstrual...

Female genital mutilation – more countries are...

4 years ago 0
FGM comprises all procedures that involve partial or complete removal of the external genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non medical reasons (WHO).  It is also...
  • Recent
  • Popular
  • Comments

Menopause and exercise

4 months ago 0

What is the purpose and meaning of your life?

6 months ago 0

We need to teach everyone about the menopause

6 months ago 0

UK Governments Women’s Health Strategy

6 months ago 0

What does the future hold for reproduction?

1 year ago 0

Do not believe everything you read

7 years ago 6

Sometimes I get lonely…

7 years ago 6

The Babypod

7 years ago 5

Dementia and Alzheimer’s

7 years ago 4

How many women breast feed?

7 years ago 4

Newsletter Sign-up

Twitter Feed

  • Listen to @timspector and Caroline Ovadia talk about how your #microbiome can affect your own health and your baby'… https://t.co/hmtdlxMpjh
    April 25th, 2018
  • Join @DrAndyChilds and @davide_danovi to talk about #eggs, #infertility and #stemcells at @pintofscience and be in… https://t.co/GoNIIc2EVz
    April 19th, 2018
  • RT @DrHelenONeill: More communication between clinicians and scientists is essential in this #genomic era. Thanks for the invite to be inte…
    March 15th, 2018

Instagram Feed

Load More…Follow on Instagram

Disclaimer

On all of our platforms, Global Women Connected does not provide professional medical advice. For any health issues, please contact your health care provider. All comments and discussions are provided by any person registered with Global Women Connected. Global Women Connected does not accept responsibility for any advice given and the advice given may not be the views of the staff of Global Women Connected.
© Copyright 2022. All rights reserved.