Best Sleeping Positions for Pelvic Girdle Pain During Pregnancy

Pelvic girdle pain can make nights uncomfortable, leaving you stiff and achy or making it hard to turn in bed.

It’s a common issue during pregnancy and affects an estimated 1 in 5 pregnant women to some degree (NHS, 2020), so you are not alone.

Knowing how to position your body and use support can make a big difference in comfort and rest. Let’s explore how to sleep with pelvic pain.

What Is Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP)?

Pelvic girdle pain (also known as PGP) is caused by strain and instability in the pelvic joints and surrounding ligaments.

PGP is often amplified when the three main joints in the pelvis move unevenly, leaving the pelvic girdle less stable (RCOG, 2015).

During pregnancy, hormonal changes, increased joint mobility, and the extra weight on your hips and pelvis can put more pressure on these structures.

This often leads to discomfort when standing, walking, or lying down. Pain is also often reported when climbing stairs or turning over in bed, and research shows that fast or prolonged walking can worsen the pain.

While PGP can be painful for the mother, it does not harm the baby.

Best Sleeping Positions for Pelvic Girdle Pain

Alongside resting during the day and avoiding prolonged movement, knowing how to sleep with pelvic pain during pregnancy can make nights more comfortable and reduce stiffness in your hips and lower back.

There are a few positions and techniques that work better for PGP, such as:

Side Sleeping with Pelvic and Knee Support

Sleeping on your side is usually the most comfortable position for managing pelvic pain in pregnancy.

Placing a pillow between your knees helps keep your hips, knees, and spine aligned, reducing stress on your pelvis. The Groove Combination pillow offers memory foam support and comes with straps to keep it in place.

Using additional pillows around your legs or behind your back can prevent twisting during the night and keep your body in a stable position.

Sleeping Positions for Hip Pain While Pregnant

If you’re looking for sleeping positions for hip pain while pregnant, you’ll also have to consider pregnancy side sleeping.

Like pelvic and knee support, dide sleeping with your legs supported is key for reducing pressure on your hips. Keeping your knees stacked and your pelvis square allows the joints to rest in a neutral position and can help you stay in one position for longer stretches.

The Groove Body pillow can help maintain alignment and prevent one hip from bearing too much weight.

Pro Tip: Avoid asymmetrical positions, such as twisting or crossing your legs, which can increase discomfort.

Gentle Strategies for Turning in Bed

When you need to change position, move slowly and bend your knees slightly.

You should also try rolling as a unit, keeping your knees together, rather than twisting your torso or pelvis to reduce strain on your joints and ligaments.

Along with turning in bed, you may also want to adjust how you get out of bed. Like rolling over, you should keep your knees together as you lift yourself and get up (The Women’s Royal Hospital, 2019)

Why Pelvic Girdle Pain Feels Worse at Night

Pelvic pain can feel worse at night if your body isn’t supported correctly.

Knowing the right positions to relieve pelvic pain during pregnancy can help reduce discomfort and improve sleep quality. Still, it’s helpful to understand why pain tends to worsen in the evenings.

Here are the main causes:

• Reduced movement leading to stiffness: Staying in one position for too long can cause muscles and joints to stiffen.
• Side sleeping pressure on hips and pelvis: Unsupported side sleeping can increase strain on sensitive areas.
• Misalignment when unsupported: Lack of pillow or body support can twist the hips and pelvis, adding extra pressure and discomfort.

What to Avoid When Sleeping With Pelvic Pain

For comfortable sleep, it helps to be aware of what to avoid with pelvic girdle pain sleeping positions.

Steering clear of certain movements and lack of support can make nights less painful, for example:

• Sleeping without leg or pelvic support: Lack of pillows or cushions can increase strain on the pelvis and hips.
• Crossing legs or twisting the pelvis: These movements can misalign joints and add pressure to sensitive areas. This is where a body pillow can help to straighten your posture.
• Sudden turning movements without support: Quick rolls or twists can aggravate ligaments and muscles, leading to more pain. A memory foam pillow can keep you in one stable position.
• Last WordsFinding the right pelvic girdle pain sleeping positions can make nights much more restful, and hopefully, this article has pointed you in the right direction.

Get better sleep now with the Combination Pillow for knee support or the Body Pillow for full-length comfort.

REFERENCES

• NHS (2020). Pelvic pain in pregnancy. [online] nhs.uk. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/common-symptoms/pelvic-pain/.
• RCOG (2015). Pelvic girdle pain and pregnancy | RCOG. [online] RCOG. Available at: https://www.rcog.org.uk/for-the-public/browse-our-patient-information/pelvic-girdle-pain-and-pregnancy/.
• The Women’s Royal Hospital (2019). PREGNANCY-RELATED PELVIC GIRDLE PAIN – Factsheet https://www.thewomens.org.au/images/uploads/fact-sheets/Pregnancy-related-pelvic-girdle-pain-210319.pdf