Pain While Sleeping During Pregnancy
I will often get pregnant clients coming into the clinic complaining of different aches and pains while sleeping. It is tough because sleeping positions do usually have to adjust as you progress through pregnancy - and it can be into positions that your body is not used to.
Here are the 3 most common complaints:
Lateral hip pain while sleeping on side
Rib pain while sleeping on side
Pelvic girdle pain (SI joint or pubic joint pain), especially when rolling over in bed
Let’s go over some solutions that can address this pain to improve the quality of your sleep!
Lateral Hip Pain
Pain can manifest on the weightbearing side OR the top side of the hip (or both). People will point to the greater trochanter, which is a bony prominence on the side of your femur bone towards the hip. Lying on your side does put pressure on this bony point, but in reality that should not be painful. However, this is often the case. This could be because when you lie on your side, as the pelvis widens, there is a sharper angle between the outside of the hip and the knee. Both knees are angling more inwards, placing more pressure on the greater trochanter.
To provide a simple solution, I advise putting 1-2 standard bed pillows between the knees AND the ankles. This lifts the entire top leg to be more aligned with the hip, decreasing the angle inwards and less pressure on the outside of the hip (of the top and bottom leg).
Another tip to try is to roll just slightly forward so the pressure is not directly through the side of the hip. Most like to sleep with a pillow in front of them, so just roll slightly towards this pillow.
Here are a couple stretches to try prior to bedtime to help relieve pain:
Rib Pain
Pain along the lower ribs, usually on the weightbearing side, is another common issue. Generally it is because this side becomes shortened/compressed and could potentially produce discomfort. Our solution is to find a way to keep this area expanded.
I recommend using a babybub pillow or some sort of belly wedge to put on the underside. You can also roll up a bath towel and place between the lower ribs and top of the pelvis. This support puts your trunk in more of a neutral position to provide some relief.
In addition, here are a couple of stretches you can do before bedtime to provide relief as well:
Pelvic Girdle Pain While Rolling Over
If you have pain in the front or backside of the pelvis (pubic symphysis or SI joint) while in sidelying, you will definitely know it when you feel an increase in pain the moment you try to roll over to the other side. This transition is a common culprit - but obviously necessary for everyday function!
This is due to the fact that once you put pressure through the foot to get momentum to rollover, this puts a force through the pelvis. If the joints are irritated and highly sensitive, it may cause pain.
To help decrease pain, we want to provide more support to the joint. We get this by bracing the abdominals. Try this strategy:
Just before you go to transition, inhale. Then exhale, draw in the core by “hugging the baby close”. Hold this brace and continue your exhale as you go to transition. Extend the exhale through the full transition.
If you struggle more with pubic symphysis pain, it may be helpful to gentle squeeze a pillow between the knees as you transition as well.
I’d also recommend a couple of strengthening exercises to help decrease the sensitivity of the joint. You can find a few of those here:
Obviously sleep is incredibly precious especially with all the fatigue that comes with pregnancy. If you struggle with any of the above, try out these tips!
