What Is The Best Position To Sleep On Your Period
Every person is different, so you might need to try a couple of positions to find the best solution for you. However, most agree that sleeping in the fetal position is the best position during your period. Bringing your knees up helps to relax your abdominal muscles, taking pressure off your abdomen and relieving period cramps. Sometimes though, if youre feeling bloated, it can be uncomfortable to have your knees close to your chest.
If lying on your side is not comfortable you can lie on your back. When you lie flat on your back try placing a pillow under your knees, this allows the lower back to maintain its natural curve and reduces stress on your spine. It also helps relieve pressure on the uterus.
If you are a stomach sleeper, try sleeping in a child’s pose. This position is known to relieve stress and naturally calm the mind and body. It also relieves pain in the lower back, hips and thighs, and can be a comfortable position to sleep in.
Reasons You Might Need More Sleep During Your Period
Our recent survey told us that low energy and tiredness were really common period symptoms, and you may not be surprised that there’s a variety of reasons as to why you might feel like you need more sleep during this time. These include:
- Poor sleep.
I’ll talk through each of these factors and explain how they could be contributing to your tiredness, and offer a few simple tips to help.
Dont Worry About Leaks
If you leak on your sheets itâs fine. Use a warm water bottle for cramps and you can drink an herbal tea before sleep for your headache or tummy cramps. âAnonymous, female, 22, Montevideo, Uruguay
I wear pads and lie on a towel if I am in someone elseâs house. My advice is to be overly cautious until you know how heavy your period is, but if you do accidentally bleed onto something itâs no big deal, just tell someone. I wouldnât wear a tampon overnight as you might wear it for longer than the recommended 8 hours which can be dangerous. âAnonymous, female, 18, North East England
Getting your period is an important milestone, and a happy one at that. I think we all talk about periods in such negative ways sometimes, that it makes it seem like the worst thing in the world, but itâs actually a completely natural thing, and so a beautiful one. I could give you plenty of advice, but the most important thing, I think, is to remember to not panic. Youâll get the hang of things. Donât be afraid of trying out new things, finding the right menstrual products for you. Donât be scared, youâll figure it out. Even if sometimes there is a leak, itâs not the worst thing in the world, I promise. If the blood is fresh, wash it with cold water first and then put it in the washer. I have woken up with blood stains many times before and Iâm still a perfectly normal human being. So no worries. 🙂 âMh, female, 24, Slovenia
to track your period.
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What If I Have Endometriosis Or Pcos
Period pain can be extremely severe if you have endometriosis or PCOS, but there are some solutions. Here are a few recommendations from Dweck that you may explore with your healthcare professional:
- surgical intervention
Agénor recommends doing meditations that involve diaphragmatic or deep belly breathing. This can be done in any position thats comfortable to you, with the goal of calming the central nervous system and decreasing pain sensitivity.
Align With Your Circadian Rhythm
Being out of sync with your circadian rhythm can make you feel tired at any time of the month, but especially when youâre on your period and possibly getting less sleep than usual.
Hereâs how to stay in sync:
- Keep a consistent sleep schedule: As much as possible, try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each night, even on weekends. This will regulate your circadian rhythm and help you fall asleep easier, therefore getting more sleep each night.
- Go to sleep and wake up at the right time for you: There are times when your body naturally wants to go to sleep and wake up, and theyâre different for everyone. Align with these times to have an easier time falling asleep and feel more alert during the day. If work and personal commitments get in the way, consider resetting your sleep schedule.
- Schedule your day with your energy peaks and dips: We all experience natural peaks and dips in energy throughout the day â thereâs usually a natural dip in energy mid afternoon and another before bed. By knowing this afternoon dip is coming, and checking the timing of it with a tool like RISE, you can schedule low-energy tasks for these times. Instead of fighting the tiredness, work with it, and save more difficult and demanding tasks for your natural peaks in energy.
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You May Wake Up Sweaty
The rise in progesterone that occurs right after ovulation can cause your resting body temperature to rise by up to 1 degree and stay that way until your period comes along, according to the National Library of Medicine.
This measurable change can be helpful if you’re tracking your most fertile days to try to get pregnant, but not so much if you’re trying to get a good night’s rest. Warmer temps can cause you to wake more often, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Fix it:Even though you can’t change your body temperature, you can take steps to keep your surroundings cooler. Set your thermostat between 60 and 67 degrees , the Cleveland Clinic recommends.
Sleep in lightweight, breathable pajamas and run a fan near you if you’re still warm.
How Common Are Pms And Pmdd
PMS is estimated to affect up to 12% of women, and in most of those cases, the symptoms are moderate. It is believed that about 1% to 5% of women have PMDD.
The likelihood of having PMS or PMDD changes over the course of a womans life. They are more common from the late 20s to the 40s with the most intense symptoms often arising in the late 30s into the 40s.
Women may have PMS during some menstrual cycles and not others. Some sources estimate that, at some point during their life, nearly 75% of women will experience PMS-like symptoms.
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Yoga Positions To Help Period Cramps
Heading to your yoga mat may not seem intuitive when your cramps are bothersome, but yoga can provide multiple benefits.
According to a 2017 review of fifteen studies, yoga can relieve premenstrual syndrome symptoms, such as:
- stretches lower back and spine
- increases blood circulation
- promotes relaxation
To do this pose, get on all fours and bring your big toes together as you widen your knees. Lean your upper body over your lower body as you stretch forward with your arms and take big, deep breaths.
Roll downs
- improves body and spinal mobility
- improves body alignment
- activates abdominal muscles
To do this pose, Agénor recommends starting with a deep inhale through the nose and exhaling out through the mouth. Tuck your chin to your chest, and roll down your spine, vertebrae by vertebrae.
As you roll back up, you find a soft bend in the knees and feel each vertebrae stack one on top of the other, until your head is the last to come up, she says.
Keep in mind that its important to listen to your body without pushing yourself. If a posture feels uncomfortable, Agénor recommends a smaller range of motion to help you feel more stable. Youll still get the benefits.
sleep disturbances during your period .
Thats because your hormone levels drop, causing your body temperature to rise. This can throw off your circadian rhythm.
On top of that, cramps may provide an extra layer of discomfort.
Heres what Agénor recommends for your go-to sleep position:
Food And Drink To Relieve Menstrual Cramps
Maintaining a healthy diet can lessen the severity of menstrual pain. Generally, eating foods that are high in fiber and plants and removing high-processed foods is a good rule of thumb to follow.
In fact, following this diet can reduce estrogen levels, which can cause painful periods.
- whole grains like brown rice, oatmeal, and flaxseeds to provide fiber and vitamin B
- fruits like papaya, watermelon, celery, mangoes, and berries to provide hydration and curb sugar cravings
- nuts and seeds like walnuts, almonds, and pumpkin seeds to help reduce inflammation
- legumes like lentils and chickpeas that contain protein and zinc
- vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and spinach that are rich in essential nutrients
- chicken and fish that are high in iron and protein
Drinking plenty of water is important, too. Not only does it reduce your chances of getting dehydration headaches, but it can also stop you from retaining water and bloating.
Meanwhile, some foods can exacerbate symptoms and increase prostaglandins in your body, which worsens pain. Some things to avoid if you can are:
- refined grains, like white bread, pastries, and cereals
- foods high in saturated fat
- foods high in sodium
Additionally, research from 2015 found that curcumin, a natural compound in turmeric, can significantly reduce PMS symptoms.
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Replace Your Mattress And Pillow With Suitable Ones
There is no doubt that using the right mattress and pillow can help relieve neck and shoulder pain. Setting up your bed to best maintain your spine natural curves can relieve neck or shoulder pain. As cervical pain sufferers, you need to use a firm mattress to support your body so that your back wont sink in. Pillow is another factor you need to seriously consider. Its recommended to use a thin pillow which lets you keep your spine in its natural position. Besides, using a cervical pillow can support your head and neck. For example, Zamat cervical pillow, specially shaped with ergonomics, which helps significantly reduce your neck pain. You can simply have a try if you are suffering from neck pain.
Tips For Fighting Fatigue
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Can You Sleep With A Tampon In
The short answer is yes! Given that tampons are inserted in your vagina, you wont leak while shifting around in your sleep. However, if you have a particularly heavy flow or youre planning on sleeping for 12 hours, then maybe opt for a pad instead. Wearing tampons for a prolonged period of time risks infection, so a night time pad is a safer option.
How To Sleep When On Your Period To Prevent Leaking
While period leaks are normal and common, midnight bathroom runs or anxiety about waking up to a mess can affect sleep on your period all the same.Thankfully menstruators have never had more menstrual hygiene options, from pads and tampons to menstrual cups and period underwear. Whichever you choose, the most important thing is that its comfortable for you! Otherwise its just another barrier between you and peaceful sleep on your period.Some women find pads or period underwear to be more comfortable for sleep, since theyre not inserted into the vagina. While period underwear is generally more expensive than overnight pads, its reusable, feels less bulky, and can hold a lot of bloodsometimes up to 3-5 tampons worth, depending on the style and brand.Most period underwear is also lined with gussets that extend all the way up to the waistband in the front and backperfect for back or stomach sleepers, whose blood can pool outside the confines of a typical pad.This information is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition.
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Girls Sleeping Positions: How To Sleep On Your Period
Do you often sleep on your back? Do you get period cramps at night? Do you often find yourself needing to change your pajamas and bedsheets most of the time when you are on your period? Well, you are not alone.
Red days. We, girls, are always on alert mode whenever we are on our period. Most of the time, it is hard for us to move around, sit comfortably and sleep soundly. Why? Because we are always self-conscious:
Is there a spot on my pants?
Oh no, I sneezed!
How do I sleep without my period leaking?
I cant sleepperiod cramps!
All girls experience these things. No exception at all! Our period is like the antagonist in our lives, the Freddie Krueger of our dreams and the vampire who sips all the blood from our body. Our cycle deserves its own series of Walking Dead and we, as the Walkers in the story.
I am not being emotional here, this is the truth. When we are on our period one day, we look like a princess, then the next day, we look like a zombie. Our emotion changes often, our cravings make us bloated and our overall appearance⦠well, never mind. No comment. Letâs just leave it like that.
Why is it really difficult to sleep during my menstruation?
We often get tired easily when we are on our period, which means aside from pizza, sleep is our best friend during this time. But, the sad part is, our cycle wont let us have a good nights sleep.
Sleepless nights? Well, I am not going to lie. Women are experts on that, thanks to our menstruation.
Insomnia
Ways To Get Better Sleep On Your Period
Sleep in the fetal position.Keep your bedroom cool.elevate your body temperatureStudies showstaying Keep to a schedule. Reduce screen time.how it affects our mindsBlue light suppresses the production of melatoninDo some journaling.Relieving anxietyTracking your periodYoga.suggested to help with sleep help with any period crampingHeat therapy.
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Best Position To Sleep When On Your Period
Position is critical for how you sleep when on your period. Getting comfortable can be harder during menstruation, especially if insomnia on your period is caused by painful cramps. But using effective cramp relief and drawing more awareness to your natural sleeping positions can help.Can you remember a night during your period when you slept particularly well? Do you remember the position you were in when you fell asleep or woke up? Tracking your sleep positions may not come to mind when you think about sleep hygiene, but it’s important all the same.While no one position will be best for everyone, some women find that lying on their side in the fetal position, with their knees together, helps ease cramps by relieving pressure in the abdomen. Other women find that sleeping on their back with a weighted blanket, a heating pad on their lap, or some pillows under their knees can make for the best sleep on their period.But feel free to explore different positions and note what feels most comfortable. Remember, our bodies may have unique needs while were on our period, so you may find your best position for period sleep is different from what you prefer when youre not menstruating.
How Do Hormones Change During The Menstrual Cycle
Each stage of the menstrual cycle occurs in response to changes in the production of hormones. Hormones like estrogen and progesterone rise during the follicular phase and after ovulation, but if pregnancy does not occur, these hormones decrease substantially during the concluding days of the luteal phase.
These hormones dont just affect the ovaries and uterus they influence multiple systems in the body with far-reaching effects. The decline in estrogen and progesterone in the days before your period can affect how you feel both physically and emotionally.
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Sleeping Positions For Period Cramps
If youre experiencing period cramps, try sleeping in different positions. The type of pain can depend on the way your body is positioned while sleeping. For example if it feels like a tightness or spasms are all along one side then changing up this alignment could be helpful!
One effective solution for fighting off menstrual pains involves taking care to make sure that we maintain good posture at night so as not disrupt blood flow by keeping our heads flat against something soft . This will help with cramps and pain.