Let's talk about sleeping positions during pregnancy!
Jess Hextall, musculoskeletal physio extraordinaire, absolutely loves helping pregnant women with hip and pelvic pain - below she shares her knowledge and top tips. If it's time for a proper hands-on assessment, our Pregnancy Physiotherapy team can help.
Sleeping discomfort during pregnancy
"Sleeping when pregnant can be difficult. Between reflux, insomnia, vivid dreams and getting up to go to the toilet. Then there is the issue of getting comfortable to get to sleep, only to wake up again with hip discomfort or pain.
Lateral hip pain (pain on the side of your upper leg) is a common complaint in pregnancy, particularly in the last trimester. Often women will complain of pain on the bony part of their hips when lying on their side, forcing them to swap sides every few hours during the night. Which can be frustrating, especially when you have to rearrange all the pillows each time!"
Let’s look at the structures of the hip
"The greater trochanter is a prominent bony projection on the femur, serving as an attachment point for various muscles that contribute to hip movement. It is situated on the outside of the thigh bone, near the hip joint. With changes that occur in the body due to pregnancy, the greater trochanter can become more sensitive to lie on/ sleep on during pregnancy."
Hip pain can also overlap with pelvic girdle pain - if that sounds familiar too, here's how physio can help with pelvic girdle pain.
How to relieve hip pain when sleeping during pregnancy
"Soften your mattress. By softening the surface on which your hips are resting on you maybe reduce discomfort. Try a mattress pillow topper or a folded over doona on your bed.
Adjust your sleeping position. When lying directly onto the greater trochanter it can become painful. So try to roll forward of the bones. See image below. You can also try having a pillow between your knees.
Stretch your glutes before bed - releasing any tension around the pelvis from the day can also help. Try: Sitting glute stretches (see picture) or using a massage ball against the wall for self release of the glutes (see picture)
Adjust your daily activity. Does the amount of activity you do during the day affect your night hip pain? Some women will notice that the hip pain is particularly bad after days when they have been busy and on their feet all day."
A big thank you to Jess for her insight!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it's really common, particularly in the third trimester. Your body is producing more relaxin, which softens the ligaments around your pelvis and hips to get ready for birth. Common doesn't mean you have to just put up with it though - there's plenty you can do to feel more comfortable at night.
If the pain is severe, sudden, or comes with pelvic pressure that radiates down towards your thighs, it's worth having it looked at properly. The tips in this article are a good starting point, but they're not a substitute for an assessment if something feels off.
That bony point you're feeling is your greater trochanter - a landmark on the outside of your thigh bone. With the changes happening in your body during pregnancy, this area can become more sensitive to lie directly on, which is why side-sleeping often means switching sides through the night.
Not always - they can feel similar, but they're different things. Sciatica tends to run down the back of the leg, while lateral hip pain sits more on the side, over that bony point. If you're not sure which one you're dealing with, that's exactly the kind of thing worth getting assessed rather than guessing.
A regular pillow between your knees works for a lot of women - it doesn't have to be a dedicated pregnancy pillow. The goal is just to keep your top leg from rolling forward and twisting your hip, so use whatever gets you there comfortably.
For most women, yes it tends to settle once those hormonal and postural changes ease off. If it's still hanging around postnatally though, that's worth addressing too, rebuilding after birth is a big part of what we see every day.
