I have childhood memories of my mom moving to her bedroom floor each time she was pregnant with my 3 younger siblings. Whenever she made the move out of her bed, she never looked back until delivery. 

If you’re a pregnant woman considering abandoning your bed, it is only fair that you’re wondering if there are any health implications.

Is sleeping on the floor during pregnancy safe? The answer is yes. Floor-sleeping while pregnant provides back pain relief, improves posture, and protects you from extreme heat.

No wonder my mom and my younger siblings all turned out fine. In my first-hand experience, sleeping on the floor is healthy. Lying on the floor during pregnancy is not something new. It has been in existence for centuries. In medieval times, beds were a luxury item only available to royalty and the wealthy. Thus, the majority of women with lower economic backgrounds had no choice but to sleep on the floor. 

Even in modern times, there are many cultures around the world where the use of beds is non-existent. For instance, the Japanese have been sleeping on futons for centuries with amazing results.  Here’s a comprehensive article we wrote on choosing the best futon mattresses.

If you grew up in the United States, Europe, and other parts of the Western World then you may be used to lying in a bed. However, many Westerners have fallen in love with floor sleeping and have no plans of moving back into beds again. They report sleeping better and waking up with little to no pain.

So, it looks like there’s something good about floor sleeping and it may be worth a try.

Benefits of Sleeping On The Floor while pregnant

Sleeping on the floor offers several great benefits for not only the pregnant woman but the unborn baby too. Let’s dive deeper into why you should consider moving to the floor when you conceive.

Escape The Heat

The floor is the coolest part of any room. While your bed might feel warm during the summer, you’ll find that the floor is much cooler.

This is due to the rising nature of heat which leads to an even warmer bed when room temperature goes through the roof.

A bed also traps your body heat while you lie in it. This makes it even hotter leading to night sweats and discomfort.

Excessive heat is terrible for both the expectant mother and the growing fetus. It can induce early labor and lots of other problems.

Thus, sleeping on the floor while pregnant can be beneficial during heatwaves and other warmer periods.

Back Pain Relief

Many pregnant women report significant improvements to their back pain relief while sleeping on the floor.

One of the most common causes of back pain is a soft mattress. They allow the body to sink in excessively during sleep. This causes abnormal curvature of the spine leading to back pain.

This is why sleep experts recommend firmer mattresses or mattress toppers for back pain sufferers. Back pain becomes even more pronounced during pregnancy as the baby grows bigger.

This is why the flat and firm nature of the floor makes it a great fit for expectant mothers.

Improved Posture

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The weight of the growing fetus puts extra strain on the back of the pregnant woman. And this can lead to a lot of posture issues.

The firm nature of the floor keeps the spine in check by preventing curving. This ensures that you can keep a healthy posture especially during the 3rd trimester of the pregnancy.

Is sleeping on the floor safe for pregnant women suffering from a spinal condition such as scoliosis?

Again, your doctor is the best person to talk to since he/she knows your medical history. Click here to read our article on how to find the best scoliosis mattress and the top models available right now.

Is Sleeping On The Floor During Pregnancy Safe According to Doctors?

Many gynecologists and obstetricians do not explicitly advise against floor sleeping during pregnancy. The consensus in the medical community is to measure your comfort in making sleep decisions.

As long as one position feels good, many doctors will be okay with you sticking to it. However, experts may have a couple of concerns with lying on the floor during pregnancy and these may include:

• Spinal Curvature: A healthy woman has a curved spine. This curvature becomes more pronounced during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester. Since floors are flat, you could wake up with more pain due to the excessive pressure on the body.
• Support for Side Sleepers: The majority of pregnant women sleep on the sides. Doctors recommend left-side sleeping especially as the fetus grows. This demands ample support for the area between the shoulders and hips which may be lacking when you sleep on the floor.
• Excessive Ligament Pressure: The rapidly-expanding uterus gains a lot of support from the internal ligaments. These ligaments hold the uterus in the pelvis. With each significant increase in the baby’s size, these ligaments stretch further. Sleeping on the floor puts even more pressure on the ligaments especially if you spend significantly more time lying on one side of the body than the other. This can expose the woman’s uterus to the risk of a prolapse.
• Difficulty Getting In and Out of Bed: Lying down on the floor and getting up in the morning may be easy in the early stages. As the fetus continues to grow, the task becomes harder. You may be forced to squat to get out of bed which can induce labor in women suffering from conditions such as Vasa Praevia.
• Exposure To Extreme Cold: The floor is usually the coldest part of the room. During the extremely cold nights in winter, floor sleeping can be uncomfortable. Exposure to extreme temperatures has been linked to premature births and placenta development defects.

How do you Sleep Comfortably On The Floor During Pregnancy?

Have you been bitten by the sleeping on the floor bug during pregnancy? The first step is to check in with your doctor. 

Once you get the green light, it is time to make your sleep more comfortable. Here are a few techniques to improve your sleep quality on the floor during pregnancy.

1. Choose A Clutter-Free Spot

The first step towards sleeping on the floor with comfort is to choose a spot with no clutter. With the limited floor space in apartments and homes, many people have messy bedrooms.

However, sleeping alongside clutter is bad for your health and that of your baby. Clutter can impede your brain’s ability to relax which leads to anxiety. Remember, the human brain loves order. Many of us experience a surge in sleep quality immediately after tidying up our bedrooms.

Hence, if your bedroom is overflowing with clutter, spend a morning cleaning up and organizing the whole place. Reserve a specific spot to serve as a sleeping space and keep it neat.

This is the best way to get maximum benefits from sleeping on the floor as a pregnant woman.

2. Sleep On Your Sides

The benefits of sleeping on the sides during pregnancy are well-documented. This sleeping position offers lots of positives over others.

Sleep experts recommend specifically lying on your left side. There’s detailed research available to show the pros of sleeping on the left side over the right.

Check out our detailed article that elaborates on the exceptional benefits of left-side sleeping.

3. Exercise Regularly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mhpw4Qrfsss

Regular exercises during pregnancy can do wonders for your health. It can also improve the well-being of your unborn baby.

Unless you’re having a complicated pregnancy, doctors recommend a lot of physical activity.

One of the concerns associated with floor sleeping among pregnant women is the difficulty of getting in and out of bed. However, staying fit during that period can come in handy.

Squat exercises, in particular, can make getting in and out of bed breezy among heavily pregnant women. These exercises can also open up the pelvis to speed up the descending of the baby during labor.

Just check in with your gynecologist to confirm which type of exercises are good for you.

4. Get the Right Pillows 

If you’re moving from your bed to the floor while pregnant, getting the right pillows can be critical. Your pillow can be the difference between tossing in bed and sleeping like a baby throughout the night.

Your choice of pillows should provide support for your pregnancy body shape. It should also enable the right sleeping posture throughout the night. This can eliminate any pains and aches in the morning.

You can even cushion the hard, flat floor with pillows to improve your comfort. Many experts recommend using pillows or some sort of cushioning at the initial stages of floor sleeping.

We found this amazing pregnancy pillow at a huge discount on Amazon perfect for sleeping on the floor.

5. Get The Right Mattress

Switching to floor sleeping during pregnancy is like going to war. You need all the help you can get to achieve your aims.

A floor mattress can give you all the comfort you need during this delicate period of your life. Those mattresses are designed specifically for lying on the floor.

Make sure to choose a model that gives you amazing support without placing your body in an unnatural position.

This can ensure great spinal health as well as optimum support for the growing fetus.

We recommend that you read this article we wrote about choosing the best floor mattress for your needs.

Conclusion

Except for a small percentage of women, sleeping on the floor during pregnancy is safe.

It offers numerous benefits compared to sleeping in a traditional bed. Lying on the floor can improve your comfort, posture, and minimize back pain.

Since pregnancies are sensitive periods, any moves that can benefit the mother and unborn baby should be embraced. Just consult your doctor if you have any doubts.

Are you ready to sleep on the floor with your pregnancy?