Sleeping positions to relieve period cramps are very helpful for you when you are experiencing sleep disturbances.
Some people feel sleep is not restful, resulting in sleep deprivation. One way to deal with difficulty sleeping during the period is to change sleeping positions. What is the most recommended sleeping position to reduce menstrual pain?
Why is it so hard to sleep during periods?
The period is a process that occurs when the body removes buildup from uterine tissue resulting in bleeding from the vagina.
Quoting from Women’s Health, hormonal changes during the period cycle can also affect your condition and habits.
One of them is having difficulty sleeping due to premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
The Sleep Foundation states that PMS can cause insomnia. On the one hand, women will sleep longer than usual because they are tired and experience mood swings.
However, fatigue and body aches can cause women to experience insomnia before and during menstruation.
Then, hormonal changes can also make you feel the following that disrupts sleep, such as:
- body temperature becomes hotter,
- feelings of anxiety and stress,
- stomach cramps,
- low back pain,
- Pain in the breast area and buttocks also hurts.
Therefore, you can also do things such as adjusting your sleeping position to relieve period cramps that cause insomnia.
Best sleeping position to relieve menstrual cramps
Did you know that sleeping position can affect sleep quality, especially when experiencing menstrual cramps?
You can set yourself in a comfortable sleeping position to reduce pain.
For example, sleeping on your back, side, or stomach, add a pillow.
However, different sleeping positions have different benefits when experiencing certain health conditions.
Changing your sleeping position is believed to help relieve menstrual symptoms or disturbances that you feel.
The following are sleeping positions to relieve period cramps that you should try, namely:
1. Fetal position
The fetal position is the most recommended sleeping position to relieve period cramps because it has many benefits for the body.
The trick is like curling and positioning the body sideways while bending the legs. Then, make sure your knees are in line with your chest.
That is a great position for lower back pain from menstruation.
In addition, the fetal sleeping position can relax the muscles around the abdomen and buttocks and reduce tension and pain so that it helps you sleep.
However, ensure that your body is relaxed and not stiff when trying sleeping positions to reduce menstrual pain.
It would be best if you did this while curling up to prevent the joints from becoming stiff.
2. Supine position
You can try sleeping on your back as a sleeping position to relieve period cramps. This sleeping position has the benefit of protecting the spine as well as relieving hip and knee pain.
What’s more, sleeping on your back uses gravity to keep your body aligned over your spine.
Therefore, there is a possibility that this position also helps reduce unnecessary pressure on the back or joints that cramp due to menstrual pain.
However, some people sleep on their backs instead of feeling the tension in the buttocks area, so the pain increases.
To fix this, you can add a pillow under your knees or feet to help support the body’s natural curves.
Of the two sleeping positions to reduce the pain above, there are also sleeping positions that you should avoid, such as the prone position.
If you sleep on your stomach during menstruation, the pressure on the abdominal muscles and uterus will be even greater. That can add to the tension and pain.
You also need to know that sleeping on your stomach can cause neck and back pain.
Another way to reduce period cramps
You can do several things to help you sleep better during your period.
Set the bedroom temperature to be cooler. Cool room temperature helps reduce hot body temperature during menstruation.
Take a bath with warm water during menstruation before going to bed. Warm water can make tense muscles, including the stomach muscles, more relaxed.
Use extra pillows for added comfort, and compress your stomach with warm water for a few minutes.
Take pain relievers such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Both of these drugs can reduce pain while having the side effect of making you sleepy.
