The Best Position To Sleep In While On Your Period

By Editorial Staff in Health and Fitness On 14th September 2016

Being on your period comes with a long list of uncomfortable side effects that are likely to make any woman curse mother nature. During that seemingly never ending week of non stop bleeding and cramps, it doesn’t really seem like anything can alleviate the pain, and it’s not even something you can fully control. Thankfully, there are plenty of remedies for making that time of the month a little more bearable, starting with the way you sleep. Keep reading to discover the best position to sleep in while on your period.

#1 Period.

Every woman experiences her period differently, but most women will agree that there are at least a few days out of that entire week where your period cramps are almost unbearable. For lots of women, it's usually in the very beginning of the cycle.

#2 Sleep.

Cramps can get so painful that they may even keep you up at night, which results in a series of sleepless nights that only further contribute negatively to your already fluctuating moods. But no worries! Because we're about to give you the key to alleviating your own pain during that horrid time of the month.

#3 Research.

But now, researchers behind the period tracking app called Clue have figured out the best way to sleep while on your period that is guaranteed to help alleviate even your worst cramps. What would you guess would be the most comfortable way to sleep, if you had to?

#4 Sleeping position.

While sleeping in the fetal position isn't good to do constantly, it may be a helpful position to sleep in during your time of the month. "The [fetal] position is not always recommended as a sleeping position, because it can cause neck and back pain. When you're on your period, however, it applies pressure to the abdomen, which may help to soothe stomach cramps," said the researchers, as reported by the Daily Mail UK.

#5 Stops leaks.

Not only does sleeping in this position alleviate your cramps, but it can also help stop any potential leaks from happening because your legs are kept close together. Pretty cool! There's nothing worse than waking up to a big red blotch of a stain on your white sheets, right ladies?

#6 Stomach.

Sleeping in other positions might make things worse. Dr. Jennifer Wider says that women should try not to sleep on stomachs while on their periods because it's more likely to cause leaks while also increasing blood flow, reports Glamour. But really, sleeping whatever way makes you comfortable is best.

#7 Alternatives.

Another doctor, Dr. Lisa Lindley, says that there are also plenty of other things that you can do so that your period isn't so uncomfortable, like taking baths before bed or sleeping with a heating pad, reports Glamour. Baths actually work wonders. A little soft music, dim lights, a washcloth over your head. It's almost heaven.

#8 Comfort.

Another doctor told the Daily Mail that sleeping positions depend on the woman, and it's up to her to decide what works best for her. "The best position is the one that makes the woman feel most comfortable and will vary depending on the woman and her regular sleeping position," said consultant gynecologist Pradnya Pisal, as reported by the Daily Mail UK.

#9 App.

If you're looking for more ways to make your periods much more bearable, the aforementioned app Clue is made to do just that. The app allows its user to keep track of their periods, figuring out when they're most fertile, or even when they should expect to start feeling symptoms of PMS, reports Glamour. There are a variety of other period apps like this on the market as well. Some are even free!

#10 Feedback.

The creators of the app have used feedback from users who submitted videos to the Clue developers explaining what it is they'd want to see improved on the app. So every day that goes by, and every bit of feedback you give to the developers, the app is getting better and better for the women who use it. How nice!

#11 Men.

Researchers were happy to get feedback even from men, who may be just as affected by their partner's period, particularly if they are trying to conceive. One man even said "Every man in 10 years is going to be involved in this," reports Glamour. Even though they may be affected by the pain their partner's feel, they'll never know the true pain of that body-shaking, knee-crumbling first few days of cramps.

#12 Fertility.

Founders of the app said they were hoping that Clue would help couples that are trying to conceive, or trying to avoid pregnancy by being able to keep track of the woman's fertility. This is actually a really great idea, especially for women who don't take birth control and really need this sort of information made available to them.

#13 Health.

"People in relationships need to talk about and understand reproductive health. After all, even if you avoid talking about it, you can't avoid the profound effect that fertility has on both people in that relationship," said one of the founders of the app, Ida Tin, as reported by Glamour. This is one conversation we as a society still have some problems openly having. Reproductive health is important, so we need to stop thinking of it as taboo, and start chatting it up.

#14 Decisions.

Tin also emphasized how pregnancy doesn't just involve the woman, and both partners should be involved and concerned with the status of the pregnancy. "It takes two people to create a childand both people should play a shared role in the decisions that lead to becoming pregnant or trying not to become pregnant," said one of the founders, Ida Tin, as reported by Glamour.

#15 Useful.

The app can also keep friends and family in the loop of a woman's pregnancy by updating them via the app. Glamour reports that the app can even be useful in teaching children about periods in general. Wouldn't it be nice to get a little notification about the progress of your sister's pregnancy, or your close friend's.

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