If you've decided to bring your baby into bed with you, you may be trying to figure out how be successful with bed sharing and still grab enough shut eye to get you through the next day. Part of the battle is discovering co-sleeping positions to help you sleep better, because the way you're curling up can affect your nightly snooze sesh. If you've been prone to one way of sleeping — on your back, side, or stomach — you may need to retrain your body to try a new position now that you have a little one counting sheep next to you.
But before you can pull those covers up to your chin, you'll need to get your baby situated first. As the website for Dr. Sear recommended, practicing safe co-sleeping starts with creating the right sleep environment for your baby. To do this, you'll need to place the baby next to one parent (instead of in the middle), take precautions to make sure the baby can't roll off the bed, and place the baby to sleep on its back. Once you have checked all these safety measures off the list, you can start to experiment with the coziest position for you.
Don't spend another night staring at the ceiling while everyone else dreams, try out these co-sleeping position for better sleep, and wake up refreshed the next day.
1On Your Left Side
According to What To Expect's website, sleeping on your left side is the position most doctors recommend for pregnant woman. Since you may have become used to this during your pregnancy, it may be beneficial to stick with this position.
2On Your Back
There's a reason those hospital beds aim to keep you in one position. As the National Sleep Foundation reported, sleeping on your back is best for many reasons. You'll be less likely to wake from things such as acid reflux and neck pain in this position, and an added bonus is you'll be promoting good spine health.
3On Your Side
Coming in a close second to back sleeping, lying on your side can also be a restful position. Since side sleepers are less likely to snore, according to CNN, that means less times your partner has to shake you to stop you from sawing logs. This also means, there's a smaller chance your snoring will wake the baby — and anything that keeps the baby asleep means more Zs for you.
4The Log
Turns out there's a good reason behind the saying, "she sleeps like a log." As the website for The Better Sleep Council reported, sleeping on your side, with legs extended straight and arms down by your side is called the log position. This is a great choice for co-sleeping parents since your body takes up less space, meaning your less likely to bump the baby with an arm or leg.
5Side With Pillow
If you're a fan of side sleeping, one simple adjustment might make your snoozing more sublime. After getting settled into bed, try sliding a pillow in between you knees, as Prevention magazine suggested. This helps take some of the pressure off your back and makes you more comfortable overall.
6Fetal Position
If you want to sleep like a baby, you may have to pose like one. Even among grown ups, the fetal position is the most popular sleep position, according to the website for The National Sleep Foundation. As long as you don't curl up too tightly, you should be in for a restful night of sleep.
7Mix It Up
Change can be a good thing, even when it comes to sleep positions. According to the Wall Street Journal, changing sleep positions throughout the night is a good thing. Staying in one position can cause pain, which may result in more wakefulness. So feel free to flip from side to side and back to front as much as you need.
