How Menstruation Affects Sleep

Sleeping comfortably during your period can be a challenge due to painful cramps. Another common discomfort women experience is clotting. “Lying down during the night increases menstrual clots for some people,” said Amy Wetter, M.D., a board-certified OBGYN at Northside Women’s Specialists, part of Pediatrix® Medical Group. Instead of gravity doing the work of letting blood exit your uterus and vagina, “menstrual blood collects in the vagina when you are lying down.” Dr. Wetter recommends trying the fetal position if you have cramps, as it “may help because you are relaxing your abdominal muscles in this position.”

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