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Sleep · product guide

Body Pillows: does it work?

Long pillows for side sleepers and pregnancy. No trials test the pillow itself, but going to sleep on your side in late pregnancy is linked with fewer stillbirths.

Weak evidenceReviewed September 2026

What it is

Body pillows come as a straight bolster, a C, J or U shape that wraps front and back, or a small wedge for the bump. Side sleepers use them to rest the upper arm and knee, which stops the top hip and shoulder rolling forward. In pregnancy they support the bump and back and make side sleeping easier to keep up.

The trade-off is size: U-shaped pillows take up a lot of bed, and a partner may feel crowded.

How strong is the evidence?

Weak evidence

There are no trials of body pillows for sleep or pain. The strongest related evidence is about position, not pillows: a meta-analysis of individual data from case-control studies found that going to sleep on your back from 28 weeks of pregnancy was linked with about 2.6 times the odds of late stillbirth compared with the left side, while the right side was as safe as the left. Whether a pillow helps you stay on your side hasn't been tested.

The claims you'll see, checked

A body pillow helps you sleep on your side in pregnancy

Unproven

Plausible and widely recommended for comfort, but not studied.

In pregnancy you must sleep on your left side

False

Going to sleep on either side carried similar risk. The back was the risky position.

Body pillows improve spinal alignment and relieve back or hip pain

Unproven

No trials.

They stop snoring by keeping you off your back

Unproven

Keeping off your back can help positional snoring, but body pillows haven't been tested for it.

What to look for

  • A shape for your need: a straight or J shape for side-sleeping support, a U or C shape for front and back support in pregnancy.
  • A removable, washable cover.
  • Adjustable fill (shredded foam or fibre) so it isn't too thick between your knees.
  • A size that fits your bed and your partner.

What to skip

  • 'OB-GYN designed' or 'orthopedic' labels as proof of benefit.
  • A large U-shape before trying a simple bolster or a regular pillow between your knees.

Who should be careful

  • From about 28 weeks of pregnancy, settle to sleep on your side (either side). If you wake on your back, just turn over.
  • Reduced baby movements, or new severe pain in pregnancy, need your midwife or doctor the same day.
  • Never let a baby sleep on or against a body, pregnancy or nursing pillow, and keep them out of a baby's sleep space.

The studies

Every citation is checked against its PubMed record.

  1. An Individual Participant Data Meta-analysis of Maternal Going-to-Sleep Position, Interactions with Fetal Vulnerability, and the Risk of Late Stillbirth
    Cronin RS, Li M, Thompson JMD, Gordon A, Raynes-Greenow CH, Heazell AEP, et al. · EClinicalMedicine · 2019 · Individual participant data meta-analysis

    Data from case-control studies of pregnancies from 28 weeks. Going to sleep on the back was linked with 2.6 times the odds of late stillbirth compared with the left side; the right side was as safe as the left.