Is it normal for my period to stop at night?
- Serena*

It might seem like your period stops at night, but what you're noticing is probably gravity at work. When a girl is standing up, gravity helps blood flow out the vagina. But if she's lying down, blood doesn't flow out as easily, especially on lighter flow days. It's like when you hold a bottle of water upside down: Gravity makes the water pour out much faster than it does when you hold the bottle on its side.

If you notice a pad has barely any blood on it when you get up in the morning, that's most likely what's going on. Your flow will start up again as gravity plays its part.

On days when you bleed a lot, night flow can be heavy too. So protect yourself (and your PJs and bedsheets!) by wearing a high-absorbancy nighttime pad, just in case.

Reviewed by: Larissa Hirsch, MD
Date reviewed: July 2010

* Names have been changed to protect user privacy.