10 Tips to Help You Sleep While Pregnant
September 28, 2022
By: Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare
Categories: Healthy Living
When you’re pregnant, you may feel like everything in your life is changing, most of all your body. Between your baby bump, nausea, hormones and a slew of other factors, a good night’s sleep may be hard to come by. But sleep is essential for you and baby.
At Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH), we’re here to support mothers through every step of pregnancy – including those restless nights. To help you, we’re sharing insight about pregnancy and sleep and our tips to help you get your best rest possible.
Why Sleep Is Important During Pregnancy
Sleep is a key component of health for all people, especially those growing other tiny people. According to the National Institutes of Health, pregnant women need a couple extra hours of sleep each day/night, ideally 7-9 total between nighttime and naps.
Sleep restores energy and allows the brain to process the information it collects while you’re awake. Without it, you may be more likely to experience depressed mood, attention deficits, memory problems and issues with coordination that could lead to falls. Lack of sleep is also known to increase risk for obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Multiple studies have demonstrated the adverse effects of not getting enough sleep during pregnancy. It’s been associated with high blood pressure (hypertension), preeclampsia, pre-term birth and other pregnancy complications.
Sleep deprivation can impact labor and delivery too. Getting fewer than six hours of sleep each day during the last month of pregnancy may lead to longer labor and an increased risk for an unplanned cesarean delivery (C-section).
Having a preexisting sleep condition increases risks. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most common form of sleep apnea, can increase chances of low birth weight, pre-term birth and C-section.
Why Does Sleep Change While Pregnant?
Each trimester of pregnancy brings its own hormonal and physiological changes. In early pregnancy, your levels of progesterone increase, which in turn increases your metabolism. The more quickly your body uses up energy stores, the more fatigue you’ll feel.
But feeling sleepy doesn’t mean sleep comes easily. Many typical pregnancy symptoms, including the following, can disturb sleep:
- Shortness of breath
- Leg cramps
- Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)
- Breast tenderness
- Back pain
- Heartburn
- Increased body temperature
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fetal movement
- Increased stress and anxiety
- Frequent urination
- Gastroesophageal reflux disorder
- Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
Pre-existing sleep disorders like OSA have been known to intensify during pregnancy.
As pregnancy goes on, you may find it difficult to find a comfortable position to relax and fall asleep. You may feel anxiety about your upcoming delivery and even have vivid, discomforting dreams. If you already have another child at home, sleeping may become even more of a challenge.
How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep
The National Institutes for Health calls it the great paradox of sleep in pregnancy – your body craves sleep, but the aforementioned factors make catching z’s feel like a luxury.
Here are top 10 tips for getting the rest you and your baby need.
- Consistency: Be consistent with your sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at roughly the same times each day. Try establishing and sticking to a regular nighttime routine to help prepare your body for sleep. Your routine may include deep breathing, meditating, journaling and clearing your head before bedtime. You might also have a warm glass of milk or non-caffeinated herbal tea to help you unwind.
- Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day and urinate before bed to minimize bathroom trips at night.
- Manage Your Meals & Mealtime: Eating right before bed may lead to heartburn and indigestion. Eat larger meals earlier in the day and a smaller meal four hours before bedtime. Avoid spicy foods and caffeine right before bed. Sleeping on your left side may help too, as it aids in digestion and reduces reflux.
- Keep Moving: Exercise is key to maintaining many elements of your prenatal health, including sleep. Try to get as much exercise as possible throughout your pregnancy. It’s OK if that looks different in each trimester. Even going for a short walk can help increase circulation and prevent leg cramps at night. Women who are active throughout the day tend to sleep better than women who do not get as much exercise.
- Stay Cool: When you are pregnant, your body temperature is higher than normal. Turn down the thermostat before bed to avoid waking up with the sweats.
- Break Out the Bubbles: Try taking a warm, relaxing bath before you go to sleep to help your body and mind de-stress.
- Build A Pillow Fort: We’re serious. Stacking pillows can help add extra comfort and support for you and your baby bump. Try tucking a pillow under your belly or between bent knees. If regular pillows aren’t working, consider investing in a pregnancy pillow.
- Keep Your Head Up: Try elevating your head at night with pillows to reduce breathing problems. Pregnant women are predisposed to sleep disordered breathing (SDB) due to normal weight gain and hormonal and physiological changes. Sleeping horizontally can worsen symptoms of SDB. Adding a mild incline can help alleviate these problems.
- Stretch Out: Stretching out your legs and calf muscles before bedtime may help reduce leg cramps and restless leg syndrome (RLS).
- Visit Your Doctor: Sleep is vital to keeping you and your baby healthy and preparing for delivery. If nothing seems to help you rest at night, visit your doctor. They can evaluate you for sleep disorders and provide additional guidance to help you rest.
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