Between heartburn, pregnancy insomnia, a constantly full bladder, and a baby doing acrobatics in your belly, sleeping can feel impossible while pregnant.
Figuring out how to get a better nights sleep during pregnancy is not just important for your energy and mood, but it’s also important for your overall health.
Why can’t I sleep?
The most common reason for sleeplessness during pregnancy is changes in your hormones. While fluctuating hormones can add to the tiredness you feel in the first trimester, they can lead to poor quality of sleep later on in your pregnancy.
Back pain, cramping, needing to pee more often, congestion, and heartburn are all normal hormonal symptoms. These can all make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.
What is the most common reason for sleeplessness?
Restless legs
Around 10% to 25% of women have symptoms of restless leg syndrome during pregnancy. This is when you consciously or subconsciously feel the overwhelming urge to move your legs. Symptoms tend to peak in the third trimester, which can make it difficult for you to relax when trying to fall asleep. Thankfully, the symptoms are often temporary. Try having a massage, warm bath, and stretching your legs before bed. These can help to lessen the urge to move your legs when sleeping.
Anxiety
There’s something to be said about fear in pregnancy. Fears about the birth, unknowns of having a newborn, and strange dreams can all compound making it difficult to fall asleep. This is completely normal. It shows that your mind is preparing you for the enormous task of being a parent. Relaxing and breathing techniques may help you reduce anxiety before bed. Try talking with your partner or Midwife about the things you’re feeling. Don’t hold your fears in, share them with someone. And remember, just because you dream something doesn’t mean it will happen. (Occasionally sleeplessness accompanied with anxiety, can be a sign of depression. If you have any other symptoms of depression, please speak with your doctor and Midwife.)
Toilet time
You may find yourself waking several times at night to go to the bathroom. At the beginning of your pregnancy, you might find that you need to pee more due to hormonal changes. Later on in your pregnancy, your growing uterus puts pressure on your bladder. Near the end of your pregnancy, as your babies head engages, your bladder might feel full even when you’ve just emptied it. But if you avoid drinking before bed, you may experience leg cramps. There may seem like no way to win this battle! All you can do is try going to the bathroom before bed, leaning forward and exhaling to empty your bladder completely, and then make yourself as comfortable as possible when you lay down. This will not solve the problem, but it will allow you to at least get a couple of hours in without a bathroom interruption.
Tips for getting a better nights sleep
- Develop a relaxing bedtime routine Releasing the anxieties of the day and call me your heart and mind before bed can help your body relax and rest.
- Limit caffeine in your diet Caffeine can increase anxiety and deplete you of essential nutrients (such as B vitamins, vitamin C, and vitamin D). These vitamins are important to help your body rejuvenate and replenish itself through rest. Sleeping is your body’s way of “restarting”. Talk with your doctor or Midwife about a safe amount of caffeine for you.
- Fresh air and exercise Getting fresh air and exercise during the day might help you feel more comfortable and sleepy at night. Getting outside and being in the sun will help your vitamin D levels as well as your body’s circadian rhythm. If your body knows it’s time to be awake when the sun is out, it’s more likely to want to rest when the sun is gone.
- Maintaining heartburn Sometimes heartburn cannot be avoided in pregnancy sine it can be due to hormonal changes. Later in pregnancy, your growing uterus can press on your stomach and make the problem worse. That being said, there are certainly things you can try! I cover this topic in another blogpost.
- Find ways to relax during the day Relieving stress with exercise, yoga, massage therapy, mindful breathing, a warm bath, or simply relaxing can allow your body to release some stress before sleeping. Adopting good breathing techniques can also benefit you later on when labor comes.
- Try to get comfortable Whether it’s a pregnancy pillow or a few regular pillows, try and find what works best for you and your body to relax. Pillows can help support your belly or your legs and make you more comfortable as your belly grows. Besides, investing in a few extra pillows is not a waste. They make great breast-feeding support cushions after baby comes! Try sleeping on your left side as well. This allows for optimal blood flow throughout your body and can help you rest.
- A healthy diet Sometimes sleep deprivation can be due to vitamin or mineral deficiencies. Specifically B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin D, magnesium, and vitamin E can improve your sleep quality and duration. Make sure you’re getting enough of these in your diet. If you are not, try supplementing them separately. Your prenatal vitamin will most likely contain all of these, but you may still find yourself deficient even after taking your prenatal.
- Darkening your space Have you ever been to a brightly lit spa? Probably not. The reason for this is that low light is calming. Try and lower the lights about an hour before bed. Try only having one lamp lit or only lighting a few candles. Try and avoid electronics at least an hour before bedtime. If that’s not possible, try turning down your screen brightness to avoid that extra bright light. This is also an excellent way to encourage your circadian rhythm.
- Use lavender Lavender is a natural calming agent. Diffusing it or using a lavender oil based lotion before bed can help calm your body and release some tension. Add that to a massage before bed and you are set!
Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is when your body randomly stops breathing when sleeping. This is particularly dangerous for pregnant women. Cutting off your oxygen supply is bad for both you and for baby. Talk to your doctor or Midwife if you think you may have this problem.
In conclusion
Talk to your doctor Midwife if you continue to struggle with getting enough sleep. They maybe able to help you pinpoint the cause of your insomnia and offer more tips to help combat it. No matter what, pregnancy insomnia will not last forever. There is no “one size fits all” solution to sleeplessness in pregnancy. Either way, you will be very prepared for those night wakings with your sweet little babe. 🙂
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