Being up at all hours of the night is no way a pregnant queen such as yourself should be getting her beauty sleep. Most rough nights often equal rough mornings and so on. To tackle all that the day has ahead of you, you will need some quality rest, friend. If you are one of the many expecting mamas that is having trouble sleeping, we are here to help.
Although pregnancy insomnia is not necessarily something you can “treat,” there are ways to try and manage it or help your body through it.
Pregnancy insomnia can be a result of many different pregnancy-related symptoms and conditions. Let’s talk about what pregnancy insomnia is, what can cause it, and how you can take the nightmare out of your nighttime. With this information, you’ll get the rest you deserve and need.
What Is Pregnancy Insomnia?
It’s a crazy kind of irony that good night’s sleep is so hard, especially during the first trimester when you’re nothing but exhausted.
Pregnancy insomnia is when you have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep (or both) during pregnancy. As a result of not getting enough sleep, it can cause an array of issues and other problems like impacting your mental health and causing day-time sleepiness. These issues can still affect you postpartum, disrupting your sleep patterns and making it harder to get the rest you need.
Some believe that insomnia is just a hard time falling asleep, but there’s more to it — it’s also just a hard time staying asleep. You may be able to fall asleep but notice you only can sleep for an hour at a time before waking up again. This would be considered pregnancy insomnia.
If you are experiencing trouble sleeping, know you are not alone. 66-94% of women report sleep disturbances during pregnancy, insomnia being the main culprit. This is a very common shared experience in pregnancy.
To better understand pregnancy insomnia, we need to understand what causes it. Let’s dive in.
What Makes It Hard To Sleep During Pregnancy?
Sleeping problems throughout pregnancy can be pretty normal, especially in the first and third trimesters. Some changes that occur during pregnancy can influence how you sleep (or don’t sleep). Thankfully, some of these disturbances can be prevented; however, others cannot.
Read on for more on the causes of insomnia and how to finally get the sleep you need.
Hormonal Changes
This change in the body, unfortunately cannot be prevented and is bound to happen. While no one loves the feeling of hormonal changes, our bodies are only doing what’s needed to grow adorable little babies.
Fluctuating hormones occur all throughout your pregnancy. In the first and second trimesters, your body produces more hormones like progesterone, which can also cause sleepiness during the day.
In your third trimester, oxytocin is released and peaks at night, causing sleep fragmentation. Although you cannot prevent this from happening, there are ways to help you get better sleep.
Nausea
Not only is that first-trimester nausea a pest during the day, but it can pose a threat to us at night. Not to be outdone by nausea, heartburn is a common pregnancy symptom that causes insomnia.
There are thankfully remedies and tricks to combat nausea. You might feel better if you drink ginger tea, avoid any spicy foods before bed, and avoid sleeping flat on your back.
Leg Cramps
Muscle cramps during the night can cause trouble sleeping and pregnancy insomnia as they can be quite painful. The tightening of your muscles during a cramp can wake you up from your sleep or make it hard to fall asleep. Staying hydrated and stretching can help prevent cramping.
Braxton Hicks
Braxton Hicks are false constructions that can feel like painful cramps. Although these are uncomfortable and sometimes painful, they are your body’s way of preparing for labor when that time comes. Basically, your uterus is working out before the big race.
Restless Legs Syndrome
This random and unpleasant pregnancy symptom is not exactly one for the baby scrapbook. This sleep disorder causes you to feel an intense urge to move your legs and usually comes on after sitting or lying down for long amounts of time. The uncomfortable sensations can be hard to sleep through, causing pregnancy insomnia.
If you have RLS, folic acid supplements may help. Just make sure to talk to your doctor before trying any at-home interventions like supplements or medication.
Back Pain
Having soreness and points of pain around our body can also be one of the risk factors for pregnancy insomnia from early pregnancy through to your due date. They can be constant or come and go. Either way, they make it hard to get comfortable and sleep well.
What Can You Do When You Have Pregnancy Insomnia?
We get it: Getting up each morning after not getting quality rest can be hard. Although some reasons that can play into pregnancy insomnia that are not preventable, there are still ways you can support your body and get some more rest.
Here are some sleep hygiene tips for pregnant women:
Relaxing Bedtime Routine
Bedtime routines are not just beneficial for children. They are great for us hardworking mamas. Having a set relaxing nightly routine that you follow each night will help you unwind after a long day and help your body and brain know it’s time to go to sleep soon.
Following the same steps every night will eventually create habits that will have your brain sending signals to your body, so it knows it’s time to relax and get sleepy.
A bedtime routine can look however you want it. We suggest having a snack close to bedtime so that you don’t wake up in the middle of the night starving for pickles and ice cream. Choosing a snack with minimal sugar will help you not get a jolt of energy and keep you awake.
Drawing a warm bath is a great way to relax after a long day. Add Belly & Body Bath Soak to your tub, along with some lavender essential oils to help your sore muscles let go of tension. You never need an excuse to pamper yourself, but this is still a darn good one.
End the night with some warm tea and a good book. (PS: Staying off your phone will help you not be exposed to blue light, which can trick your brain into thinking it needs to stay awake.)
Get Comfortable
Sometimes it can seem close to impossible to get comfortable, especially later in pregnancy, in those last weeks before welcoming your baby. There are ways you can support your body to hopefully get better rest.
Pregnancy pillows are a great way to support your hips, back, legs, and neck. With limited sleeping positions available during pregnancy, pillows can help position all those sore areas that carry the extra weight of your growing baby.
If the same pillow you’ve used for the last two years suddenly isn’t comfortable to use anymore, listen to your body and find a new pillow. It may not be something you think about, but making these small changes can help you feel more relaxed and able to fall asleep. Basically, you’re the modern reincarnation of the Princess and the Pea.
If you tend to get really hot throughout the night, as pregnancy hormones tend to do that, try sleeping in more flowy, breathable sleepwear.
Daytime Naps
If you have any extra time during the day, taking advantage of naps can help you feel better rested and get more energy when you need it. A solid power nap can do wonders for your overall well-being.
Set a timer if you need to or let your body rest for as long as it needs. Listening to your body is the best way to go.
Practice Relaxation Techniques
When you’re ready to turn the light off and drift off into sleep, or if you wake up during the night, there are relaxation techniques you can try to help you fall asleep.
Breathing exercises can help you let go of tension within your body and relax:
- Diaphragmatic breathing is when you focus on breathing from lower in your lungs. It’s often referred to as “belly breathing.” Put your hand on your stomach to make sure you’re breathing from lower within. Take long deep breaths.
- 4-7-8 breathing is another well-loved technique. Inhale for four seconds, hold it for seven seconds and then exhale for eight seconds.
There are also visual exercises you can try:
- The Body scan is a breathing exercise while you focus on different parts of your body and notice how they feel. If you’re all set and comfortable with your pregnancy pillow, you can begin taking deep breaths while focusing on how comfortable your legs feel as they lay across your pillow, supported and relaxed. Move up from focusing in on your toes all the way to your head.
Over-the-Counter Medicine
If these don’t seem to help enough to get you the rest you’re looking for, a healthcare professional may suggest taking over-the-counter sleep medicines or supplements such as melatonin. This supplement may be able to help your body fall asleep (melatonin is a natural occurring hormone in your brain that induces sleep).
If you need something extra to try and increase your sleep quality, talk to your healthcare provider to see what your best options are.
Nutrition & Exercise
Fueling your body with the nutrients it needs is great for sleep since your body is getting what it needs to keep doing what it needs to do at night. Growing a baby doesn’t pause while you sleep.This can be why you wake in the middle of the night starving and craving a sandwich.
In addition to the foods you eat, taking your daily prenatal vitamins will also help your body have the vitamins and minerals it needs to keep up.
Exercise is either something you love to do or hate to do during pregnancy. We’re going to give a big round of applause to the over 25 women who literally competed in the Olympics while pregnant, but that’s not everyone’s plan to say the least. In fact, that is hardly anyone’s plan at all, let’s be real.
However, there are some fun, pregnancy-safe exercises that may help improve your sleepy time experience. Taking a walk after lunch is a great way to keep moving in late pregnancy. It also helps to get outside and be in the sun to help regulate your circadian rhythm. Prenatal yoga is also a fan favorite (and a fantastic opportunity to buy new maternity leggings).
Pregnancy Insomnia Doesn’t Last Forever
As you might have guessed, pregnancy insomnia is brought on by pregnancy. And thankfully, you’re not going to be pregnant forever, so if at the end of the day none of these tricks work to getting more sleep, know that this will not last forever. You will be able to sleep through the night eventually (well, at least when your baby does).
If you find yourself still wide awake during the night and your breathing exercises aren’t lulling you off into sleep again, try not to stress about it if possible. Sometimes thinking about how much you want and need to go back to sleep is what contributes to having trouble falling back asleep.
Read some more of your book, get up for some water or just reposition to a more comfortable sleeping position and remind yourself that this doesn’t last forever.
Even though these sleepless nights can be hard and exhausting, they are all bringing you that much closer to meeting your precious little bundle of joy. We hope this was helpful for you and kick-starts the bedtime routine that helps you get in the rhythm of rest.
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