Newborns have a certain reputation for keeping people up at odd hours with late-night feedings — but the sleepless nights can begin long before your baby arrives.
Figuring out how to get better sleep during pregnancy is not just important for your energy and mood. Pregnant women who get less sleep are more likely to have complications.
How stage of pregnancy affects sleep needs
Depending on the stage of your pregnancy, there are different sleep challenges to overcome.In the first trimester, women tend to crave a significant amount of sleep. Don’t be surprised if you need to go to bed earlier, take more naps and feel sleepier overall. At this stage, the best thing you can do is to give into this urge, and get the rest your body needs.
In the second trimester, the need for sleep mostly returns to the way it was before you got pregnant.
But the pendulum generally swings again in the third trimester, when women tend to lose sleep.
Discomfort can come from:
- Back pain
- Baby kicks
- Leg cramps
- More frequent urination urges
- Substantial weight gain
- Congestion associated with late-term pregnancy
8 tips to help you get better sleep
Although it’s impossible for women to avoid many of the things that limit sleep during pregnancy, there are ways to get more (and better) rest:- Develop a bedtime routine. It contributes to relaxation.
- Avoid electronics for at least an hour before bedtime. If that’s not possible, turn down the screen’s brightness.
- Limit caffeine in your diet.
- Relieve stress with yoga, mindfulness meditation or massage therapy.
- Don’t sleep on your back. It decreases the baby’s oxygen supply and puts pressure on your back.
- Sleep on your side. Use pillows to support your abdomen and hips.
- Limit breathing problems by elevating your head when you sleep.
- Stay well hydrated to help reduce leg cramping.
Poor sleep opens door for ill health
Sleep problems during pregnancy are not inevitable. They can, and should be addressed.Pregnant women who don’t sleep well are more likely to have:
- High blood pressure (and related cardiac problems)
- Poor sugar control (gestational diabetes)
- Anxiety and depression
- Postpartum depression (some research shows a link to this condition)
These conditions can certainly rear their ugly heads in pregnancy and progress at a faster rate. Someone might not have these conditions before pregnancy, and they might develop during any trimester.
Women with pregnancy-related sleep apnea also tend to have:
- Gestational diabetes
- Pre-eclampsia (pregnancy-induced hypertension)
- Smaller babies
