Insomnia During Pregnancy: Tips for Getting More Restful Sleep

Insomnia During Pregnancy: Tips for Getting More Restful Sleep

Insomnia and pregnancy often go hand in hand. Difficulty sleeping is especially common during the later stages of pregnancy when it’s hard to get comfortable due to the size of your tummy. Unfortunately, when you don’t get enough sleep, it can make you feel tired and cranky the next day. What can you do to tame the insomnia beast when you’re pregnant?

If you had insomnia before, don’t expect it to improve now that you’re pregnant, especially during the later stages. It’s hard to get comfy when your abdomen is the size of a bowling ball! Other factors that can interfere with sleep are having to get up to urinate during the night, something that’s not uncommon when you’re pregnant.

Sometimes other pregnancy-related symptoms make it hard to get a good night’s sleep. As your uterus enlarges, it puts pressure on your bladder. The pressure can make you feel like you have to urinate more often. Morning sickness, too, can make it harder to sleep. The stress and even the joy of being pregnant can interfere with sleep as well. You might find yourself lying awake at night thinking of baby names.

Insomnia Pregnancy Tips to Help You Get More Sleep

Are you eager to get a better night’s sleep? Begin by looking at your diet. Are you still getting your daily caffeine fix? If you are, make sure you’re not drinking caffeinated beverages past noon. Some people are slow metabolizers of caffeine and caffeine hangs out in their system longer, even into the evening. It’s also not a good idea to consume caffeine at all since drinking more than two cups of coffee daily has been linked in some studies with a higher risk of miscarriage.

Other tips to help you get better quality sleep during pregnancy:

• Drink plenty of water during the day but taper back after 6:00 P.M. Those extra trips to the bathroom make it harder to snooze. It’s another reason to avoid caffeine late in the day as well.

• Eat a light dinner early and don’t snack afterward. Eating a heavy meal late in the day can make it harder to fall sleep. It can also worsen morning sickness.

• If you had a night of little sleep, set aside time for a short nap the next day. Keep it to no more than an hour. Long naps during the day will only make it harder to sleep at night.

• Make sure your bedroom is a comfortable temperature, a bit on the cool side, if possible. A warm room makes it harder to sleep. Darkness, too, is works in your favor. Block out all sources of light.

• Find a comfortable sleeping position. As the baby grows, you may find sleeping on your left side to be the most comfy.

• Find ways to deal with stress, whether it be a yoga class, deep breathing, or meditation. Pregnancy is often a happy time but not completely free of stress.

The Bottom Line

Insomnia during pregnancy is a common complaint but one that you can often improve by changing your lifestyle habits and your sleeping environment. Keep in mind that like all things that happen during pregnancy, this too will pass.

References:

National Institutes of Health. “Couples’ pre-pregnancy caffeine consumption linked to miscarriage risk”

Psychology Today. “Should Pregnant Women Forget About a Good Night’s Sleep?”