Sleep is a common topic of conversation among me and my girlfriends these days. While most of it revolves around toddler sleep – the ever-changing naptimes, not-so-smooth adjustments to daylight saving time, etc. – we also like to share sleep-related tips since so many of us seem to struggle with our own sleep now that we have kids.
I reached out to girlfriends from different stages of my life who have experiences pregnancy-related sleep struggles for a glimpse into what small changes made a difference for women who have been through pregnancy-related sleep struggles and I’ve compiled them here to share with you today as part of my fourth blog post collaboration with Sleep Number this year!
How to Sleep Better During Pregnancy: Tips from Women Who Have Been There
First, I want to start with a couple of my own tips. I’m sure you guys won’t be surprised by some of these if you were a PBF reader throughout my pregnancy in 2015.
- Invest in a Pregnancy Body Pillow (and do so before you think you need it)
As Sadie can attest, pregnancy pillows are AMAZING.
Thankfully my wonderful friend Gina sent me a pregnancy body pillow when I first told her I was pregnant. Weeks before my belly really popped, I found myself extremely uncomfortable at night. It wasn’t until I remembered Gina’s gift that I unpacked the pillow and a serious love affair began. There’s something magical about an extra long pregnancy body pillow and the way the pillow’s shape allows you to take pressure off your hips, support your back or belly and maneuver it around until you find a position that suits you and your personal comfort level.
- Stay Active
I tried really hard to keep up with my usual fitness routine when I was pregnant. Of course I adjusted my workouts and listened to my body (especially during the four weeks when couldn’t walk without stabbing sacroiliac pain) but I really think staying active helped me sleep better at night and feel better mentally throughout the day as well. There were weeks when my workouts were sitting on a recumbent bike and reading a magazine but I believe that even the simple motion of moving my legs had a positive impact on my overall sleep and wellbeing.
- Keep Your Bedroom Cool and Comfortable
Oooh pregnancy sweats! When I think back on my pregnancy one of the first things I think about is how HOT I was all the time. I swear I sweat more in the nine months I had Chase in my belly than I did in my whole life. It’s hard to feel comfortable when you feel like you can’t stop sweating but keeping our bedroom cooler than usual quickly became necessary for my comfort level. (The ideal sleep temperature is somewhere between 65 and 68 degrees.)
There’s also no denying that a comfortable mattress makes a huge difference. In a addition to my sacroiliac joint pain, I felt a lot of pressure on my hips when I was pregnant. My body pillow absolutely helped alleviate this pain a bit but I cannot help but wonder if our mattress was too firm. Earlier this year we swapped our old mattress for a Sleep Number mattress and I was able to adjust my side of the bed to make it softer and more comfortable on my hips while Ryan could leave his side very firm.
It was really cool to be able to watch the pressure on my hips release as I changed my Sleep Number setting. Relief! The DualAir™ technology in our bed allows me and Ryan to adjust our sides of the bed to our personal comfort level and since we like very opposite levels of firmness, it’s been a game changer for us! Oh how I wish I had this during pregnancy!
And now for tips from some of my girlfriends! (A quick note: Please, please do not implement any tips that may call for supplementation or the use of essential oils without consulting your doctor.)
When I was having crazy sleep issues, my naturopath told me to take a Himalayan salt + Epsom salt bath. After my daughter was born, my sodium levels were low which can apparently affect sleep which was really interesting to me, too. – C
I battled heartburn so I watched what I ate and kept Tums right next to my bed. I also slept in an almost-seated position on a pile of pillows. – L
I totally cut out out all caffeine and processed sweets. Eliminating processed foods really helped me feel great and I think it also helped me sleep better. – K
A magnesium supplement helped me for sure! I also use the Wellness Mama’s spray before bed. And diffusing lavender essential oil helped me! – D
My husband gave me a foot massage every night! LOL! I swear it helped me relax! – L
Making sure I drank a lot of water earlier in the day so I didn’t have to wake up every hour to pee at night helped… a little. I still feel like I was up all the time just to go to the bathroom! – D
Don’t look at the clock when you wake up! That will only stress you out. – M
I napped whenever possible during the day. Sneaking in 20-30 minutes naps made a big difference for me for my overall energy levels. – K
I did prenatal yoga weekly and got monthly prenatal massages. Both seemed to help not only with sleep but with pregnancy aches and pains, too. – E
My midwife had me take Natural Calm. It’s a magnesium drink. I still take it every night! – M
I had insomnia and unfortunately time was really the only cure for me. I would encourage women to talk to their doctors about insomnia because there are some things that can help when it gets really bad. I did seem to sleep better when I didn’t watch TV or look at my phone before bed though. And reading a book with a candle helped me feel more relaxed. – M
I think staying active during pregnancy is crucial. Helps keep mama and baby healthy – and tired! – L
I tried hard not to look at my phone in the middle of the night. – L
Question of the Day
- For my pregnant/mama friends: Did you experience sleep struggles during pregnancy? Was there anything you did during pregnancy to help with sleep struggles?
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Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Sleep Number. Thank you so much for your support! I truly appreciate it very much!
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Love this post!
Does anyone have trouble not rolling onto your back during the night? Currently 28 weeks pregnant, and everything I have read/heard says not to sleep on your back after the first trimester. But I CONSTANTLY find myself waking up on my back, having rolled over in my sleep, and it is totally stressing me out!!
YES!!! That happened to me, too. It stressed me out until I talked to my doctor who told me not to freak out, but just reposition myself before I went back to sleep. You can’t control your movements during sleep so I feel ya on feeling a little stressed about that one!
Great resource! Thank you! What pregnancy pillow brand do you recommend?
I loved the Snoogle!
The only thing that helped me sleep while pregnant was taking Unisom which was recommended by my doctor and is safe during pregnancy. It was the only thing that helped me not be wide awake in the middle of the night.
I use a pregnancy pillow and I’m not pregnant! I used one when I was pregnant a few years ago and couldn’t give it up. So, I keep getting replacing it. LOL! BTW, Julie, the first thing I thought when I saw this post was….She’s pregnant again! 🙂
Ha!! Nope, not pregnant over here! 🙂
I had a twin pregnancy and was a beloved belly sleeper – when I hit 24 weeks that was it for me! I didn’t even want to go to bed anymore! The only thing I found comfort with was pillows. I didn’t purchase a body pillow, I just used one for under my belly (laying on my side) and one between my legs. I didn’t even think to inquire about natural remedies but will certainly keep that in mind if I ever get preggo again.. def NOT anytime soon 🙂
All great tips. I LOVED my body pillow and still used it postpartum to nurse in the middle of the night (it doubles as a great nursing pillow, BTW). Anything will lavender scented before bed helped me sleep during pregnancy too – oils, bath soaks, lotions, etc.
We have a flex-top sleep number bed, which was a game changer for me in the final months of pregnancy! I could raise the top of my side almost sit up and my husband could still lay flat. And of course changing the firmness of my side of the mattress was a huge plus too!
Pregnancy body pillows are the best! I actually still sleep with one even though my baby is 8 months old, ha!
Being active during the day definitely helped as well. I had to stop running by 5 months in, but switching to swimming was great.
And toward the end of pregnancy, nothing really helped very much. But it was good practice for those early sleepless newborn nights!
I’m currently 27 weeks pregnant and I have always had difficulty sleeping even before pregnancy. Before baby I used to take 2 Benadryl and 1 Melatonin supplement every night before bed. When I became pregnant I didn’t take anything and therefore barely slept. I asked my doctor about it and she said the Benadryl was still perfectly fine to take – no more than 2 per night – but to nix the melatonin. So Benadryl has been my saving grace!
I am also very active during the days – I work at a gym so I have a great schedule when it comes to taking Les Mills classes at my leisure. So far so good!
Congratulations to you, Jessica!! <3 Sleep is such a beast and I'm glad you and your doctor were able to find something to help you!
Good tips for new moms-to-be….but I have to admit that I laughed out loud when I read your title today, it was just too ironic for me….I’m currently pregnant with my second and my (almost) 2 year old woke up 4 times last night (11:15pm, 11:47pm, 2:38am and 3:37am, the dog decided she needed go outside around this time as well). This isn’t a typical night, thank goodness, but I’m going to be dragging by this afternoon!
Please don’t kill me, my girlfriend made a blog about her everyday problems while becoming vegan and trying to stay active via workouts. She doesn’t really get any comments or like/shares so i’m trying to make commercial for her without her knowing it.
http://healthysmartprincess.com/2016/11/13/fitness-routine-every-little-counts/ Please be nice and read, maybe you like it. Or share it?! 😛
I do hear a lot of women complain about pregnancy sleep problems but oh my gosh, I slept soooooo well during my pregnancy. I have never slept so deeply in my life. I fell asleep instantly, slept forever, and didn’t wake up till the alarm went off. I miss those sleeps!
really!? that’s amazing!!!! so wonderful for you!!
I love that you talk about these things on your blog. When you were pregnant and I was reading your blog I was dreaming about the day I would be pregnant and now that I am I go back and read you’re old blogs, so this one was a very nice surprise to have this morning. All the tips and suggestions are MUCH APPRECIATED!
Thank you so much, Kristin!! <3 And BIG congratulations to you! So thrilled for you!!!
I am a little confused by the use of magnesium to aid in sleep. Messing with electrolyte levels can have some pretty serious side effects, so as Julie said PLEASE consult with you doctor before trying these methods. Also, follow label instructions for antacids. Many people think you can just pop em like candy, but this can also mess with your bodies pH and electrolyte balance. Good luck preggos!!!! ?
I should have bought a pregnancy pillow, but I used a couple regular pillows, which seemed to work fine. The worst part about my pregnancy sleeping was getting up about a hundred times to use the bathroom 😉
I’m 17 weeks pregnant, and thankfully sleep hasn’t been a huge issue for me (I’ve always been a side sleeper and getting up in the middle of the night is minimal). The only thing I can’t seem to get is the motivation to work out! I was a runner before the pregnancy but I’m still suffering from some nausea that keeps me from wanting to get too active. But like you said, sometimes all it takes is a ride on the bike to feel better. I should dust off the ol’ treadmill and get myself walking at least a little bit to keep me active. 🙂
Thank you for some great tips!
I’m not pregnant but a good friend of mine is – going to pass along this post to her, I think it’ll be super helpful! Thanks Julie 🙂
I’m currently 16 weeks, and the struggle is real with the middle-of-the-night bathroom trips! A few people that I’ve told have been surprised that I’m experiencing this already, so it’s nice to hear that I’m not the only one. I ordered a snoogle, but find it hard to use when my husband is home- hard to fit two adults, a snoogle and a vizsla in the bed!
By the way… I am loving rereading your pregnancy posts! Each week I pop back to read your weekly recap for that # and it’s fun to compare. 🙂
YAY! I’m so glad to hear it! I loved reading blogs when I was pregnant, too. It was a nice change of pace and great to read from a real woman rather than just a bunch of pregnancy books. 🙂 Congrats to you, Katy!!
It’s so amazing how different everyone is! I couldn’t stand “pregnancy” pillows! 🙂 tried two and didn’t use either. But I do agree with “supported” sleep, and already slept with serrated pillows between my knees and arms (when sleeping on my side) so I just continued with what I already did. Otherwise I was also so hot at night! Arg. And we both had summer babies! Rough. I used fans, ice packs and a cooolllddd house (sorry hubby!) to get through allllll hot Fresno summer ‘:-(
i’m so happy you loved the snoogle as much as i did 🙂 such a gam changer! and i see it in the closet and am SO TEMPTED to use it again haha.
so many awesome tips here!!
love you <3
My sister-in-law is due 6 days before Christmas, and I thought a postpartum gift would be nice for a Christmas gift. Do you have any must haves? I heard support leggings or a belly band are great, but would love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks!!
Very informative! Pregnant women do deserve the best treatment as possible and they do need to be living on a good environment to ensure that the baby is delivered safely and without complications. Thanks for sharing!
Even when women have a complicated pregnancy, they tell me it was worth it in the end. It truly never gets old for me to see the look of pure joy on a patient’s face when she holds her newborn.