Sleeping During Pregnancy: Problems and Tips to Sleep Well

As your baby starts to grow in your belly, the added pressure and weight may make sleeping during pregnancy difficult. Additionally, other pregnancy-related problems such as leg pain or heartburn can make it worse.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the common sleep problems during pregnancy and what you can do to sleep well.

How Much Sleep Do I Need During Pregnancy?

Like any other adult, it is recommended that pregnant women get between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. However, around 80% of pregnant women typically report experiencing poor sleep throughout their time in labor [1].

How Does Pregnancy Affect Sleep?

It’s always been said that pregnancy is supposed to be a time of immense joy for both parents. Yet, for many expecting mothers, sleep disturbances are all too common. Hormonal changes within the body can also mess up your normal sleep schedule, increasing excessive daytime sleepiness and sleep fragmentation [2].

Some common pregnancy symptoms that may affect sleep quality, include:

• Nausea
• Heartburn
• Nocturia
• Back pain
• Headache
• Bloating
• Constipation
• Leg cramps

Besides this, there’s also an increased risk for sleep disorders such as restless legs syndrome, snoring, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Morning sickness is also especially common during the first trimester. However, nausea and vomiting are not necessarily restricted to morning, as you may have been led to believe. It can strike at any time of the day, even during the night. This causes sleep disturbances and frequent trips to the bathroom.

What happens when you don’t get enough sleep during pregnancy?

New research suggests that pregnant women who constantly have trouble sleeping at night may be at a higher risk of birthing a baby with neurodevelopmental delays.

Approximately 40% of all pregnant women are found to suffer from short sleep duration (SSD), sleeping less than 7 hours of sleep per night. Being sleep-deprived increases the risk of having impaired glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and gestational diabetes along with their child having delays in their speech and motor skills [3].

Sleeping Position During Pregnancy

Many women tend to struggle with getting good nighttime sleep. One of the biggest issues is trying to find the best sleep position such that you are not putting too much pressure on the belly and also relieving back pain.

During early pregnancy, sleeping on your back or on your stomach is still fine and can be comfortable for most.

As late pregnancy progresses, you are recommended to sleep on your side instead. Sleeping on your side increases blood flow to the fetus, reducing the risk of stillbirth. It’s preferable to sleep on your left side compared to your right side to prevent the obstruction of blood flow to the heart [4].

When to stop sleeping on stomach?

Generally, it is safe to sleep on your stomach even in your second and third trimesters. The only consideration to make when it comes to sleeping on your stomach after the first trimester is that it can be uncomfortable, causing neck and shoulder pains.

If you prefer to sleep on your stomach, you may consider using a pillow to support the belly area while sleeping [5].

How to sleep with rib pain during pregnancy?

Rib pain tends to occur during your second and third trimesters. Some possible reasons why you may get rib pain include hormonal changes, inflammation, increased pressure from your uterus or it could be kicked from your baby [6].

To sleep with rib pain, you can try to change your sleep position once in a while, or you can wear a belly support band, to support your belly weight and ease pressure.

Tips on How To Sleep During Pregnancy

1. Use the ShutEye app

Our ShutEye® app can help you get a better night’s sleep by promoting relaxation. With ShutEye®, you can download a large variety of background noises for a calmer sleeping environment. These include rain, peaceful ocean sounds, relaxing forest landscapes, and many more. It also helps improve your quality of sleep by enabling you to track your sleep cycles, ensuring you wake up and go to sleep at the best times for you.

2. Take prenatal supplements

Prenatal vitamins can help ensure you and your baby are receiving the right nutrients to fight fatigue. It is not uncommon for pregnant women to suffer from anemia, a condition where there aren’t enough red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. This results in extreme weakness and fatigue and can be dangerous to your baby. 

Anemia often develops because your body is required to produce more blood to support the growth of your baby. This requires a higher intake of iron and folic acid, which are necessary for making red blood cells. Consequently, anemia is usually linked to low levels of these important nutrients in the body. Taking a prenatal vitamin containing iron and folic acid can help prevent fatigue. They may also help with restless leg syndrome.

3. Eat a healthy, balanced diet

To prevent nausea, eating little and often instead of large meals can help. You should also try to avoid eating right before bed. If your digestive system is still working away late at night, it can be harder to fall asleep. Plus, you may also experience acid reflux from lying down straight after eating.

Eating spicy or fatty foods can lead to heartburn and other digestive problems which may make sleep harder. Eating a nutritious, well-balanced diet is best for promoting a healthy digestive system.

4. Practice good sleep hygiene

Sleep hygiene refers to habits you can adopt before bedtime to help promote a good night’s sleep. This could be things like creating a comfortable bedroom environment, keeping a stable sleep schedule, practicing a relaxing pre-bedtime routine, such as having a bath, and avoiding screens, as the light can stimulate your brain to stay awake.

Do some gentle exercises

Gentle exercise such as yoga or swimming can help promote relaxation, improve energy levels, and help you sleep at night. Research has found that yoga during pregnancy can also help lower stress levels [7].

Conclusion

To support the healthy growth and development of your baby, it is extremely important that you are getting enough sleep. One way to fix this is by ensuring that you are sleeping in a comfortable position. Incorporating good sleep habits by taking prenatal supplements, eating a healthy die,t and exercising also helps support better sleep quality.

Want to learn how to sleep better naturally during pregnancy? Try out ShutEye® app, an advanced sleep-tracking app that monitors and analyzes your sleep patterns. Try today and receive personalized sleep tips on how you can improve sleep!

Discover ways to start sleeping peacefully with ShutEye!

Try for Free