Sleeping During Pregnancy: Tips by Trimester

Sleep can be tough during pregnancy. Sometimes you feel like you’re sleeping too MUCH and sometimes you can’t get to sleep at all. What are some tips to making sleeping EASIER during pregnancy?

Before we get started, sometimes it’s just the fears of your future that keep you up. While I’ll have MORE tips on that, I really think positive affirmations can help you feel much more calm before bed.

General Tips for Pregnancy Sleep

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Get Comfy

Are you comfortable in bed? While purchasing a new mattress isn’t in the cards for everyone (and honestly, may not be your problem). Here are a few tips to make your sleeping space accommodate you better:

Get a memory foam topper — feeling like you wish you had a softer mattress, a memory foam topper might help. I like how this one offers “cooling” — because sometimes those can get HOT.

Consider new pillows? Maybe you’ve gone from a stomach sleeper, or back sleeper to side sleeper. You might need a firmer pillow for your head, or a pregnancy pillow for your whole body. Don’t discount how much pillows can help! Sometimes even putting ones under an arm can really help circulation and prevent issues.

How’s the temperature? It can be easy to think you don’t want to make your a/c bill more in the summer, but sometimes going down by just a degree can help you sleep better, and it may not raise your bill enough to make it not worth it.

We also have BetJet and it’s been a GAME CHANGER. It’s not cheap, but ours hast lasted for YEARS and I just love it (full disclosure they sent me a unit to try out). The new one even gets cooler than ours does right now.

If temperature is an issue in your relationship, I can promise it’s cheaper than a divorce lawyer. 🙂 I love that you can adjust anywhere between pretty cool and REALLY warm — I think it would be really nice in Pregnancy when I had a hard time regulating my temperature.

New bedding? Maybe you could use some new bedding. Sheets, comforter, etc. Is there something that is bugging you that with a quick replacement might feel better? This is worth a splurge in pregnancy because sleep is SO important!

Ok, let’s talk about tips by trimester:

First Trimester Sleep Tips

BTW, if you’re in your first trimester — let me hang out with you for the next few months giving you my BEST TIPS for right where you are!

Guys, give yourself grace during this period. I remember on my last baby thinking I either had cancer or I was pregnant. I was doing a delivery one day and then looked at the placenta and realized HOW MUCH nutrients goes into that thing — building it, growing it. No WONDER I was so tired.

So, first of all — if you feel extra tired, give yourself grace. Take naps when you can. BUT, also make sure you’re not napping so much it hurts your sleep at night.

Nausea tips:

Some people get extra nauseated at night. If that’s you:

• Vary the time you’re eating dinner or having an evening snack (or no snack if it makes it worse)
• Vary what types of food you eat at that last meal.
• If your provider has recommended medications, vary the time you take it, ask if you can take it at night if that’s the worst time for you.
• Use pillows to prop yourself up if laying flat makes it worse
• Have tums by your bedside if they help

Need some eating tips? Grab them here:

Worried?

Some people are so worried about baby in those first few weeks that they just can’t sleep.

They assure themselves that once they pass the first trimester they won’t be as worried, and while that may be true — I can assure you that for the rest of your life there will be things to worry about for this baby. Be it making milestones, finding friends at school, or driving — learning to have hope has helped me a LOT at bedtime.

Even if you’re not normally a pray-er — I recommend at least mentally naming 5 things that you’re grateful for before bed, so your mind at least focuses on the positive.

Get a To-Do LIst

Your might might be racing with all there is to do with this new baby. The good news, you’ve got time. I have a pregnancy planner that might help you out! It has spots for memories, to-do’s, reminders and more — it can OFTEN be your key to a better night’s rest!

Second Trimester Sleep Tips

This is the sweet spot of pregnancy, and I would hope that you’re sleeping well.

Again, cooling things down can help, as well as adjusting bedding if that’s an issue.

Heartburn can still be an issue even though baby is still small.

Make sure that whatever you’re sleeping in can accommodate your growing belly so that’s not constricted.

Also, a pregnancy pillow can be helpful even now! << that post even has some tips if you’re missing sleeping on your belly!

Here’s a few other tips for other issues during pregnancy:

• What Does Round Ligament Pain Feel Like
• How To Sit In An Office Chair During Pregnancy
• Sharp Abdominal Pain During Pregnancy
• Pain Between Your Legs During Pregnancy: Is It Pelvic Pain?
• 6 Easy Ways To Get Relief From Hip Pain During Pregnancy

Third Trimester Sleep Tips

Ugh, it’s tough, but here are my best tips:

Cut-off water after dinner. Sure — have a sip now and then, but no big drinks of water after bed so you can clear your bladder and hopefully IT won’t be the reason you wake up.

Hydration is EVEN more important during these later weeks so make sure you’re still drinking all that water (aim for 10 LARGE glasses/day), you just need to get it in before dinner time.

Tums by the bed — heartburn can be a real problem. If Tums aren’t cutting it, ask your provider if there’s something else they can recommend or prescribe. You can also vary what/when you’re eating for your last meal of the day. If you notice it’s way worse on a specific day try to trace it back to any possible causes….

Pillows, Pillows, Pillows – don’t negate how great a pillow can be. There are few places to put them at this point:

• Between your legs to help your hips
• A thin one one under your belly so it’s not “hanging” but is supported
• One under your arms to help promote circulation (especially great if you have numbness)
• Obviously one under your head, but then another one diagonal to that to rest your face on

Did I miss a spot you love a pillow? Tell us in the comments! I can promise you most pregnant people are looking for advice to sleep better.

Physical Therapy? — No, they’re not sleep doctors, but your body is going through a LOT carrying around an extra human all day. If you have areas that are store, or stiff doing physical therapy can really help. The good news, you may only need a few visits to get some stretches that can really help you feel better.

Some people love a late night prenatal yoga session to calm them down (I am just not one of those people — it tends to hype me up).

Meditation — Being in the here and now can help a lot of pregnancy worries. There are so many positive medications on YouTube or Spotify I’d try one now and then to just help yourself clear your mind.

Take a Class — Worried about delivery? You’re not alone. I hear that a ton on social media that the thoughts of having the baby are keeping them up. Be it just the hospital, pain, or something going wrong. That can all take a spot in your mind when things get dark.

The Online Prenatal Class for Couples has proven to reduce worries by over 50% (seriously, I’ve studied it). It also helps people over 60% more prepared for birth. It really can help you (and your partner) sleep better, and be a little closer too since you’re going to be on the same page.

You may even find your partner is ALSO having a hard time sleeping worrying about delivery. That class will help him as well!

Want to do a vibe check before diving into the whole thing with me? — check out my free labor pro tips. It’s your first step toward getting in the driver’s seat of your birth.