How to Sleep Better During Pregnancy

Pregnancy comes with a long list of changes you were probably warned about. Sleep usually isn't one of them.

Then the second trimester arrives, and suddenly there's no position that works. Your hips get tender on one side, you're up to the loo twice a night, heartburn shows up around 11 pm, and your brain decides 2 am is a sensible time to think about the nursery.

None of that is a sign anything's wrong. It's just very common, and very tiring.

Here are five things that make a real difference, starting with the one most women notice first.

 

1. Use a pregnancy pillow to get comfortable

Obvious, but worth saying properly.

The trouble with a growing belly is that it needs support from underneath, and there's nothing there. So you end up half-twisted, propping yourself with one arm, or stacking three ordinary pillows that slide apart within twenty minutes.

Most pregnant women end up sleeping on their side, and Australian health guidance recommends side sleeping from about 28 weeks onwards. Your midwife will talk you through that. The practical problem is staying there comfortably all night, which is where a full-body pillow earns its keep.

A good one does four jobs at once:

• Takes the weight of your belly so you're not holding it
• Sits between your knees to stop your top leg from dragging your hips over
• Supports your lower back so you're not rolling flat
• Gives your top arm somewhere to go

The Pain Free Aussies Pregnancy Pillow is a U-shape, 140cm by 80cm, so it wraps around you and handles all four without you reaching for anything. It comes in six colours with a removable cover, and the same pillow works for feeding later on, propped up in bed or in a chair.

One small tip: set it up before you get in, not after. Rearranging pillows once you're settled is the bit that wakes you properly.

 

2. Create an ideal atmosphere for sleep

You'll be doing this for the baby soon enough. Worth doing for yourself first.

Pregnancy runs your body warmer, which is why a room that felt fine in January feels stifling now. Drop the temperature a couple of degrees, sleep in something light, and choose bedding that breathes rather than traps heat. Cotton and bamboo do better here than heavy synthetics.

Then deal with light and noise:

• Blackout curtains, or an eye mask if that's simpler
• Earplugs or a fan for background noise
• Phone out of reach, or at least face down

If night sweats are waking you, keep a spare top within arm's reach so a change doesn't turn into a full wake-up. And leave a glass of water beside the bed, because getting up for one is how a small wake becomes an hour.

 

3. Try to stay active

Bodies that move during the day tend to settle better at night. That holds in pregnancy as much as any other time.

Walking, swimming and pregnancy-adapted yoga are the usual suggestions, and swimming in particular takes the load off your hips and lower back for a while, which plenty of women find is the only part of the day they feel light.

What's right for you depends on your stage and on anything your care team has flagged, so check with your midwife or GP before starting something new. That's not a formality. Advice genuinely differs between pregnancies.

Try to finish anything vigorous a few hours before bed. Late exercise leaves some people wired rather than tired.

 

4. Be mindful of what (and when) you're drinking and eating

Heartburn, nausea and indigestion all turn up more in pregnancy, and all of them are worse lying down.

A few things that help:

• Eat your main meal earlier in the evening rather than close to bedtime
• Keep the last meal lighter, and go easy on anything rich, spicy or acidic if those set you off
• Sit up for a while after eating instead of going straight to bed
• Prop yourself up a little higher if reflux is the thing waking you

Then there's the loo. Nothing stops the night trips entirely, but front-loading your water through the day and easing off in the couple of hours before bed reduces them.

Caffeine deserves a mention too. It stays in your system longer during pregnancy than it does otherwise, so an afternoon coffee can still be working at midnight. Your midwife can tell you what daily limit applies to you.

 

5. Talk to your care provider

This is the one people leave too long.

If discomfort is keeping you awake most nights, or you're lying there anxious and it isn't lifting, tell your midwife or GP. That's exactly the sort of thing they'd rather hear at 24 weeks than at 38.

Bring it up as well if you're snoring heavily, waking gasping, or feeling exhausted despite a decent night. Those are worth a proper look.

A women's health physiotherapist can also help with hip and lower back discomfort, and many are used to seeing pregnant patients regularly rather than once.

Don't wait for your next scheduled appointment if something's bothering you now. Ring the clinic.

 

Better nights are worth chasing

You won't fix every broken night, and nobody sleeps through the third trimester untouched. But the difference between a night spent rearranging pillows and a night with proper support underneath you is bigger than you'd expect. Sort the bed out, cool the room, move during the day, and speak up when something isn't right.

 

This information is general in nature and is not medical advice. Speak with your midwife, GP or obstetrician about sleep, sleeping positions and anything else concerning you during pregnancy.