Pregnant? Tips on How to Sleep Through the Night

We have all read the books and the theories behind how to get your baby to sleep through the night. There are many tricks, theories, and heated debates about getting a good night’s sleep when you have a newborn at home. But what about when that baby’s still in your body? Getting an uninterrupted night’s sleep isn’t as easy as you think when you are dealing with morning sickness, heartburn, or a huge baby in your belly.

If you’re pregnant and having trouble sleeping at night, consider the following:

• Don’t drink fluids late into the evening. Try drinking as much water and other fluids as you can during the main part of the day, and try to taper off as evening approaches. Personally, I try and avoid drinking anything past 7pm, which I find helps me get a better night’s sleep. Downing a bottle of water right before bed is only going to result in you hopping up at 1am to run to the bathroom.
  
• If you find yourself struggling with heartburn, eat a few Tums right before you turn out the lights. Peppermint Tums are easy, especially if you have morning sickness. Try munching on a few throughout the day, but especially remember to eat two or three right before you climb into bed. Keep the bottle on your nightstand, for those times you may wake up in the middle of the night with heartburn.
• Let yourself wind down emotionally and mentally – not just physically. Not only should you avoid exercise late at night (assuming you actually have the energy for vigorous exercise!), but you should also let your mind be restful as well. This is a season in life when your thoughts may be racing 24 hours a day, and so it’s no surprise if you find yourself laying awake at night. There are so many questions, decisions, and plans to be made that it can be overwhelming and intimidating. Rather than letting yourself get worked up when you should be falling asleep, try to find a routine that promotes a quiet, calm mind. Warm baths, lavender scented candles or lotions, and soft music can be very calming. Personally, I find that just sitting with my husband watching a TV show while he rubs my feet is enough to get my thoughts off of everything that’s on my mind these days. (Note: while certain teas can be recommended to promote a restful night’s sleep, just remember that it may be one more thing for your bladder to use against you at 1am!)
• Let your husband take care of your other child (or children) at night. For example, last night our four year old daughter came into our room after having a nightmare. Yes, my instinct was to jump up and console her, but I fought that instinct and let my husband take care of her. First of all, she came in to see him. Not only is she absolutely in love with her father, but it’s so sweet and heartwarming to see how he is with her. He took great care of her, and soothed her after her nightmare. I laid there and (though I felt a bit guilty) more or less pretended to be asleep. I knew that he was doing a great job with her, and if I were to wake myself up any further it would only make it harder to go back to sleep. Remember that dads can do just as good of a job as we moms can, so rest easy and go back to sleep.
• Invest in a body pillow during your third trimester. When you are approaching the finish line, it can be hard to find a good position to sleep in. I usually make due sleeping with three pillows (head, belly and between my knees), but also consider a body pillow or some other pregnancy support pillow. There are plenty of products designed specifically for pregnant women, and it’s worth looking into. The Boppy Pregnancy Comfort Cuddle Pillow looks so comfy, I’m pretty sure I’ll be picking one of these up once I hit my third trimester.

Making a baby is hard work. Rest up, and do what you can to get a good night’s sleep during this time in your life. And remember, once the baby arrives, you’ll be researching a whole different set of sleeping tips!

-Grace

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