How to get a good night's sleep during pregnancy
Can’t get no sleep? Senior NHS Midwife, Hannah O’Sullivan shares some top tips and advice for getting a good night’s sleep when you’re pregnant.
When you are pregnant, the pressure to get a good night’s sleep can be immense. Every parent you speak to gives you that knowing look and says ‘sleep while you can!’ completely forgetting how they were up every hour of the night to pee by the time they were 34 weeks pregnant!
In early pregnancy you may not feel that your sleep is affected, but by the third trimester a large proportion of pregnant women and people report interrupted sleep, discomfort and concerns about sleep positions. It may not be possible to regain completely unbroken sleep, but read on for some things that might help.
There are hormonal changes in pregnancy that can increase the frequency that you need to pee as early as the first trimester. Once you add in the weight of bump, it is rare that anyone gets to the end of pregnancy without needing to wake to pass urine multiple times a night. If you are finding that frequent need to pee is associated with feeling achey or feverish, an unusual smell, lower abdominal pain or stinging or burning when you pass urine always get in touch with your midwife or doctor to check that you do not have a urinary tract infection (UTI) which are more common in pregnancy (thanks again hormones!). If you have ruled out a UTI you can try increasing your fluid intake earlier in the day, and trying to drink less in the late afternoon and evening. This may help you to sleep for longer between toilet trips. Also remember that caffeine is a diuretic (makes you pass urine more frequently) so avoid tea, coffee, fizzy drinks and chocolate. Leaning forward on the toilet as you pee can help you to fully empty your bladder, so that can be worth a try too!
There is evidence that going to sleep on your back in the third trimester (after 28 weeks) increases the chance of stillbirth (although the over all risk is still very low). Falling asleep on your side (either side is fine) at bedtime, when napping, or if you wake up on your back, is the best advice. The research looked at falling asleep on your side, so do not panic if you do wake up on your back. The position you fall asleep in is the one you are in the longest, so the important one to get right. However, this can start to feel uncomfortable, especially when turning over. Try using a pregnancy pillow, or any pillows, between your knees. This helps to keep your pelvis level and reduces pressure on your hips and lower back. It may also help to tuck a pillow or rolled up towel in the small of your back and another under your bump.
Practising guided relaxation and using breath-work can improve your night’s sleep too, and help you to fall asleep more quickly at the start of the night and upon waking. Check our our hypnobirthing group classes or our Ultimate Birth Pack to enjoy all the benefits that hypnobirthing brings! You’ll also find a whole series of relaxation meditations within our award winning hypnobirthing-friendly surge timer app, Freya.
