Pregnant? Sleep Like a Baby

Pregnancy can make you "ga-ga" over sleep. Those first few months, you can't seem to stay awake. Even the office desk seems to make a decent pillow. Then, in those final months, you toss and turn in bed trying to get a good night's sleep.

Not that it's much consolation, but problems sleeping or staying asleep in the third trimester (29 to 40 weeks) are quite common. Back and belly sleepers, in particular, may have the most difficult time adjusting.

"Unfortunately, it's just one of those uncomfortable times," says Cynthia Holcroft, M.D., an instructor at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and a fellow in the University's Fetal Medicine Department. "Part of it is just physical. You're carrying extra weight around."

Because your baby is bigger in your third trimester, it gets harder to get comfortable. The baby may also be pushing up on your diaphragm, making it harder for you to breathe, Holcroft says.

"The baby is moving and that can wake you up, too," she says. "You may need to go to the bathroom more." You may even experience nighttime contractions, she adds, which might make you nervous or at least cause anxiety about not getting another night's sleep.

Getting comfortable

Other than rearranging pillows, are there ways to sleep more comfortably during this uncomfortable period? Yes, Holcroft says. To begin with, she advises sleeping on your left side. That allows for better blood flow to your heart.

Sleeping on your back may feel quite uncomfortable and may reduce the flow of oxygen to the baby. The baby can put a lot of pressure on your back and cause compression of the inferior vena cava, which is the vein that returns blood from the lower body back to the heart. Also, sleeping on your back may cause backaches and make you feel like you cannot breathe, says Holcroft.

Sleeping on your stomach during pregnancy also should be avoided because of pressure on the fetus. Sleeping on your right side is OK, Holcroft says, but the vena cava is on the right, so sleeping on your left side is better.

Here are some other tips Holcroft has for getting a good night's sleep in the third trimester:

• Use the bathroom before you go to bed so you start with an empty bladder.
• Exercise can help you sleep better, but do it in the early evening, not right before bedtime.
• Avoid meals close to bedtime, particularly if heartburn is a problem.
• Use pillows where needed. Wedge them between your knees for aching hips; stick them under your belly, behind your back and under your head for support. (You can buy special contour pregnancy pillows).
• Relax before bedtime with either a warm cup of milk or a warm (not hot) bath.
• If you wake up in the middle of the night or have trouble falling asleep, don't just lie there. You might try reading or doing something not too stimulating.
• If you have heartburn, try elevating the head of your bed or ask your doctor about taking Tums® or Maalox® which Holcroft says are safe to take during pregnancy.

Sleep medications aren't normally prescribed for pregnant women. Holcroft says she would not recommend them.

Related Articles Planning a Healthy Pregnancy Tips for a Good Night's Sleep Sleep Disorders Pregnancy

External Sources National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition National Sleep Foundation

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.

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