How To Get Better Sleep While Pregnant

Everyone says to rest up now before the baby comes, but getting a good night’s sleep while pregnant can often feel impossible! Baby’s arrival is still months away, and yet, middle-of-the-night wakings are already part of the drill. As you progress through trimesters, your belly gets bigger, baby’s kicks get stronger, heartburn intensifies, and your pregnancy sleeping problems get worse.

Here are a few hacks that helped us get better sleep while pregnant:

Exercise During the Day (get the blood flowing!)

Light exercise, like taking a walk or following an online prenatal yoga class, is a good way to help you get better sleep while pregnant. Getting outdoors in the sunshine will also help your internal alarm clock know when it's time to go to sleep. Try to only exercise during the day, as it releases adrenaline in your body, which can keep you awake. The general rule of thumb is to give yourself at least 2 to 3 hours before bedtime to just relax.

Make Your Bed as Comfortable as Possible (hint: it involves a HUGE pregnancy pillow)

Most experts will recommend that you try to sleep on your left side during the second and third trimesters because sleeping on your left side improves blood flow to your heart and takes pressure off your kidneys and liver. If you are typically a back sleeper, using a pregnancy pillow can help support your knees and belly. They are so comfortable – we highly recommend adding a pregnancy pillow into the mix!

Use Heartburn Remedies (no more suffering!)

It’s such a bummer when you finally get comfortable in your bed, and then you feel the horrible sensation of heartburn creeping up! There are a few different strategies for easing pregnancy heartburn. First, cut down on any spicy, greasy, or acidic foods throughout the day, which can prevent heartburn from starting at all. Eat meals slower, as taking your time can help your digestive tract work more effectively. If you tend to get hungry at night, eat a light snack no less than two hours before bed, which should minimize hunger pangs during the night while also helping to prevent heartburn from forming at bedtime. Additionally, Tums, Mylanta, or our favorite relaxing ritual – sipping a soothing heartburn tea in your comfy maternity robe while you jot down notes in your pregnancy journal, read or watch tv - can relieve your symptoms. A pregnancy pillow hack from experts includes propping your head up with pillows while you sleep (although we’ve never been able to commit to that awkward sleeping position for too long!).

Create a Sleep-Positive Environment (think dark and cool)

We get our best sleep in a dark, cool room. Buying blackout curtains or window shades is a great pregnancy sleeping hack to help you keep the sun out in the mornings. Your body temperature also increases while pregnant, so lowering the thermostat may help you stay asleep. Also, decreasing your screen time one hour before bed can help you fall asleep faster (but good luck with that!).

Get into a Nighttime Routine (light the candles and curl up in your coziest gear)

We’ve all heard this before but here’s the reminder: go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Leading up to your bedtime, create a soothing evening routine to relax your mind and body. For us, this includes a warm bath or shower to ease any tense muscles. Then we massage our favorite pregnancy sleepy body lotion all over our achy back, legs and feet. A spritz of hydrating lavender tonic will send you into a peaceful, dreamy slumber. Next, slip on a comfy pair of slipper socks and sip some more heartburn tea to help you to relax. (If our favorite evening routine has you relaxed already, treat yourself to an evening our luxury and zen with our Sleep Well Pregnancy Bundle.)

Sleep When You Feel Tired (aka nap!)

When you become pregnant, your body releases a hormone called progesterone, which can act as a natural sedative. This means you will feel more tired, more frequently throughout the day (as if growing a human wasn’t exhausting enough!). If you can, try to squeeze in 30-minute naps during the day or on weekends to help shake that over-fatigued feeling.

We hope our pregnancy sleeping hacks will help you get the rest you need! And if you are concerned with any pregnancy sleeping problems, make sure you talk to your health care provider.