How to Sleep During Pregnancy – Rules for a Healthy Sleep While Nurturing a Baby

A healthy sleep during pregnancy allows a woman to recharge and ensures complete rest. The position during sleep and its duration are chosen by each woman according to her personal preferences. However, recovery after each day is only possible if you get a full night’s sleep during pregnancy. It should not be neglected, especially during pregnancy, as the human body in general, and the female body in this condition in particular, requires daily rest. 

A woman’s mood and well-being can be affected by even one night of insufficient sleep. If night sleep is not enough, a woman can allow herself to nap during the day while pregnant. Additionally, a pregnant woman’s body changes every month, raising new questions – for example, how much sleep is needed during pregnancy, or what positions are considered safest for the baby and most comfortable for the future mom.

Recommendations for Choosing a Sleeping Position

When choosing how to sleep during pregnancy, a woman should understand the reasons behind the recommendations for positioning during rest. These depend primarily on the stage of the pregnancy, the size of the fetus, and the need to reduce the strain on the internal organs and systems of the expectant mother. Sleep positions recommended by specialists during pregnancy generally apply more to the second and third trimesters, as there is no need for strict prohibitions on certain body positions in the early stages. 

In the future, one will have to choose sleep positions that minimize strain on the spine, reduce or prevent conditions such as difficulty breathing, muscle and headaches, impaired circulation, swelling, arrhythmia, and also the disruption and deterioration of the blood supply to the future child.

Sleep Features in the First Trimester – Are There Any Limitations

Changes occurring in a woman’s body during pregnancy minimally affect sleep comfort in the first trimester. The belly is not yet noticeable, so there is nothing to prevent you from taking your usual position at night. At this time, you can even fall asleep on your stomach, cuddling with a favorite soft toy or curling up in a ball. How to sleep properly during pregnancy – at this period, this question is not yet relevant. 

If a woman does not suffer from morning sickness in the first trimester, this time is most comfortable for her as she can still sleep in any position without any additional discomfort. The main issue during this period can be increased drowsiness for the pregnant woman, as she usually continues to work in her regular routine during these early stages. Therefore, it is more important during this period not to seek an answer to how to sleep during pregnancy, but to work on the quality of sleep to compensate for its duration.

How to Sleep in the 2nd Trimester – Comfortable Positions

The onset of the second trimester of pregnancy is characterized by an active increase in the size of the belly. From this period, there are restrictions that a woman will have to adhere to until childbirth. First and foremost, sleeping on the stomach becomes an absolute taboo. Sleeping in such a position becomes uncomfortable due to the growing belly and is simply dangerous—as the pressure of body weight on the belly can harm the fetus by impairing blood circulation. 

During this period, a woman even instinctively tries to replace this position during sleep with lying on her back or side. Sleeping in such positions becomes most preferable for a pregnant woman in the second trimester. At this stage of carrying a baby, it’s best to prefer sleeping on the back, as soon it will become unacceptable. By the third trimester, the only possible option will be sleeping on the side.

Third trimester of pregnancy – how to ensure a comfortable sleep

During this period, comfortable sleep, like in the early stages of pregnancy, becomes a distant memory for a woman. An increased belly of significant size makes it difficult to fall asleep in the later stages. In the third trimester, many things that once seemed normal and simple become challenging for pregnant women, including sleeping. This is because finding a comfortable position for one’s now larger body is more difficult, often leading to sleep deprivation.

The third trimester is a time when you need to find the right solution for how to sleep during pregnancy to recharge for the new day, get adequate rest, and not harm the future child. Sleeping on the side is the most recommended method of nighttime rest by specialists during this period. It can be varied by semi-sitting – with several pillows placed behind the back.

Sleeping positions not recommended

Sleeping properly and fully during pregnancy includes choosing sleeping positions that allow you to relax and unwind as much as possible during your night’s rest. While the harm of sleeping on your stomach is obvious and understandable without explanation, many pregnant women do not completely understand why they should also avoid lying on their back. This restriction is due to the fact that as the fetus grows, the load on the vena cava and intestines will significantly increase, thus cutting off the oxygen supply to the baby. 

Moreover, the position considered ideal on the side can only be deemed ideal if lying on the left side. It improves the flow of blood along with oxygen to the placenta. The habit of sleeping on the right side during pregnancy can lead to kidney compression and provoke serious consequences.

It is beneficial to turn over more often during sleep to stimulate circulation, and even get up and do a little stretching.

What Unpleasant Consequences Follow From Non-Compliance with the Rules

Women who ignore advice on how to sleep while pregnant risk not only a full rest but also the health of their future child and their own well-being. Thus, by choosing not to abandon the back-sleeping position in the second and third trimesters and subjecting the inferior vena cava, which delivers blood including to the brain, to compression, a woman may face problems expressed in:

• low blood pressure;
• convulsions;
• dizziness;
• nausea;
• occurrence of hemorrhoids;
• numbness in limbs;
• heavy breathing.

Recommendations regarding the best sleeping positions during pregnancy are relevant for most women throughout the gestation period. However, the position of the fetus in the uterus shouldn’t be ignored, just like individual body characteristics shouldn’t be. In the case of a transverse fetal lie, it is advisable to sleep on the side where the baby’s head is located, and for a breech position, it is recommended to change positions as often as possible.

block not found

Sleeping with a Pregnancy Pillow

In addition to recommending positions for sleeping during pregnancy, experts suggest additional accessories that can help make a woman’s sleep more sound. Purchasing a special pregnancy pillow can aid in this. These products are made from hypoallergenic materials—holofiber, buckwheat hulls, or polystyrene beads—and help relax muscles while providing support for a woman’s back and abdomen. 

Manufacturers offer them in various shapes:

• G – help comfortably lie on your side, support the belly and head;
• C – make sleeping on the left side more comfortable, support the belly;
• I – small bolster pillows designed to support the back or belly;
• U – the most popular models, supporting both the back and the belly.

U-shaped pillows can also be used after the baby’s birth to take a comfortable position when breastfeeding.

How Much and How a Pregnant Woman Should Sleep

How and how much to sleep during pregnancy – following these tips also ensures a full and healthy sleep for a woman expecting a child. The duration of sleep in the 1st trimester of pregnancy generally increases to 9–11 hours considering a 1.5–2-hour daytime rest, as this period is characterized by increased fatigue and drowsiness. This occurs due to the increased concentration of progesterone.

From the 2nd trimester, hormone concentration stabilizes, with its production function gradually transferring to the developed placenta. This reduces the need for a lot of sleep during pregnancy.

The duration of sleep during pregnancy in the 3rd trimester depends on lifestyle and individual body characteristics. Most often, it lasts 1-2 hours longer than before pregnancy. In any case, sleeping at least the required 8 hours at night during pregnancy is essential. 

Tips for Improving Sleep During Pregnancy

To sleep deeply and fully during pregnancy, without having trouble falling asleep, it is important to follow certain recommendations that relate not only to sleeping positions but also to other aspects that ensure healthy sleep for a woman expecting a child in everyday life. 

It is absolutely necessary for her:

• Stick to a daily routine. Falling asleep becomes easier if bedtime is at the same time every day – this creates a conditioned reflex in the body.
• Avoid overdoing daytime naps. Pregnant women should avoid sleeping for more than 2 hours during the day.
• Do not drink too much fluid or overeat at night.
• Make walks in the fresh air mandatory during the day and before bedtime.
• Take a warm shower in the evening to relax.
• Ventilate the room where you intend to sleep.
• Wear comfortable clothes for sleeping.

Following these measures will enable you to sleep soundly during pregnancy.

How to sleep during a twin pregnancy

Expecting a child and the associated changes in a woman’s body, along with the need to align all aspects of daily life with her condition, is a challenging time. When expecting twins, all difficulties can certainly be doubled. It’s essential to wear a support band during the day, and concerns about how to sleep during pregnancy arise not in the second trimester but much earlier. The belly grows twice as fast when expecting twins compared to expecting a single baby. 

Therefore, it is necessary to start caring about the sleeping positions much earlier. All recommendations regarding the selection of sleeping positions for a woman pregnant with one child apply even more to those expecting twins. Sleeping not with one pillow but with several, the preferred position is on the left side, starting from the first trimester.

Meal Recommendations Before Bedtime

Sleeping soundly and properly during pregnancy is possible not only by choosing a comfortable and safe sleeping position, but also by taking additional steps to ensure it. This primarily concerns dietary habits, especially eating before bedtime. Many women constantly feel hungry and do not deny themselves food at any time of the day. However, overeating, especially before sleeping and in the later stages, can lead to poor and restless sleep for the pregnant woman. 

To avoid this, for dinner it’s better to eat fish dishes, stewed meat or vegetables, fresh salads, or egg dishes. A roll with yogurt or milk will also do. A woman can allow herself a second supper, which is good to include fermented baked milk, kefir, yogurt, or a piece of cheese with dry biscuits, a glass of warm milk that can be with honey, a handful of dried fruits or nuts. The last meal should be no later than 3 hours before sleep.

Tips on Liquid Amount Before Night Rest

Among the recommendations that must be followed, such as not sleeping in a brace under any circumstances, is the specialists’ advice to limit fluid intake as much as possible during pregnancy in general, and before sleep in particular. Drinks should be chosen that have a calming effect on the nervous system – herbal tea, warm milk. It is understood that coffee has long been excluded from the diet, especially at night, and regular black tea should also be avoided. 

A large amount of liquid is an additional burden on the kidneys, which are already working under stress. Furthermore, a woman will have to get up multiple times during the night, which also negatively affects the quality of her sleep. To quench thirst, it is always better to drink clean mineral water in small quantities.