How to normalize sleep during pregnancy - the right sleeping positions

The importance of healthy sleep during pregnancy

It is no secret that the expectant mother spends her strength and energy not only on her own life activities, but also on the growth and development of the baby. At the same time, significant changes occur in her body, which require greater expenditure of resources.

To recover and not feel tired and overwhelmed, a pregnant woman needs to sleep 8-10 hours a day. It's even better if she takes a little nap during the day. Healthy sleep allows you to relax both physically and emotionally.

The uterus grows at a high speed and puts pressure on neighboring organs, which increases the load on the body. But at the same time, cells need to receive all the necessary nutrients and oxygen. The mother's body is now responsible for two.

During sleep, all vital processes slow down. At this time, the energy supply is replenished so that the woman can live normally and continue doing her usual activities. All muscles relax, organs and the circulatory system rest, the load on the lower back and musculoskeletal system decreases. Fatigue, heaviness in the legs and back disappear.

A woman “recharges” during sleep: in the morning she gets rid of previous worries and anxieties, feels a surge of strength and is in a good mood. With a lack of sleep, on the contrary, apathy, moral fatigue, frequent mood swings, and increased fatigue appear. Drowsiness directly affects performance: a woman does not cope with tasks as needed, everything literally “falls out of hand.”

A weakened nervous system, poor appetite, unstable emotional background, confusion are just a few and the most obvious consequences of lack of sleep. All of them affect the development of the baby, so the importance of healthy sleep during pregnancy is undeniable.

Third trimester

Have you forgotten about difficulties with sleep and are used to not feeling tired? Then expect that in the third trimester the troubles will most likely return to you.

Due to changes in your figure, it becomes uncomfortable to sleep; you cannot find a comfortable position. The problem will be solved by numerous pillows, a special pillow for pregnant women, a comfortable bed, and a blanket. Try to make your sleep comfortable on your own.

“Pregnant women often experience drowsiness, which in the early stages can be considered as a normal physiological phenomenon. Sleep during this period can be considered as a protective reaction that protects the nervous system from irritants and excessive stress.
But it is worth paying attention to drowsiness and fatigue in the 2nd and 3rd trimester; this is not always normal and may indicate anemia, which, in combination with nausea, vomiting, and headache, may indicate a possible severe form of gestosis. Such symptoms are a reason to immediately consult a doctor.
Sleep disturbance during pregnancy caused by sleep apnea syndrome deserves special attention. In this case, the pregnant woman experiences snoring.”
Petrova Ekaterina Aleksandrovna, neurologist-somnologist at the Renovatsio Center for Aesthetic Medicine

Problems with urination occur again. Your growing baby puts pressure on your bladder and forces you to go to the toilet over and over again. The problem will be solved by the fluid intake regimen that you practiced in the first trimester of pregnancy.

New “troubles” and guests of your sleepless nights are heartburn, leg cramps and restless leg syndrome. This phenomenon is usually called the constant desire of pregnant women (about 25% of women) to move their legs due to discomfort and tingling, even during sleep.

“I only slept on my side. My legs felt very tight when I went to bed, especially in the first trimester. Sometimes it was hard to fall asleep, when the baby was actively pushing, there was no peace. Well, my back constantly hurt, my body became numb because I couldn’t change my sleeping position (I was used to sleeping on my stomach). I didn’t experience any other discomfort, because during the day I was so tired that I fell off my feet and slept soundly.”
Happy mother Ekaterina Sukhareva

Another surprise is the appearance of snoring, even if you never suffered from it before pregnancy. Snoring may be caused by swelling of the soft tissues of the nasal sinuses. This is due to fluid retention in your body.

“In the 3rd trimester, weight gain occurs; fat deposits form not only under the skin, but also in the soft tissues of the neck, which contributes to compression of the airways. The structures of the pharynx are also capable of accumulating fat and narrowing its lumen, which is an aggravating factor in the development of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in pregnant women.
A prolonged decrease in the level of oxygen in the blood causes a progressive disruption of the activity of brain centers responsible for hormonal levels, blood pressure, cardiac activity, contributes to the development of depression, plays a trigger role in the development of type 2 diabetes and, in general, leads to a decrease in the quality of life. It is also a significant factor in such serious obstetric complications as preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction syndrome and antenatal (in the early postpartum period) fetal death. Thus, severe snoring during sleep in pregnant women, regardless of its cause, requires examination by a somnologist, and, if necessary, treatment.”
Petrova Ekaterina Aleksandrovna, neurologist-somnologist at the Renovatsio Center for Aesthetic Medicine

How to choose the right and comfortable sleeping position?

Despite the large number of rules that state how to sleep correctly, the main thing is one thing: you need to sleep in accordance with your desires and preferences, taking certain precautions.

In the first trimester, you don’t have to think about sleeping positions: the tummy has not yet begun to grow, so any position that is comfortable for mom is correct. From the 13th week, certain restrictions appear in the choice of sleeping position.

The most correct and comfortable position is on the left side. In this case, vital organs are not compressed, the heart works well, the baby receives all the necessary nutrients and blood circulation is not impaired.

With a transverse presentation of the fetus, it is better for the mother to sleep on the side in which the baby’s head is located.

Features of the mode

Try to get enough sleep and follow your needs. If you want to sleep, sleep. Otherwise, due to the frantic dance of hormones, you risk becoming irritable and unbearable to others.

If you don't get enough sleep at night, it may make sense to interrupt your workday for a short nap during your lunch break or after a day of work.

Daily walks in the fresh air and moderate exercise will help you get enough sleep. Pleasant fatigue will make sleep deeper and more enjoyable.

How can you not sleep during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, you should not sleep enough or in the wrong position. Fortunately, incorrect positions are often uncomfortable for pregnant women, and they themselves are happy to fall asleep on their side.

Starting from the middle of the second trimester, you should not sleep on your back, which can be difficult to get used to. This is due to the fact that the growing uterus puts pressure on the spine and the vessels that pass through it. Constant compression of blood vessels leads to a lack of cerebral blood supply, which is fraught with hypoxia, dizziness, fainting and general weakness. The expectant mother herself will notice that after sleeping on her back she feels “broken.”

It is much easier to refuse to sleep on your stomach, which is naturally prohibited during pregnancy. This poses a direct threat to the baby, so it is better to sit comfortably on your side and rest quietly.

During pregnancy, you should not sleep in a too stuffy, unventilated room, on synthetic bedding or in pajamas made from artificial fabrics. Avoid exposure to negative stimuli (light, sound, smell). Before going to bed, it is best to ventilate the room well, close the curtains tightly, and achieve complete silence and darkness. You can use a special sleep mask and earplugs for this.

Dreams foreshadowing pregnancy

Very often, even before the official confirmation of pregnancy, messages come to us in a dream that we are pregnant. These are so-called dreams-predictions, or dreams-hints. There are usually not many options, but after waking up there is always a trail of light joy.

How to explain this? Intuitively, we feel the changes taking place in us, but for some reason we rely more on laboratory diagnostics than on our own feelings.

The body is already aware of the birth of a new life! It instantly sends signals to the brain caused by hormonal changes.

This information goes through a complex path, transforming in the mysterious and little-studied structure of the unconscious. And the unconscious, as we know, can express itself only in dreams, clothed in symbols and signs that are understandable to those for whom they are intended.

Probably, women of all times and peoples have an associative connection at the genetic level between the birth of a new life and the natural world.

Someone “in a dream” catches huge fish with their hands in a backwater, someone circles in a flock of pigeons, choosing the most beautiful one, someone bakes bread.

In addition to pregnant women, girls who are psychologically ready for motherhood can see prediction dreams.

Waking up after such a dream, a woman does not need to look for an interpretation in a dream book. She somehow miraculously immediately understands what the dream has brought her, and with bated breath she waits for the time when tests for beta-hCG, the main pregnancy hormone synthesized by syncytiotrophoblast cells of the placenta, are confirmed.

How can you fall asleep quickly during pregnancy?

Sleep during pregnancy depends on how the mother feels in the evening. Oddly enough, the rule of extreme fatigue and sound sleep while carrying a baby does not work: the more tired a woman feels, the worse her sleep will be, and she may even have to suffer from insomnia all night.

Before going to bed, you need to take a warm shower or bath, ventilate the room and put on your favorite pajamas - made from natural fabrics. If a woman gets cold while sleeping, it is better to wear warm socks. You cannot go to bed with an empty or, conversely, full stomach. Dinner should be light and take place 2 hours before bedtime. Also, don't drink a lot of water before bed.

First trimester

Drowsiness, discomfort and constant trips to the toilet are faithful companions of your sleep during the first three months. Why do you want to sleep so much? It's all about changes in hormonal levels - there is more of the hormone progesterone in your blood, which means constant yawning, chronic fatigue and the desire to lie down outside the house intensifies. Do not confuse this condition with a symptom of any disease - this is normal.

“I wouldn’t call it a dream at all. Both in the first and in the second pregnancy I gained about 30 kilos, I had a huge belly, and I slept surrounded by pillows. To turn from side to side, I grabbed my stomach with both hands, turned around and put a pillow under it. The son felt that his mother had woken up and started dancing joyfully. I stroked his stomach until he fell asleep - and then I fell asleep.
When both my son and I fell asleep, my body let me know that it was time for me to run to the toilet. I managed to fall asleep in the morning. The funny thing is that when nothing was stopping me from sleeping at all (this is towards the end), I was attacked by the nightly “Robin Hood disease”. I scrubbed the apartment, ironed clothes all night, did satin stitch embroidery (which I had never done before).”
Happy mother Evgenia Kazak

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Another factor in the first three months of pregnancy that keeps you awake is sensitive breasts. The mammary glands prepare for motherhood along with you, increase in size, and this is accompanied by unpleasant sensations. As a result, you cannot get comfortable in bed. How to deal with this? Getting used to sleeping correctly - experts are sure that getting used to the correct position for pregnant women during sleep is easiest in the first trimester. Sleep on your left side - this position will improve blood circulation in the pelvic area and improve kidney function.

“Pregnancy is a difficult stage in the life of every woman, during which significant restructuring of the body occurs. This period is characterized by disorders of various physiological cycles, including sleep disorders.
The most common sleep problem in pregnant women is insomnia. Changes in hormonal levels, worries about the future, fear of childbirth and fear for the child are among the main causes of insomnia during early pregnancy.”
Petrova Ekaterina Aleksandrovna, neurologist-somnologist at the Renovatsio Center for Aesthetic Medicine

Another “inevitability” is endless trips to the toilet at night. The uterus enlarges, puts pressure on the bladder and leads to a permanent “problem”. This does not mean that for the sake of your own convenience you should limit yourself to drinks. Just try to drink more in the first half of the day, and after dinner try not to run to the kitchen for another mug of tea. Then your sleep will probably be more restful.

How to properly organize your sleep?

Lack of sleep is stressful for both the woman and her unborn child. Scientists have concluded that regular restless, poor-quality sleep often leads to complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Apathy and weakness are the main signs of lack of sleep.

You need to go to bed at a time when your mother feels drowsy and tired. This could be at 8, 9, 10 pm, or later. Sometimes night owl women suddenly become early risers during pregnancy, and vice versa. This is normal and you shouldn’t be afraid of it: you don’t need to go to bed early if you don’t want to, and you shouldn’t wait until midnight if you feel like going to bed several hours before your usual bedtime.

Many pregnant women experience an irresistible urge to sleep during the day. Increased stress on the body, decreased blood pressure, weakened immunity require more rest, so daytime sleep is encouraged. It can last from 20 minutes to 2 hours at any time, but it is better not later than 16 hours, otherwise you will have a headache and it will be difficult to sleep at night.

The duration of night sleep should vary between 8-10 hours. If you want to sleep more, you can, but if you want to sleep less, no. It is advisable to go to bed and wake up at the same time, but if the biological clock dictates its own rhythms, it is better to listen to them.

Proper organization of sleep also includes other features.

During the day you need to walk in the fresh air and do light, acceptable exercises (yoga for pregnant women, special gymnastics). Physical fatigue improves sleep.
During daytime sleep, set an alarm clock that will ring 2 hours after mom decides to rest.
Before going to bed, you should not drink a lot of liquid, but it is better to keep a glass of water close to your sleeping place.
Shortly before going to bed, you can light special aroma sticks with essential oils that have a calming effect (for example, lavender, fir).
Choose a suitable mattress, bed linen and pillow that is comfortable for sleeping. If there is a need or desire, you can buy a special pillow for pregnant women.

If sleep does not bring satisfaction to a woman and fatigue does not disappear by morning, you need to inform your doctor and get advice. But what you shouldn’t do is abuse sedatives and sleeping pills. In some cases, the doctor may recommend mild herbal medicines (valerian, motherwort), but self-prescribing these and other remedies is prohibited.

Second trimester

The “honeymoon” of your pregnancy begins in the second trimester. Unusual vigor, normal sleep, which you missed so much. You are no longer bothered by trips to the toilet and fatigue, since the hormonal levels change gradually, and not in sudden leaps.

“At the end of the third trimester (38-39 weeks), the main causes of insomnia are frequent urge to go to the toilet at night, heartburn, difficulty choosing a comfortable position, nagging pain in the lower back, shortness of breath, fetal movement, a feeling of chronic fatigue, psychological stress about childbirth and lifestyle changes, the occurrence of sleep apnea syndrome.
If insomnia at the beginning of pregnancy does not cause much concern, then its appearance in the later stages should be a reason for a thorough study of its causes, since in some cases it can be one of the signs of a serious illness or complication.
Typically, pregnant women are prescribed sedatives of herbal origin, which relieve emotional stress and promote normal sleep. For better sleep, you can do aromatherapy: take a warm bath with essential oils. Lavender, peppermint, and chamomile oils are best.”
Petrova Ekaterina Aleksandrovna, neurologist-somnologist at the Renovatsio Center for Aesthetic Medicine

Some women complain of leg cramps. It is better to report them, as well as other inconveniences, to your doctor, but there is no need to worry or sound the alarm.