What Is Pregnancy Insomnia And How Can I Sleep Well When I’m Pregnant?

Are You Struggling With Pregnancy Insomnia?

We Look The Causes Of Insomnia In Early Pregnancy And How To Cure Insomnia So You Can Sleep Well During Pregnancy.

1. Create a buffer around your bedtime. Don’t eat too close the time you go to bed, eat dinner late or rush through your meal. This will help you avoid the increased risk of heartburn, as well as the energy surge that anything sugary will give you.
2. Try to do some pregnancy exercises during the day, such as pregnancy yoga. This will help you regain some control of your body and focus anything that’s stressing you, hopefully tiring you out in the process. However, it’s best not to work out too close to bedtime and always follow advice on pregnancy exercise.
3. Avoid caffeine and chocolate, especially in the late afternoon. Caffeine stays in your system for longer than you’d expect, and if you are having trouble sleeping you should avoid it as much as possible (you can also read our advice on what to eat and avoid during pregnancy).
4. Don’t drink a lot of fluids once in the early evening, especially as pregnancy makes you more likely to need the loo in the night anyway. However, a warm glass of milk can help.
5. Take a short nap if you feel you need to. But don’t sleep for too long, as this may affect your bedtime.

1. Do something you know relaxes you right before you go to bed, such as lying in a warm bath, meditation, or listening to your favourite podcast or hypnobirthing track. This will calm you down, slow your heart rate and put you in the best state of mind for dropping off.
2. Try to develop a bedtime routine. Go to bed at the same time every evening and make sure you wind down in the hours beforehand, for example by reading.
3. Once you get into bed, don’t be tempted to do work or look at your phone. Resist the temptation to scroll through social media. Banish your phone from your bedroom if necessary.
4. Make the room as comfortable as possible. Make sure your pillows are supportive, and the temperature is right for you. Lavender oil spray on your pillows is a popular trick.
5. Try a pregnancy pillow to support your bump if this will help you sleep better.
6. Wake up in the night? Don’t focus on counting sheep and counting the hours. You are likely to be getting more sleep than you realise. Try not to look at your phone in the middle of the night, as this will wake you up more.
7. If you can’t sleep, or wake up multiple times, try playing a white noise app in the background, or listening to a hypnobirthing track, which will relax you.
8. If you absolutely can’t sleep, you are much better off doing something else rather than worrying about it, such as reading a book or getting up.

If your sleeplessness is caused by anxiety, there are other things you can do to help yourself. First and foremost, recognise if your anxiety is such that it is having a significant impact on you. If it is, then speak to your doctor or midwife for advice.

Even if it is not, anxiety can be eased by talking about it, whether with a friend, partner or even in a pregnancy diary. It is always worth focusing on the fact that pregnancy insomnia cannot harm your baby and you are doing all you can

Using the steps we’ve outlined above will hopefully help you say goodnight to pregnancy insomnia and put a stop to those sleepless nights. Sweet dreams!

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