Sleep Like A Baby

Our trimester-by-trimester sleep guide will help you get the rest you need now.

Maybe you think sleep deprivation won't be an issue until after your baby is born. Hah! Depending on how pregnant you are, everything from "morning" sickness to scary dreams to restless leg can take their toll on your nightly shut-eye. Our trimester-by-trimester guide will help you get the rest you need now and even in the the "fourth trimester," when you'll face a brand-new sleep challenge: your baby!

First trimester: Drowsy all the time

“Most women don’t know what’s in store for them [in terms of sleep] during pregnancy,” says Kathryn A. Lee, R.N., Ph.D., a professor of nursing at the University of California, San Francisco, who researches the topic. “Women who’ve had kids know how low-energy they’re going to feel during pregnancy and plan for that by sleeping more.” Lethargy and overwhelming fatigue are common due to the dramatic rise in progesterone; necessary for maintaining pregnancy, the hormone is also a soporific. Another culprit: the metabolic changes your body is going through. “A lot of calories are going into the gestation process,” explains Lee. “The growing fetus is taking every bit of your energy.”

Challenges

Increased Bathroom Visits Your high progesterone level, along with a growing uterus that’s pushing against the bladder, means more frequent urination.

Body Aches Swollen breasts and pelvic cramping can make it harder to fall and stay asleep.

Nausea “Morning” sickness can and often does strike during the evening and wee hours of the night.

Solutions

Schedule Sleep Plan your snooze time just like you do your meals or your day at the office, and nap as often as possible. “It’s best to nap between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.; otherwise you’ll have trouble falling asleep at night,” advises Teresa Ann Hoffman, M.D., an OB-GYN at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. “And take one or even two 30-minute catnaps rather than one long, two-hour sleep.” Nap on the floor of your office or in your car if you need to.

Cut Down On Fluids After 6 p.m. This will help curtail nocturnal bathroom runs. “If you drink caffeinated beverages, do so only in the morning,” says Hoffman.

Stock Saltines On Your Nightstand Crackers will quell midnight queasiness—and you won’t have to trudge to the kitchen to get them.

Excercise Early Physical activity in the morning, afternoon and early evening will promote sounder sleep. Late-evening workouts,however, tend to encourage insomnia.

Second trimester: Burning issues

“Women in their second trimester tend to sleep better,” says sleep researcher Meena Khan, M.D., a professor at the Ohio State University Medical School in Columbus. (Your body undergoes its most dramatic metabolic changes in the first trimester.) Still, you might not be sleeping like a baby yet.

Challenges

Heartburn Queasiness usually subsides, but reflux, um, rises. “The growing uterus places pressure on the stomach, forcing acid up into the esophagus,” explains Hoffman. Lying down in bed aggravates the burn.

Leg Cramps Though worse in your third trimester, disquieting cramps (usually in the calf) that can startle you awake and keep you up in the wee hours begin now.

Vivid Dreams “As the pregnancy progresses, some women get more anxious,” says Hoffman. Stressing about the baby’s growth, your parenting abilities, finances—or anything else—can produce some disturbing dreams, which will almost certainly interfere with your good night’s rest. Forgetting the baby somewhere is a classic one.

Solutions

Stay Upright For Four Hours After Eating The digestive process takes a lot longer during pregnancy, and sitting up will help keep stomach acids where they belong. “Lying down and watching TV after dinner is not a good idea,” Hoffman says. You may want to start eating bigger breakfasts and lighter dinners if heartburn is keeping you awake.

Avoid Heartburn-Inducing Foods These include spicy, fried and acidic foods, including tomatoes, citrus fruits and juices and coffee.

Limit Or Avoid Carbonated Drinks “A calcium imbalance can lead to leg cramps,” Lee says. The phosphorous in bubbly beverages (including soda water) decreases the amount of calcium you’re able to metabolize, so stay away from them. In addition, make sure you’re getting enough calcium; good food sources include dairy products; dark-green, leafy vegetables; and canned salmon with bones. 

Nip A Cramp In The Bud If you do get a painful leg cramp, flex your foot (extend your heel and point your toes toward your head; do not point your toes).

Make Relaxation a Priority Easier said than done, but a quieter mind will ensure a better night’s sleep. Experts suggest meditation, prenatal yoga or other relaxation techniques; soaking in warm baths; eating tryptophan-rich foods such as turkey, milk and bananas (this amino acid turns into mood-soothing serotonin in the brain); enrolling in a parenting class now so that you feel better able to care for a newborn; and seeing a counselor if you’re losing sleep due to anxiety-riddled dreams.