Sleeping Pregnant
Much like pregnant women eat for two, they’re also sleeping for two. Or in many cases, not sleeping for two. Each trimester comes with its own special combination of ways to deprive you of sleep. Below is a breakdown of each, and suggestions for getting through them.
First trimester
Progesterone, the hormone that floods your body when you get pregnant, is a natural sleep inducer. It’s what gives you the ‘Did-I-climb-K2-today-and-not-know-about-it’ feeling. Essentially, it’s telling your body to rest up for what’s coming next. But when you’re up multiple times a night to pee, vomit or both, you don’t feel rested. You just feel drowsy and cranky. And rightfully so. Building a human being is hard.
There’s not much you can do to relieve the bladder voiding effects of pregnancy, but you can control the degree to which it disturbs you. For example, you’ll probably be able to get back to sleep quicker if you don’t turn the lights on. A bathroom nightlight will do the trick.
As for the nausea, you can treat it with medication (refer to your physician and Health Canada for recommendations regarding pregnancy-related nausea), herbal medication or small snacks (if you can stomach them) every few hours while you’re awake.
Also, keep a glass of water on your nightstand and have a sip when you come back to bed after an overnight heave so you don’t get dehydrated. Some people say sniffing lemons or ginger can help, too. It’s worth a shot.
Finally, don’t be afraid to nap or go to bed early. While you might not have been a napper in your pre-pregnancy life, fatigue (exhaustion perhaps?) will make your bed look extra tempting mid-day. Go with it. Be good to yourself and listen to your body.
Second trimester
This stage is a bit of a reprieve. The nausea will have subsided, but it will probably be replaced by heartburn caused by a displacement of the intestines and esophageal sphincter due to your growing uterus. Alleviating this is often as simple as cutting out acidic, spicy and fried foods. If that doesn’t work, sleep with your head elevated.
Speaking of sleep positioning, you’ll want to start getting used to sleeping on your side. Sleeping on your back decreases blood flow to your baby by pressing him or her against the all-important vena cava, a large blood-shuttling vein that runs down your spine. As for sleeping on your stomach, it’ll be a virtual impossibility in short order so this is a good time to break the habit.
The emotional weight of pregnancy kicks in around the second trimester as well, and that often leads to sleep-disturbing nightmares. It’s completely normal to worry (subconsciously or otherwise) that you’re going to be a bad mother or that your child will be imperfect in some way. If you find yourself too freaked out to go back to sleep, turn on some overnight talk radio to take your mind off your fears. Depending on the topic of conversation, you'll be back to dreamland in no time.
Third Trimester
On the plus side, you’re a mere 12 weeks away from having your beautiful baby in your arms. On the minus side, it’s most likely going to be a rather uncomfortable 12 weeks lowlighted by disturbed sleep due to leg-cramps, back pain, swollen boobs, sweats, a giant ball in the middle of your body and the overtiredness associated with the daily fatigue of carrying around an extra 15-60 pounds (depending on how lucky you are).
If you’re thinking about back pain medication, talk to your doctor first as it may be contraindicated with other medication you’re on. In the meantime, a heating pad will help alleviate some of your back pain. Unfortunately, it’ll do nothing for your sweats so crank the A/C or invest in a few bedroom fans.
Swollen boobs and muscle aches can be treated with topical creams (messy, but effective). And as for getting comfortable, support pillows are your best bet. A total body pillow will your support your entire body, cradle your belly and provide relief from sore hips and lower back pain.
Just think, in no time the baby will be out, and you’ll get to experience sleep deprivation in a whole new way. But you’ll also find that it’s all worth it.