Sleeping Well When You're Pregnant

Ahhh, pregnancy. The world seems a little sweeter when you’re pregnant, right? Strangers open doors for you, old ladies beam at you as they pass, and let’s not forget those 300 or so extra calories you get to consume daily (for the baby, of course. We’re all about sacrifice! Ahem, pass the ice cream). Yes, pregnancy certainly has its perks—except when it’s time to hit the sack.

Pregnancy and sleep are strange bedfellows, which doesn’t seem right, somehow. Despite the fact that expectant moms are often exhausted (courtesy of the burgeoning bun in the oven), many just can’t seem to catch a good night’s rest. The culprit—one of them, anyway—is progesterone, a hormone that dials up sleepiness and disrupts sleep patterns all at the same time. Of course, this hormone madness coincides neatly with all sorts of sleep-stealing pregnancy woes, from restless legs syndrome (one quarter of pregnant women get it!) to heartburn to plain old discomfort. Talk about unfair!

If this describes your situation, or a situation you might soon find yourself in, then you’ll want to check out my article “Pregnant-ZZZZ: Getting the Sleep You Need When You’re Expecting,” which appeared in MetroKids Magazine in May (and appears here at MilwaukeeMoms.com).

In the article, I detail the best ways to catch a few ZZZZs and feel more rested during pregnancy. I even answer the burning question of many a mom-to-be: do you really need to sleep exclusively on your left side? Read and find out.

I'm a nationally published journalist, sleep expert, and the author of Ready, Set, Sleep: 50 Ways to Help Your Child Sleep So You Can Sleep Too. I've been helping tired families sleep since 2007. Can I help you? Drop me a line here.

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