Pregnancy and misinformation seem to go hand in hand at times. The internet is full of myths, rumors and old wives’ tales about pregnancy, and it can be hard to determine what’s true and what’s not, especially if you’re pregnant for the first time.
One aspect of pregnancy that can be challenging is sleep. Many factors can make it harder to get a good night of sleep as your pregnancy progresses, yet it’s crucial for your and your baby’s health to get the rest you need. We spoke to experts to see which facts about pregnancy and sleep are most important for you to know.
Sleep is harder, for good reason
Not every pregnant individual will struggle with sleep, but it’s very common. “I don’t think there’s any sugarcoating it that sleep is going to be an ongoing and evolving issue throughout pregnancy,” said Dr. Chester Wu, a psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist. “The majority of women can expect subjectively poorer quality sleep and increased awakenings at night.”
Aside from the obvious growing baby bump, other things can make it more difficult to get good sleep while pregnant: frequent bathroom trips, heartburn, aches, pains, anxiety, vivid dreams and more. Your baby is also more active at nighttime, making it hard to relax. Certain sleep disorders, like sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome, are also more common during pregnancy (more on that later). The first and third trimesters of pregnancy are often where you’ll experience the most disruptions, per Johns Hopkins Medicine.
As many as 80% of women deal with insomnia during pregnancy, according to the National Institutes of Health.