Pregnancy + Sleep: How To Combat The Challenges

Know Why Sleep Is Harder and What You Can Do

1. What can women do to reduce fatigue or aid sleep during pregnancy?

The secret to reducing fatigue during pregnancy lies in a little known practice called energy conservation. It is a term used in healthcare to help preserve energy yet still be active and do all the things necessary in the day.

For instance, taking a bath instead of a shower requires less energy. By being able to sit down while bathing the body does not have to use as much energy. Our bodies naturally want to be lazy and conserve as much as we can.

When growing a baby, the body needs to take as much energy as it can toward that important task. By choosing activities that use less energy- that accumulates into a "bank" and at the end of the day sheer exhaustion can be avoided. 

Here is a simple breakdown: Easier (Harder): bath (shower), sitting to brush hair (standing to brush hair and teeth), upper body exercises in seated position (standing dumbbell or machine upper body exercises), dragging laundry basket down steps behind you slowly (carrying laundry basket down steps), walking on flat terrain for daily walk (walking on hilly area and inclines), elevator (stairs), sitting while cutting veggies/fruit for food prep (standing at counter for all food prep)

Exercise has been shown to aid sleep during pregnancy.

Hormones released during exercise help to lower cortisol, the stress hormone, and affect hormones for the sleep-wake cycle.

Reducing pregnancy-related discomforts by doing mobility and flexibility exercises at night, using a program like Sleep Soundly, aid in a more restful night's sleep during pregnancy. 

2. Why is fatigue more common during pregnancy, such as specific hormone levels and other changes in the body?

Fatigue is more common during pregnancy due to the fluctuations of hormone levels that normally are stable during other stages of life. These fluctuations and changes all combine to make fatigue and the feeling of sheer exhaustion common for most pregnant women.

Progesterone levels are high during pregnancy which results in fatigue because of the neurological effects on the brain and other important areas of the body. High progesterone levels affect a neural system, GABA, which calms the neural activity in the brain leading to drowsiness and fatigue. This effect on the brain also causes a higher sensitivity to carbon dioxide and is the main reason many pregnant women feel it is harder to "catch their breath". This sensitivity contributes to fatigue. 

Another hormone, Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG), is released from the body as soon as an egg attaches itself to the uterus. This hormone level stays high during the first trimester leading to fatigue. 

Pregnancy related fatigue is more common as the resting metabolic rate (RMR) changes. The RMR simply measures the amount of calories, aka energy, the body needs to perform the essential functions of life (breathing, digestion, heart beating, thinking) that happen involuntarily. The increase in the metabolic rate to support a growing baby leads to fatigue.

3. How does fatigue change or shift between the three trimesters? 

Fatigue changes and shifts dramatically during the three trimesters. 

In the first trimester, the hormone hCG, human chorionic gonadotropin, is released and peaks around 10 weeks. This and the increased blood volume are primary causes of fatigue during the first trimester.

The second trimester, known as the "get stuff done" trimester is the best for energy levels during pregnancy. All pregnant women begin to dream of the second trimester when they will feel a sense of their normal self-back where they are able to accomplish more in their day.

The second trimester energy surge is due to the hCG hormone levels decreasing and progesterone levels leveling off to a steadier amount.

The third trimester, energy levels are most commonly affected due to pregnancy related discomforts and the strain of increased weight gain. The fatigue of carrying around additional weight during everyday tasks often leaves pregnant women aching and tired. The fatigue during the third trimester can be eased by beginning a prenatal flexibility and mobility program to reduce pregnancy-related discomforts. 

4. What Can You Do?

• Grab the Sleep Checklist inside of the Bump Balance Program
• Begin a stretching and mobility program designed for pregnant women
• Use a pregnancy pillow or throw pillows to sleep in this position
• Go for a walk earlier in the day to improve circulation and decrease aches

Want to wake up feeling refreshed? Rather than tossing and turning all night or being up scrolling you can follow the 3 day strategy of Sleep Soundly. These are the strategies that I teach patients who are wanting to ease back pain to sleep better at night.