Getting comfortable for sleep

Sleep is one of the first things pregnancy quietly rearranges. Early on it’s often exhaustion and needing to wee; later it’s a growing bump, heartburn, restless legs, aching hips and a mind that won’t switch off. It’s frustrating, especially when everyone keeps telling you to “rest while you can” — but a few practical changes can genuinely make nights more comfortable.

The most useful one is how you lie. As your bump grows, sleeping on your side is the most comfortable position for most people, and from around 28 weeks it’s also the safest. In the third trimester, settling to sleep on your back is linked to a higher risk of stillbirth, so the advice is to go to sleep on your side — either side is fine. Don’t lie awake worrying about it: if you wake up on your back (and you will sometimes), simply roll onto your side and settle again. It’s the position you fall asleep in that matters most.

Pillows are your best friends here. A pillow between your knees takes the strain off your hips and lower back; one tucked under your bump eases the pull on your belly; and a pillow behind your back lets you lean into it so you’re not holding the side-lying position with your muscles. A full-length or pregnancy pillow does all of this at once, but ordinary pillows work just as well.

A few common sleep-stealers have their own fixes. For heartburn and reflux, try eating earlier in the evening, keeping portions smaller, and propping your upper body up with an extra pillow or two. For leg cramps and restless legs, gentle stretching before bed, staying hydrated through the day and a warm bath can help — mention it to your midwife if it’s severe, as it’s worth checking. Needing to wee overnight is hard to avoid, but easing off fluids in the last hour or two before bed (while still drinking plenty during the day) can reduce the trips.

It also helps to give your body clear signals that it’s time to wind down. A simple, consistent routine — dimming the lights, putting screens away for the last half hour, a warm shower, a few slow breaths or some gentle stretching — tells your nervous system the day is over. Keep the room cool and dark, and if you wake in the night and can’t drift off, it’s often better to get up, do something calm and dull in low light for a little while, and go back to bed when you feel sleepy again, rather than lying there watching the clock.

Daytime rest counts too. A short nap or even just putting your feet up can take the edge off broken nights, and there’s no prize for soldiering on exhausted. If racing thoughts or worry are what’s keeping you awake, you’re far from alone — anxiety and disrupted sleep often feed each other in pregnancy. A wind-down routine helps, but if anxious nights are becoming the norm, it’s worth talking to your GP or midwife.

Pregnancy throws up a few other odd sleep-disruptors worth naming, simply so they don’t worry you. Vivid, strange or intense dreams are very common, especially later on, and they’re harmless — a mix of hormones and a busy mind processing a big change. Many people run hot and get night sweats, so a cooler room, breathable bedding and light sleepwear help. A blocked or stuffy nose (sometimes called pregnancy rhinitis) is common too, as is some tingling or numbness in the hands. None of these mean anything is wrong, but do mention anything that’s really bothering you to your midwife.

Give yourself permission to be unconventional about where and how you sleep, too. If the only way you get a few hours is propped up on the couch, in a recliner, or behind a ridiculous fortress of pillows, that’s completely fine — whatever works, works. Some nights will simply be better than others, and that’s normal; the aim is comfortable-enough rest, not perfect sleep.

A couple of things are worth flagging to your care team rather than just putting up with: persistent, heavy snoring or pauses in your breathing (which can point to sleep apnoea), severe restless legs, or insomnia that’s wearing you down. Otherwise, be reassured that broken sleep, while genuinely tiring, is a normal part of pregnancy for most people — and that small adjustments, a wall of pillows, and a little self-compassion go a long way.