Insomnia is frustrating at any time, but it is especially challenging when your body is going through all the changes of pregnancy.

Understanding the causes and symptoms of insomnia in early pregnancy can help you find the relief that matters for your health and your baby’s development.

What Causes Insomnia in Early Pregnancy?

Early pregnancy refers to the first three months, or the first trimester. It is a time when you are completely exhausted, yet often can’t sleep. 

It’s frustrating and confusing because you're experiencing a sudden rush of changes in your body. What are the causes?

Progesterone

The increase in this hormone during pregnancy makes you exhausted, but the flipside is that it also disrupts your sleep cycle by reducing REM sleep, so your sleep becomes fragmented.

Estrogen

Estrogen surges during pregnancy, and for many women, this can act as a stimulant, making you more sensitive to noise and temperature, all of which can make sleep difficult.

Another change is that progesterone raises your body temperature to a slightly feverish state, making it difficult for your body to reach its core temperature for deep sleep.

Nighttime urination

Surprisingly, you would think the third trimester is the worst time for nighttime urination, but the worst of it actually occurs in the first trimester. Why?

The hormone HCG naturally increases blood flow to the pelvic area, so your kidneys have to work overtime to filter this increased flow to eliminate waste for your fetus. 

As the baby grows and puts pressure on your bladder, urination increases significantly. 

Hunger and nausea

Morning sickness worsens on an empty stomach because your blood sugar drops sharply overnight to support your placenta. This hunger peaks around 3 am and can wake you up.

Temperature regulation

With increased blood flow during pregnancy, you feel hotter than usual, which makes sleep difficult. 

Emotional

Your first trimester is a time of major change in your life. It involves a psychological adjustment that can send your mind racing, especially when you're trying to fall asleep. All these life changes can easily keep you awake as you process everything.

Dream state

Pregnancy hormones cause vivid, strange dreams that can wake you up, making it difficult to fall back asleep.

Common Symptoms of Early Pregnancy Insomnia

  • Trouble falling asleep

  • Restlessness

  • Restless legs that feel an uncomfortable twitching sensation

  • Fragmented sleep

  • Waking frequently for short periods

  • Waking up hot and uncomfortable

  • The 3 a.m. wake-up due to blood sugar drops and cortisol spikes

Is Insomnia Normal in Early Pregnancy?

Yes, insomnia is part of your pregnancy journey, even in the early stages. 

Approximately 25% of women deal with insomnia because of the amount of rapid hormonal changes, mental anxiety, and physical discomfort due to a rapidly changing body and increased hormone production.

These changes are attributed to hormonal shifts, increased kidney filtration and blood volume, thermal shifts causing you to heat up, nausea, hunger, and anxiety.

How Insomnia Affects Daytime Well-Being

Insomnia in early pregnancy not only interferes with your nighttime sleep routine, but it also bleeds over into your daytime activities as well. 

The effects can be felt within your body, mind, and mood.

Physical impacts

Your changing body already drains your energy, and nighttime sleep disruption amplifies this. Here are some of the physical ramifications:

  • Increased chances of nausea because fatigue is shown to trigger it.

  • You become more conscious of pain because of sleep disruption.

  • Zoning out periodically during the day or dozing off.

  • Coordination issues like tripping, dropping things, or bumping into things.

  • Brain fog.

  • Decreased short-term memory.

  • Difficulty focusing on tasks.

Emotional changes

Hormones make emotional control more difficult, such as:

  • Increased irritability.

  • Increased episodes of crying at simple things.

  • Increased daytime anxiety.

  • A lesser desire for social activities leads to feelings of isolation.

Sleep Positions for Early Pregnancy

In the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, you should only be sleeping on your side for your health and the health of your unborn child, but what about the first trimester?

In most cases, any position is fine, but it isn’t cut-and-dry. As your body rapidly changes, what is comfortable can also change. Let’s start with safety:

In the first trimester, your uterus is protected because it is still small and tucked behind the pelvic bone. 

Due to its small nature, it can’t compress the vena cava, which is the biggest safety concern as your body grows. Also, because the embryo is tiny, lying on your stomach is not an issue at this stage.

When you reach 16-20 weeks into your pregnancy, it is a good time to start changing your sleep position, especially if you are a stomach sleeper. If you are a back sleeper, this transition should begin at about 20 weeks.

When shifting to side sleeping, aim for the left side because it improves blood flow to the placenta and fetus. This position also helps reduce pressure on your liver. 

The right side is also safe if you need to relieve pressure on your left side during the night.

How Body Pillows Can Help with Early Pregnancy Insomnia

Just because you aren’t showing doesn’t mean the benefits of a full body pillow aren’t justified. In actuality, it is a game-changer for better sleep.

Disrupted sleep has nothing to do with your belly size. Granted, as your bump grows, there are added issues, but lack of sleep is more about hormones, sensitivity, and stress. 

So, how does a body pillow help at this early stage?

Breast sensitivity

A common issue that starts almost immediately. Hugging a thick, comfortable pillow creates a soft barrier between your arms and your chest. It also stops you from rolling onto the sensitive areas of your breast.

Hip and joint pain

As early as week 8-10, the hormone relaxin is released in the body to begin to loosen ligaments in the anticipation of the birthing process. 

A full body pillow provides significant relief by placing one of its long sides between your knees and ankles, keeping your top leg parallel to the mattress.

It also aligns your spine, placing your hips in the correct position and relieving strain on your lower back and pelvic joints.

Nausea and heartburn

The valve between your esophagus and stomach becomes relaxed during pregnancy because of the release of progesterone. Acid reflux, or heartburn, makes it hard to fall asleep.

A body pillow allows you to raise your head and upper back slightly above the rest of your body, using gravity to prevent stomach acid from rising into your throat and causing heartburn.

Sleep position

Early training to sleep on your side if you are a stomach or back sleeper is made much easier with a full-body pillow, which provides proper support and keeps you from rolling off your side.

As we have discussed in this article, early pregnancy insomnia is normal and nothing to worry about, but you don’t have to suffer through it.

Yana Sleep has the answer: the best full body pillow for a restful night’s sleep, no matter where you are in your pregnancy journey. Learn more!