3rd trimester how much sleep

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Your name: is required Error: This is required. Your email: is required Error: This is required Error: Not a valid value. Send to: is required Error: This is required Error: Not a valid value. How much sleep do I need when I am pregnant? If you can, get to bed earlier than usual and have a daytime nap.

It can also help to: rest as much as you can during the day go for a walk in the late afternoon or early evening avoid tea and coffee before bedtime relax before bed by taking a bath, reading, listening to music, watching TV or having a backrub Sleep during the 1st trimester The main issue in the first trimester is tiredness. In addition to these hormonal and physiological changes, you may not be getting great quality sleep.

Pregnancy-related discomforts, as well as increased stress and anxiety levels, can also result in restless nights. This can leave you feeling more tired during the day or craving naps. One study has argued that there may be risks to excessive sleep in your third trimester. In the study, women who slept for more than 9 continuous hours without disturbance and routinely had non-restless sleep in the last month of their pregnancy had a greater instance of stillbirth.

While you may not want to oversleep, it can be worth it to spend at least 8 hours in bed, as there are some potential benefits to getting sufficient sleep during the late stages of your pregnancy. One older study found that women who slept less than 6 hours at night toward the end of their pregnancy had longer labors and were 4. Furthermore, they found that women with severely disrupted sleep had longer labors and were 5.

Also, animal research suggests that insufficient sleep during pregnancy may have long-term effects on offspring. Research has indicated that the sleep-disordered breathing that can develop during pregnancy may be related to an increased risk of preeclampsia. Finally, snoring, which is more common in pregnant women than non-pregnant women, has been linked to preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.

There are many reasons why your sleep may look different during pregnancy. Some potential causes include:. And some pregnant women, especially if they anemic and have low iron levels, may experience restless legs syndrome beginning in the evening hours of the second trimester and becoming more severe in the third trimester, Lee said. This condition, in which the the legs feel jumpy like they have ants crawling up and down their veins, can occur while sitting or lying down and might be extremely uncomfortable.

Often the only relief from the pain is from walking around, Lee said, but then a woman might not be able to fall back asleep.

Heartburn is another problem that can keep women awake at night. As pregnancy progresses and a woman's uterus gets bigger, it may press on her stomach making a burning sensation more common.

Sleeping on the left side with the knees bent may be a better position for women who are experiencing heartburn during pregnancy, Lee said.

Some women may also try sleeping with the head of their bed elevated or by propping their head on more pillows to ease the acid backwash of heartburn. A lot of women say they have bizarre dreams related to their baby during pregnancy, Lee said. Although many women report strange dreams, the results from her research did not show any differences in dreaming across the trimesters compared with dreaming before a woman becomes pregnant.

One study suggests that in late pregnancy, women report that the overall quality of their sleep suffers, they have more trouble falling asleep, and their number of nighttime and early morning awakenings increase compared with mid-pregnancy. As a woman's belly increases in size and the fetus is getting bigger and more active, Lee suggested that pregnant women sleep in any comfortable position they can find. But she advised mothers-to-be to stay off their backs as much as possible because a heavy uterus can press on nerves in the spine and on a major vein the inferior vena cava that carries blood between the lower body and heart.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends that pregnant women should sleep on their left side , which may improve the flow of blood and nutrients to the developing fetus and to a woman's heart, uterus and kidneys.

Use pillows to be more comfortable placing one between the knees, a second under the belly, and a third behind the back to support it and relieve pain , Lee advised. It is important…. Visit The Symptom Checker. Read More. Recovering from Delivery Postpartum Recovery. Path to improved health Sleep should never be seen as a luxury.

Heartburn At some point in their pregnancy, most pregnant women suffer from heartburn, which is a form of indigestion that feels like burning in your chest and throat.

Restless leg syndrome Few things are more distracting than restless legs syndrome RLS , especially when you are trying to go to sleep. Morning sickness — at bedtime Despite the name, morning sickness can occur any time and is often worse later in the day.

Insomnia There are many ways insomnia can creep in and compromise your sleep time. Leg cramps Not many things can wake you as quickly and painfully as a leg cramp.

Finding a comfortable position As your body grows, sleep becomes a little harder to come by, especially in the third trimester. Be consistent with your sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Prioritize sleep. Exercise, but do not exercise at bedtime. Keep daytime naps short. Make your bedroom inviting. Do not keep a TV, computer, or other distracting tech gadgets in your bedroom. Do not eat at bedtime. Finish eating two to three hours before going to bed.

Things to consider Sleep is essential to health. When to see a doctor If insomnia, sleep apnea, or any other condition is interfering with your sleep, tell your doctor.

Symptoms of preeclampsia include: Severe headache. Changes in vision, including blurred vision. Nausea or vomiting.