by Helen Richardson

Created on: April 07, 2007   Last Updated: April 25, 2007

A good night's sleep is so elusive for pregnant women. It's important to try to get as much rest as you can, for the good of the baby and for your own health and mental well being.

1. Accept that there are going to be times when you just can't sleep. Either your baby will decide to have their workout at 2 a.m. every night, or your hormones will be raging so badly that you just cannot settle down and sleep. Keep a book available to read or movies around to watch when you just can't sleep. Laying wide awake in bed makes it harder to get to sleep!

2. Kick your spouse out of bed if need be. Pregnancy hormones coupled with numerous physical complaints and the inability to lay on one's stomach or back mean that you're likely to wake up at the drop of a pin. If your spouse snores or is restless and wakes up often, consider asking him to move into a spare bedroom for a while so you can get some much needed rest.

3. Explore natural remedies: Sometimes a hot bath, a cup of pregnancy safe herbal tea and a massage from your spouse can help you to fight insomnia.

4. Take naps during the day if you can. Some pregnant women find a place at work where they can lay down during their lunch break and have a quick snooze. You can also take a nap when you get home from work. If you have children already, ask your spouse to watch them while you rest for an hour or two.

5. Stop the nasal drip naturally. When I was pregnant the main reason I couldn't sleep was because my nose was running constantly. I woke up one day with toilet paper shoved up my nostrils and realized there had to be a better way to get rid of the constant stream without taking any medications. I found out about nasal irrigation, which is washing out your nasal passages with saline solution. It worked like a charm! Many drugstores these days carry premade solution and squirt bottles or neti pots for nasal irrigation.

6. If you can afford it, there are companies who make special maternity pillows that have a hole in them for your belly. Most times these pillows cost over a hundred dollars. If you can't afford it but you know other women who are trying to get pregnant or who aren't at the stage where they can't sleep on their belly, you might consider buying one and trying to resell it to one of your friends or going in on it together.

7. Another option is a body pillow. Body pillows are usually about the length of the human body and enable you to take pressure off of parts of your body that are aching. Pillows placed between your knees when you lay on your side also help to take the pressure off of aching hip joints.

8. In late stage pregnancy, you might find that it's impossible to get into a comfortable position on your bed. Many women experiment with sleeping in recliners at this point. See if there's a comfortable recliner that you can catch a few ZZZ's in so you'll be well rested when it's time for the baby to arrive.

9. Although not all women choose to use medications during their pregnancy, many people believe that occasional use of Unisom in pregnant women is harmless. If you absolutely can't sleep and you need to be rested for the next day, talk to your prenatal care provider about the risks of taking Unisom. Unisom is also sometimes used to fight "morning" sickness. I used it when I was pregnant when nothing else would work, and it worked like a charm. Just be sure that you use it occasionally and don't become dependent on it.

If you can't find anything that works, talk to your prenatal care provider about it. They might be able to offer other suggestions or help you figure out why you can't sleep.

And just remember, this is mother nature's way of getting you ready for those 3 a.m. feedings after the baby comes.

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