9 Natural Remedies for Insomnia During Pregnancy

Sharing is caring!

Pregnancy is such a beautiful, life-giving gift that I have been blessed to go through 4 times. Pregnancy, however, can be very challenging to the mind, body, and spirit, especially with sleep problems. There are so many great natural remedies for insomnia and lack of sleep during pregnancy that I want to share today.

*This blog post is not intended for medical advice, always check with your healthcare provider before starting any new regimen.

*Affiliate Disclosure: I do have affiliate links in this blog post. If you purchase something from my link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.  This comes at no cost to you, but is paid by the company.  I do not take becoming an affiliate with any company lightly.  If I am, it’s because I believe in the company and their product. 

Maybe this is your very first pregnancy, or maybe this is your fifth pregnancy. Every woman and every pregnancy is so different each time! During my first and fourth pregnancies, I experienced extreme insomnia in the first and third trimesters. You know the feeling when you lie wide awake at 2 or 3 am, maybe after your fifth trip to the bathroom that night? Do you lie awake with a feeling as if your legs are going a million miles per hour but your body is still? AKA restless legs syndrome. If you haven’t ever dealt with that, consider yourself lucky! I was always on the hunt for different natural remedies for insomnia during pregnancy

This blog post will share information on 9 different natural remedies for insomnia during pregnancy. Still, I believe any person could benefit pregnant or not, because let’s face the facts: life is stressful and chaotic, and most people pregnant or not just don’t sleep as good as they should.

Let’s dive into pregnancy and all the hormonal changes that take place during growing a child and why it can lead to insomnia and sleep disturbances.

What causes insomnia in pregnancy?

Hormonal changes and lifestyle changes

According to a study done by NCBI, it is reported that 78% of women reported disturbed sleep during pregnancy. 15% developed restless leg syndrome. In my opinion, restless leg syndrome is one of the worst causes of insomnia because it feels like your legs are crawling. 

There are different causes of insomnia during the three trimesters of pregnancy. For instance, in the first trimester of pregnancy, a big rise in progesterone levels plays a big part in insomnia. Nausea and vomiting are often present, frequent trips to the bathroom, and decreased muscle tone can lead to a risk for snoring and sleep apnea all affecting sleep. Notice a need for daytime naps? Yep, you can thank rising progesterone levels for that.

Physical changes

It might be pretty obvious, but the body goes through some pretty dramatic physical changes along with hormonal changes as well. By the second trimester, you are probably noticing some pretty big shifts in your physical body. It’s getting a little tight in belly space, ligaments and muscles are working on overdrive to help grow your growing baby. You might notice that by the third trimester, it’s nearly impossible to sleep comfortably at all due to your big belly and having to get up to pee 5 times nightly. 

It is truly amazing how different each pregnancy can be on the body, as I don’t remember any crazy pregnancy symptoms with my second and third child, but my first and fourth were way different stories. During these pregnancies, I dealt with horrible heartburn which gave me insomnia, restless leg syndrome, and just the inability to fall asleep. 

Anxiety

I have unfortunately dealt with anxiety a good majority of my life, and let me tell you; pregnancy hormones can make that anxiety 100x worse. My last pregnancy I dealt with some pretty severe panic attacks that I believed were due to the severe hormone influxes occurring. Again, every pregnancy is different and anxiety might just come in the form of wondering how you are going to provide well for this new child coming into the world. Either or, I will give you my best natural remedies for insomnia during pregnancy and tools for anxiety during pregnancy. 

What natural herbs can help you sleep during pregnancy?

Unfortunately, herbs and herbal teas are tricky in the pregnancy world, I would check with your healthcare practitioner to see if any will work in your current pregnancy situation. I always enjoy a cup of herbal mint tea to unwind at night, that might help a bit with insomnia. Herbal remedies are not approved by the Federal Drug Administration for sleep aids. 

What can I use for insomnia during pregnancy?

Great question! There are so many great tools and supplements expectant mothers can use for insomnia during pregnancy. As always though, make sure to check with your health care provider first to make sure it is suitable for your pregnancy. 

Tart Cherry Juice

I have to say, this was and probably still is one of my favorite ways to end the night, a “night cap” you might say. Tart cherry juice is a powerhouse sleep aid as tart cherries are high in tryptophan (you know those amino acids that make you sleepy after your turkey feast on Thanksgiving?) Tart cherries are also high in melatonin which is a hormone our bodies produce to help us wind down when it’s time to sleep. I would recommend drinking it about 1hr to 1.5hr before you go to bed. I like to mix mine with some Waterloo lime seltzer water to give it sort of a mocktail vibe.

Tart cherry juice is not only beneficial in the ways it will help you fall and stay asleep, but it is also beneficial for overall sleep and body health by:

• Reducing pain and inflammation 
• Reducing blood pressure

You can find tart cherry juice at most stores, especially natural health stores, but I find it easiest to just add to my Amazon cart, Make sure there is no added sugar though, as that would offset any of the beneficial benefits of the tart cherries.

Melatonin drops

As stated above, melatonin is a hormone our body produces from the pineal gland that helps regulate the body’s natural sleep and wake rhythm. These days we are exposed to stress, blue light from our phones, and late-night screen time that can over time disrupt the natural rhythms of the body. Liquid melatonin can help improve sleep by utilizing the body’s natural sleep pathways to get high-quality sleep and not cause drowsiness the next day. Liquid melatonin is a game-changer in my sleep.

Magnesium Supplements

Magnesium is another critical mineral that is necessary for bodily function that a good majority of the population is lacking. It is responsible for over 300 necessary functions in the body. It is essential for muscle function, nerve function, blood sugar control, bone development, and heart rate rhythm consistency according to sleepfoundation.org. Studies have shown that supplementing with magnesium has helped people with falling asleep and stay asleep.

Magnesium is also an essential component to help combat restless leg syndrome. When I was suffering from restless leg syndrome in pregnancy, I took a topical magnesium and an internal magnesium. 

I use this magnesium from the functional medicine practice I work with. It is full-spectrum magnesium so it includes 3 different forms of magnesium to deliver maximum absorption. This full spectrum form of magnesium is more bioavailable to the body, aids in muscle relaxation and helps to achieve restful sleep and good sleep-wake cycles.

Magnesium Lotion

This lotion works wonders for pregnancy, especially at night. I love this Earthley Good Night Lotion. This lotion blends pure magnesium chloride with nursing oils and butters. This lotion moisturizes your body while the magnesium absorbs into your skin (your largest organ) It also has lavender essential oil in it which also helps relaxation. Formulated by an herbalist and mother of six, this magnesium lotion is safe for the entire family. Highly recommend!

Mary Ruth’s Nightime Multimineral 

I have written a whole post just on this amazing product itself so go check it out here. This product is a staple for everyone in the home, especially during pregnancy. This is a liquid multimineral vitamin that contains vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients the body needs while it sleeps. It is made for sleep support, relaxation, and bone health. It utilizes vitamin D3, magnesium, and zinc to help the body fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. I also love that it has chromium in the ingredients for blood sugar support. A lot of times, if our blood sugars are dysregulated(which happens ALOT in pregnancy) that can affect our sleep. This supplement is a powerhouse that I think every person should take for sleep support not just for pregnancy. They have a regular form of the nighttime multi-mineral and an extra-strength version as well but has extra calcium and magnesium for added support. I would recommend the extra strength for pregnancy insomnia.

Epsom Salt baths

This is another great way to get much-needed magnesium absorbed into the skin in a relaxing way; a warm bath! Epsom salt baths have so many benefits including:

• Magnesium absorption to increase sleep
• Helps to treat constipation(other pregnancy problem!)
• Provides achy muscle relief
• Relieves stress
• Relieves leg cramps
• Relieves back pain

If you can try to fit an epsom salt bath a few nights before bed each week I think the quality of your sleep would drastically improve!

*As always check with your healthcare professional first

Essential Oils

Diffusing Essential oils is always relaxing, especially at night. Lavender is a great essential oil for a good night’s sleep and relaxation. 

Red Light Therapy

RLT or red light therapy is another one of my favorite ways to increase the quality of my sleep. If you struggle with insomnia during pregnancy I highly recommend using red light therapy. I use mine for about 12 minutes while I am lying in bed. I use my Lumebox which I am obsessed with. The Lumebox is the top RLT device on the market in my opinion, made and formulated by an MD. You can get $280 off a unit using this link! I have a previous post all about the benefits of RLT and a whole in-depth review on the Lumebox. Check it out here.

Red light therapy can be beneficial for sleep since red light is naturally predominant in our environment at sunset. This is the body’s natural circadian rhythm. I use it on the back of my neck in the NIR setting. As every person is different, some might find that RLT might be energizing instead of calming at night, so try it out and if you seem energized instead of calm don’t use it at night. It can still be very beneficial for sleep when used during the day as well.

Omega 3 Fatty acid supplement

This might surprise some! There is growing evidence though that Omega 3’s can play a very important role in sleep. The vast majority are very deficient in omega 3’s and very high in omega 6’s which can cause inflammation in our body. Omega 3’s are very protective for our health including heart health, cancer protection, anti-inflammatory, and now promotion of better sleep. DHA one of the main proponents of Omega 3 fatty acids is shown to boost sleep quality as studies shown that people with low levels of DHA have poorer quality of sleep.

This pubmed study also shows a link between pregnant women and low levels of DHA affecting sleep. DHA is shown to stimulate melatonin, which again helps us fall asleep and stay asleep.

I love this Omega 3 supplement from the same brand I recommend for Melatonin and Magnesium, a high-quality supplement formulated by a naturopathic doctor.

Daily Nutritional Support

Pregnancy in general needs good nutrition, as two bodies are relying on it! I believe good sleep also begins with good hydration. I have drank this nutritional protein shake for my last two pregnancies and I know it made a difference in my overall health. This is a multivitamin in shake form with 15 grams of protein. I drink it in the morning in either a smoothie or with just plain water or almond milk. It has 12 nutritional supplements in one, vitamins, minerals electrolytes, and antioxidants. I usually drink two shakes a day during pregnancy just for added nutrition. What I love is that I get all my micronutrients(vitamins and minerals) in a shake! They taste great too, my favorite is the chocolate.

What pills can I take to help me sleep during pregnancy?

I don’t have any pills to recommend other than the Equilife Full Spectrum Magnesium

What can I drink to sleep during pregnancy?

Warm milk is always soothing, any of the above mentioned: tart cherry, Calm magnesium drink 

Other things to consider for natural remedies for Insomnia During pregnancy:

       

• Getting in movement when you can! Exercise is proven to help with sleep quality
• Ditch caffeine! Caffeine might be affecting your sleep more than you know. I recommend switching to King Reishi coffee-Check out my post here
• Eat a high-quality protein diet
• Deep Breathing- take 10 deep breaths while lying in bed with lights off
• Relax whenever you can! I know, easier said than done, but rest whenever get a moment, take a nap, and enjoy!
• Stay hydrated- aim for half your body weight in water ounces- especially when pregnant! When our bodies are dehydrated they cannot function properly. If you need more hydration and electrolytes I love LMNT electrolytes

I hope this post on natural remedies for insomnia during pregnancy was helpful! Let me know in the comments what helps you the most!