If I had a dollar for every time someone said, “get your sleep now!”… but I believe it and am fully indulging. I have, however, run into a few bumps in the road when it comes to sleep (literally). There were the achy hips, the sinus issues, the belly discomfort and then, of course, some sleepless nights thanks to an active baby in my belly. Here are a few of my secrets to better sleep during pregnancy:

Pre-natal chiropractor

I have severely achy hips but for some people it’s their backs, both of which can hinder sleep. I HIGHLY recommend alleviating this pain so that you can rest by seeing a pre-natal chiropractor. I go to Dr. Berlin here in LA and he is INCREDIBLE, like a gift from above! I try to see him every two weeks, and by the two week mark I’m desperate for an adjustment as the pain in my hips wake me up all night long. Without fail, he cures me every time.

Body pillow

The nightly attempt at helping achy backs, hips and tight belly’s is a pregnancy body pillow. There are so many out there and it’s a personal preference (some of my girlfriends like those big round ones while others hate those). I have an organic one from Ivy Organics here in LA but sadly they don’t sell them online.

Humidifier

Pregnancy rhinitis is congestion or a stuffy nose during pregnancy. It may feel similar to the nasal congestion you get when you have a cold, but this condition is partly caused by hormonal changes during pregnancy. For example, a higher level of estrogen during pregnancy can cause the lining of the nasal passages to swell, producing more mucus. You also have more blood circulating during pregnancy, which can make the tiny blood vessels inside your nose swell and lead to nasal congestion.

I have pregnancy rhinitis and was waking up with stuffy bloody noses every day, so I started elevating my head when I sleep and use a humidifier to add moisture to the air. I ordered this one which is nice, small, and sleek, and I’m proud to report a decline in nose bleeds once I began humidifying. The key is to clean it regularly as they can become a breeding ground for bacteria.

Breathe Right Strips

Don’t judge! But trust me on this one! I know they aren’t sexy, but they really help open up the nasal passage. The only time of day that I really feel like I can breath is at night when I line my nose with one of these bad boys. Sorry to your husbands in advance!

Rock the baby

My days are pretty busy, and many of them are spent on my feet which little did I know, keeps the baby sleeping most of the day which can mean an active baby at night. A doula recommended that I try to limit the time on my feet later on in the day so that the baby isn’t sleeping leading up to when I want to get rest. She also suggested that when the baby does keep me up at night, wiggling around in my belly, that I get up and walk around to rock the baby to sleep – no differently than you would a baby outside of your belly. It feels a little strange at first but it can actually work (it has for me), so it’s worth a shot. Rubbing my belly and meditating however didn’t make a difference for the wiggles.

Evening routine

And last but not least, I do like to keep a pretty relaxing nighttime routine (while I can at least). I love to get in bed early, mask a few nights a week (lips included), read a good 25 pages or so from whatever baby book I’m on that week, rub my belly and hips with a good body butter, switch on my humidifier, slip on my Breathe Right, apply some under eye cream, turn my phone off and zen out as I hold my belly and fall asleep dreaming (or as some call it, manifesting) of our future.

Any other pregnancy sleeping secrets are welcome – please share!