How to Get Better Sleep During Pregnancy

When Catherine Hunziker founded WishGarden Herbs in Boulder in 1979, her intentions ran deeper than starting a supplement company. She was a midwife with a vision of bringing herbal medicine into the mainstream, making it easier and safer for everyone to access, especially pregnant and postpartum women. She knew there were safe herbal blends that could support common complaints and discomforts during pregnancy.

Sleep during pregnancy might be one of the most common challenges a pregnant woman faces, and one of the most dismissed. Women are told it's normal, that it'll pass, to count their blessings that they can sleep at all. But what's happening in a woman's body is complex, still being studied, and it shifts meaningfully from the first trimester through the third. You don't have to just get through it. Trusted herbal allies can make pregnancy more enjoyable.

Let's dive into the complexities of sleep during pregnancy and how certain herbs can help you get the restful sleep you and your growing baby need most.

Why Sleep During Pregnancy Is Different

Sleep disturbances are one of the most consistent experiences among pregnant women across all three trimesters, and they become more frequent as pregnancy progresses. The fact that you're exhausted and still can't get a good night's sleep can be extremely frustrating, but your body is doing extraordinary work.

The biology starts with progesterone. Often described as a calming hormone, it has a complex relationship with sleep. It rises sharply in early pregnancy, producing that famous bone-deep fatigue, but it also suppresses deeper sleep stages and increases lighter, more fragmented sleep, which is why sleep architecture begins shifting in the first trimester. You feel exhausted and still wake up unrested.

Anatomy creates its own challenges, too. Frequent trips to the bathroom start as early as week six; the growing belly makes a comfortable position harder to find, and by late pregnancy, the growing uterus presses on the bladder, lungs, and major blood vessels. Add the emotional load of everything left to do before your baby arrives, and the picture is complete.

Trouble sleeping during pregnancy isn't a personal failing. It's a biological reality, but there is help available.

A Note on Herbs and Pregnancy Safety

This part is important: talk with your midwife or health care practitioner before using any herb during pregnancy. Herbs that are deemed safe for pregnancy can still be unfit for your personal needs or interact with prescription medications.

WishGarden has formulated pregnancy-specific blends since 1979, drawing on Catherine Hunziker's midwife practice. The herbs discussed below are those that many midwives and herbalists have traditionally discussed for pregnancy. They are not confirmed as universally right for everyone, so always work with your practitioner first.

First Trimester Sleep

The first trimester is defined by one confusing truth: you're sleeping more than usual and still feel tired and heavy throughout the day. That's the exhaustion paradox, and it's completely normal.

Progesterone peaks around weeks 8 to 10, sending many pregnant women to bed earlier while it disrupts the deep, restorative stages of sleep. You sleep more hours but wake feeling like you didn't rest. Add frequent trips to the bathroom, tender breasts that make many positions uncomfortable, and morning nausea that doesn't limit itself to mornings, and you have the full first-trimester picture.

For nervous system support in the first trimester, one herb that many midwives and herbalists have traditionally discussed is:

• Milky oats (Avena sativa): Rich in magnesium, calcium, B vitamins, and folic acid, milky oats are very gentle and act as a nutritive nervine, nourishing the nervous system over time rather than sedating it. They support emotional balance and the mood changes common in early pregnancy and work best as a tonic taken consistently over weeks. Talk with your midwife or health care practitioner before use.

The key for first-trimester sleep isn't sedation; it's nourishment. Build a consistent sleep schedule, limit caffeine after noon, and let milky oats do their slow, steady work.

Second Trimester Sleep

For many pregnant women, the second trimester brings genuine ease. Progesterone plateaus, the worst of early nausea often settles, energy returns, and the belly hasn't yet grown large enough to restrict sleep position. This is the sleep window of pregnancy, and using it well matters.

This is the time to build the good sleep hygiene foundations that will carry you through the harder months ahead. A consistent sleep schedule, a dark, cool bedroom, and a wind-down ritual practiced now become second nature by 30 weeks. Prenatal yoga, gentle exercise, or a warm bath before bed can help. Build these relaxation techniques early, before physical discomfort makes them harder to maintain.

The trimester has its own quieter challenges. Pregnancy rhinitis affects many pregnant people mid-pregnancy, as elevated estrogen swells the nasal passages, and elevating the upper body with an extra pillow often creates a more comfortable sleeping position. Restless legs also appear or worsen during the second and third trimesters, linked to shifting iron and magnesium needs, so prenatal vitamins with adequate iron and magnesium, plus staying hydrated, help.

For herbal support this trimester, two plant allies that many midwives and herbalists have traditionally discussed are:

• Linden (Tilia europaea): A gentle nervine with a long history of use during pregnancy in European herbal traditions. It supports calm and a sense of ease.
• Hawthorn Berry (Crataegus spp.): Supports blood flow and cardiovascular wellness. Herbalists describe Hawthorn as grounding and heart-opening, suited to the demands of the middle trimester.

Use this window to establish your sleep ritual. The third trimester will be harder, and the habits you build now will carry you.

Third Trimester Sleep

By the third trimester, sleep is a nightly negotiation with your body. The growing uterus presses on the bladder, requiring multiple nighttime trips to the bathroom, and puts pressure on the diaphragm, making deep breaths harder. Back and hip discomfort make staying in any position for long uncomfortable.

The Best Sleeping Position for Late Pregnancy

The best sleeping position for late pregnancy is on your left side. Research on sleep position in late pregnancy suggests that sleeping on the left side promotes blood flow through the inferior vena cava, the major vein returning blood to the heart, thereby improving circulation to the kidneys, uterus, and baby. A pillow between the knees, bent slightly forward, takes pressure off the hips and lower back, and a wedge pillow supporting the belly can help sustain the position through the night.

Supporting a Quieter Mind at Night

The mental dimension of third-trimester sleep is real and often underestimated. Racing thoughts, mental checklists, the whole emotional weight of what's coming. Herbs that many midwives and herbalists have traditionally discussed for this stage, always with your practitioner first, include:

• Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora): A nervine traditionally used by Eclectic physicians to calm an overactive mind without sedating the body. It soothes nervous system excitability and makes it easier to settle into rest when the mind won't slow down.
• Chamomile (Matricaria recutita): A gentle nervine and digestive herb commonly included in pregnancy formulas in small amounts. It supports calm and helps ease occasional stomach discomfort that can make falling asleep harder.

Leg cramps are another third-trimester disruptor, often linked to circulation and mineral shifts. Stretching the calves before bedtime and staying hydrated help.

A Pregnancy-Specific Herbal Blend

WishGarden's Sleepy Nights for Pregnancy brings together organic scullcap, linden flower, chamomile, and milky oat tops, herbs many midwives have traditionally turned to for calming an overactive mind and easing the body into rest. Skullcap and milky oats nourish an overworked nervous system, linden and chamomile help quiet the kind of racing thoughts that keep you staring at the ceiling, and together they support the body's own ability to settle into deeper, more restful sleep, without kava, valerian, or melatonin.

It's not recommended for the first trimester. Consult your midwife or health care practitioner before use.

Herbs to Avoid During Pregnancy

The conversation about what to use starts with your midwife or health care practitioner, but the herbs traditionally discussed for pregnancy are the gentle nervines covered above.

Herbs generally avoided during pregnancy because of limited safety data or documented uterine activity:

• Valerian: Limited pregnancy safety data. Many practitioners avoid it; Sleepy Nights for Pregnancy deliberately excludes it.
• Passionflower: Mixed guidance from practitioners. Generally avoided later in pregnancy.
• Hops (Humulus lupulus): Some evidence of uterine activity. Generally avoided during pregnancy.

Always avoid during pregnancy: Blue cohosh, black cohosh, mugwort, pennyroyal, tansy, and vitex (post-conception).

For more on how herbalists approach sleep, see WishGarden's posts on herbal sleep support for the whole family and how to get a better night's sleep naturally.

Moving Through Each Trimester With the Right Support

Your body is doing something extraordinary, and enough sleep is the foundation it needs. The nights that feel impossible at 8 weeks are biologically different from the nights that feel impossible at 34 weeks. In the first trimester, focus on nervous system nourishment and gut support before bed. In the second, build the routine while the sleep window is open. In the third, set up your sleep position and quiet the racing mind.

The herbal allies many midwives have trusted for generations are still here. WishGarden's Sleepy Nights for Pregnancy is designed for the sleepless nights of pregnancy. Consult your midwife or health care practitioner before starting any herbal support.

FAQs: Sleep During Pregnancy

Why is sleep so hard during pregnancy?

Pregnancy changes your body on multiple levels at once. Progesterone, the dominant early-pregnancy hormone, suppresses deep sleep stages while increasing lighter, more fragmented sleep. The growing belly, increased bathroom trips, and hormonal shifts in the nasal passages all add to it. Sleep problems tend to increase as pregnancy progresses, with the third trimester typically the most difficult.

What is the best sleeping position during pregnancy?

Most practitioners recommend sleeping on your left side during late pregnancy. Research suggests left-side sleeping supports blood flow through the inferior vena cava, the major vein returning blood to the heart, which supports circulation to the uterus, kidneys, and baby. A pillow between knees, bent slightly forward, takes pressure off the hips and lower back. Talk with your health care practitioner about what's right for your situation.

Can herbal sleep support be used during pregnancy?

Some herbs have a long tradition of use in pregnancy, particularly in midwifery practice. Milky Oats, Linden, Skullcap, Chamomile, and Lemon Balm are among the many herbs that midwives and herbalists have traditionally discussed. Not all sleep herbs are appropriate, though. The most important step is to talk with your midwife or health care practitioner before using any herb during pregnancy.

What helps with restless legs during pregnancy?

Restless legs are common during the second and third trimesters, linked to increased iron and magnesium needs as pregnancy progresses. Staying hydrated, taking prenatal vitamins with adequate iron and magnesium, and stretching the legs before bedtime may all help. Talk with your health care practitioner if restless legs are consistently disrupting your nighttime sleep.

References

• Sleep across pregnancy trimesters. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4004113
• Sleep position in late pregnancy. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4402690

Rebecca Younger is passionate about herbs and women's health. She aspires to plant seeds of inspiration within her community about plant medicine and healthier ways of life. She studied Herbal Medicine at Herbalism Roots in Denver and is a certified Doula through the Matrona Foundation. She is the Brand Communications Specialist at WishGarden Herbs.

For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, or to sell any product.