We all know sleep is hard with a newborn but you don't get much shut-eye while pregnant either
All recommendations within this article are informed by expert editorial opinion. If you click on a link in this story we may earn affiliate revenue.
AT a time when women need it most, it seems they get the least sleep.
It’s a common fact new mums are sleep deprived, but it seems expectant mums are too.
A fresh survey has revealed pregnant women get on average just five hours sleep a night.
A range of issues kept women awake – from morning sickness at night to their partner snoring.
More than half were reduced to tears due to their lack of sleep, and that was before the baby arrived.
Commissioned by , the study of 2,000 parents found nine out of 10 suffered disrupted sleep when expecting.
1. Being unable to turn over when you want to
2. Heartburn
3. The baby moving
4. Being too hot
5. The baby kicking
6. Restless legs
7. Sore hips
8. Feeling sick
9. Worrying if the baby will be healthy1
0. Partner snoring
11. Worrying about what giving birth will be like
12. Worrying whether the baby is moving / has moved
13. Morning sickness - at night
14. Money worries
15. Thinking about what it will be like when you're a mum
16. Worrying about how you'll ever function without sleep
17. Fear of suddenly going into labour
18. Uncomfortable mattress
19. Wondering whether you're keeping your partner awake
20. Wanting to get up but knowing you can't do it without help
And one in five reported ‘extremely disrupted’ nights as a result of their pregnancy.
Some six in 10 mums-to-be struggled to turn over, and just under half suffered morning sickness – at night.
Something most people can sympathise with even while not pregnant, three quarters of respondents said they had difficulty dragging themselves out of bed in the morning.
Joy Richards, sleep specialist at online bed retailer Happy Beds, said: “It’s ironic that the time women need to sleep the most is a time when it’s often the hardest.
“Trouble sleeping is something almost every pregnant woman goes through, for all kinds of reasons, from physical discomfort to worries on the mind.";
And even if they were coping well with being pregnant, 15 per cent were kept awake by a partner snoring.
But men weren’t unsympathetic, with a third sleeping on sofas or in spare rooms to allow their partner a good night’s sleep.
Blokes also went to bed earlier than they would have liked, with one in four joining in their partner’s early night, and the same amount opening windows – even if they were cold.
These parents share ‘genius’ tip for making older sibling feel ‘special’ when visiting a new baby.
This mum rages after ex pierces her nine-week-old daughter’s ears… without telling her.
And these are the most popular baby names of 2018.
