Tossing and Turning

(This article is also available in an audio format)

In the second half of pregnancy, your bed will be a busy place. Pillows will be flying and sheets will be askew, all because of your partner’s passionate efforts to … find a comfortable sleeping position.

As your partner expands, she finds it harder and harder to sleep. So she flips. And flips. Of course, when she was just your unpregnant bedmate she did this too. But now she is flipping for two, and the after-shocks could leave you sleepless.

So do you suffer in silence or is there a way out? There is always a solution, very effective but slightly harsh – move into the spare room or onto the couch. What! I can hear you say, yes that’s right, different rooms – she will then have enough room for all her pillows, and you will get the sleep that you are craving. Butt, different bedrooms are what grandparents do! Just reassure her this is not a permanent solution, just temporary to give her the space she and her preggy tummy are craving. She will heave a sigh of relief as she really does feel guilty disturbing you all night long! But if you are going to be the supportive partner you strive to be, you need to be well rested. This is probably not something you want to make a habit out of, but if you have a big day coming up at work or you are just unbearable exhausted, it might be a good idea. You might both be more comfortable. It can be beneficial to invest in a variety of pillows. She can mix and match until she finds the perfect sleeping combination. On nights when she is tossing and turning, you will help one another by snoozing separately. Reassure her that it is because the bed isn’t big enough for all of you and her pillows, you still find her and her beautiful preggy tummy sensational!

Try to see these turbulent nights as training for parenthood. If you think it is hard to sleep while your partner tosses and turns, wait until your baby arrives. Soon you will long for those nights when the solution to your sleep deprivation was as simple as changing beds. The moment you become a parent, you will develop a sensitivity so acute that you will awaken at the slightest sound from your newborn.

Eventually, of course, both you and your baby will sleep through the night. In the interim, learn to take naps without guilt, buy a few extra pillows, and change the sheets in the guest bedroom.

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