Sleep Problems During Pregnancy: Why Your Baby Is More Active At Night

When I first told my friends and family I was pregnant, I heard so many stories about how active the fetuses were in the womb, especially before going to bed. I didn’t notice anything different until my third trimester, when it became obvious that my baby was becoming more active as I was getting ready for bed. This was also the time when I struggled to find the most comfortable sleeping position due to my growing belly and constant hormonal changes.

I didn’t find my baby’s movements all that distracting when I was asleep, but I knew plenty of people who complained that their unborn baby was unusually active during the night hours to the point that it disrupted their sleep. Naturally, I was curious as to why this was happening, so I spoke to a few experts to find out what all the fuss was about. Here’s what they had to say about why fetuses like to move around a lot at night and how to stay comfortable during all that activity.

Why do fetuses move more at night?

Chances are that in the evening hours you start to rest from the day. But if you are pregnant, you may notice that your fetus does the opposite and starts to become more active during this period.

“This may be because during the day, the movement and rocking of a person’s normal activities calms the baby and helps him or her rest,” said Dr. Susan Crowe, an obstetrician-gynecologist and clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology in maternal and fetal health at Stanford Medicine.

Dr. Ila Dayananda, an obstetrician-gynecologist and chief medical officer at Oula Health, says that during the day, the movements of a parent who is awake and moving around can have a calming effect on the fetus. Another theory is that later in the day, especially when a pregnant woman is lying down, the fetus may have more room to move. The fetus may be more active at night because of lower blood sugar levels or another of Dayananda’s theories: “There is also the idea that the fetus is establishing its own circadian rhythm and is in the process of discovering the difference between day and night,” she said.

Dr. Andrea Desai, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at the University of Maryland Medical Center, agrees: “As the fetal nervous system develops, the organs develop their own circadian rhythm, like a sleep-wake cycle, and they pattern it just like we do.”

The good news is that fetal movement in the evening is a positive sign that your baby is doing well. Monitoring your baby’s movements is a helpful way to prevent stillbirth or determine if something is wrong with your baby. The American Pregnancy Association recommends that you start monitoring your baby’s movements at 28 weeks (or early in the third trimester).

The goal is to pick a time of day when you know your fetus is most active (often at night) and count up to 10 movements over a 2-hour period. “There’s no right or wrong time to feel movements, and every pregnant woman will learn what to expect along the way with advice from her doctors,” Desai said. “Kick counters are a tool pregnant women can use at home to make sure their baby’s movements are less than they expect,” she added.

All that fetal movement can sometimes be uncomfortable. I can attest to this, having been given multiple chest pricks and double kicks by my baby. On the other hand, for some people, movement isn’t as much of a problem before bed as the extra pressure on their bladder. This can lead to more frequent trips to the bathroom at night, which can also disrupt sleep in its own way. If this is your situation (and unless you’re dehydrated), try cutting back on fluids for 2 to 3 hours before bed.

What you can do to improve your sleep

If fetal movement and other changes during pregnancy are affecting your ability to sleep, there are a few things you can do to improve it. “One of the things we encourage pregnant women who are struggling with an active fetus at night is to try to lie down for about an hour before going to bed or initiating a sleep routine,” Crowe said.

The reason is that you can bond with your baby during this time, and hopefully the extra interaction will tire them out before you go to bed. “This gives parents-to-be a chance to enjoy interacting with fetal movement and have more flexibility in relieving discomfort as opposed to when they’re trying to sleep,” Crowe added.

Dr. Nisarg Patel, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Clinic Spots, advises creating a calming bedtime routine. “You can try drinking warm tea and doing some light stretching before bed to relax your body and reduce the risk of extra movement in the uterus,” he says. But most importantly, Patel recommends avoiding using electronic devices or eating a heavy meal before bed, as these can easily disrupt sleep, whether you’re pregnant or not.

Desai suggests avoiding strenuous activity before bed, not going to bed with a stomach full of sugary snacks or stimulants like caffeine. As a last resort, you might consider taking a sleep aid. “Sleep aids for insomnia, such as melatonin or doxylamine, such as Unisom, can be helpful, but they should only be used after consulting a doctor,” Desai warns.

In addition, you should avoid sleeping on your back for extended periods of time, starting in the second or third trimester. Instead, during this time, as your pregnancy progresses, you should start sleeping on your left or right side. “Pregnant people should not sleep flat on their backs without support, as this can impede circulation,” Crowe said. “To optimize circulation and ease discomfort, it is recommended to use pillows to prop up or support sleeping in more lateral positions and to ensure comfort.”

You can also sleep with a pregnancy pillow to provide adequate support if you are not used to sleeping on your side. There are many options on the market designed to support your back, stomach, hips, and knees.

To go

Fetal movement at night can be exciting at first, but if there’s too much of it, it can disrupt sleep. Fortunately, all of this is temporary and can be managed by making small changes. Whether it’s creating a calming bedtime routine, bonding with your baby, or making sure you have plenty of pillows for support, there are plenty of tricks you can try. And remember, detecting fetal movement is a good thing in the grand scheme of things and means your baby is developing in the womb.