Expectant parents know that it'll be harder to get a good
night's sleep after their little one arrives, but who would have
guessed that catching enough ZZZs during pregnancy could be so
difficult? Actually, you may sleep more than usual during the
first trimester of your pregnancy. It's normal to feel tired as
your body works to protect and nurture the developing baby. The
placenta (the organ that nourishes the fetus until birth) is
just forming, your body is making more blood, and your heart is
pumping faster. It's usually later in pregnancy that most women
have trouble getting enough deep, uninterrupted sleep. Why
Sleeping Can Be Difficult The first and most pressing reason
behind sleep problems during pregnancy is the increasing size of
the fetus, which can make it hard to find a comfortable sleeping
position. If you've always been a back or stomach sleeper, you
might have trouble getting used to sleeping on your side (as
doctors recommend). Also, shifting around in bed becomes more
difficult as the pregna