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Kim West and Zulay Henao, an actress and soon-to-be mom, chat about the importance of moms’ sleep. Sleep is important for everyone, especially when you’re pregnant, so we can’t wait to dig in.

Kim West, “The Sleep Lady”, has been a family therapist for 27 years and has been sleep coaching families for 25 of those years. She’s also a mom of two!

What’s up with sleep in pregnancy?

Zulay has slept like a baby her entire life. Up until pregnancy, she’s never had issues sleeping. Sleep is greatly affected when we are pregnant. Zulay has found extreme relief with her bbhugme Pregnancy Pillow. They have an amazing line of products, and we love their pregnancy pillow. It supports your lower back, your pelvis, your knees, your ankles. It is a life-changing pregnancy pillow that is super comfy.

Zulay is 25 weeks pregnant and has noticed a lot of different patterns with her sleep during pregnancy. The first three months, she lost a lot of sleep because she was sick all the time. Then sleep deprivation kicked in for three months. Cut to now, the morning sickness, all that stuff is gone, and but she struggles to get comfortable – although that’s changed in the last two weeks because of her bbhugme pillow.

Zulay and her partner actually battle over the pillow because they love it so much. Zulay says “Everybody should have this pillow.” She thinks bbhugme should actually make one that looks the same and just market it a different way for the everyday person. To sleep, she positions it in a way that supports her belly and is in between her knees, which is really important for her lower back.

Women commonly get reflux, particularly farther along in the pregnancy, leg cramps, and of course, having to get up to go to the bathroom. The hormone changes also cause a little nervousness, anxiety, and excitement all at the same time. Some women also find that the later in the day that they eat, the harder it is to fall into a nice deep sleep. It’s really better to have a few hours for digestion, especially when pregnant because reflux is more common.

What are some things you can do to help you sleep better?

There’s some mixed advice about taking a warm bath, but if you can, of course a warm bath or a warm shower is really helpful for sleep. There’s been a lot of interesting studies on lavender aromatherapy, and in particular lavender. Using a diffuser or a pillow spray, or even putting some on a Kleenex on your nightstand if you don’t like it too close to you.

They say 79% of pregnant women have disturbed sleep during their pregnancy. This is the time mamas should be resting up to get ready for baby. If struggling with insomnia, be careful about taking a nap during the day, and opt for a set bedtime and wake-up routine. Maybe it’s making a nice cup of tea and sitting down to read a book, or just relaxing and doing some progressive muscle relaxation exercises.

Short, meditation exercises, 10-15 minutes in length, can help mom stay focused and get a little rejuvenation. Exercise is another important factor for sleep. Even stretching or simply walking can be great, especially if you’re struggling with leg cramps. Vitamin D and Omega-3 have also been found to help moms find some better sleep.

And, of course, we love the bbhugme pillow for mom sleep. A quote from Zulay herself:

bhugme, you guys rock. Just know that you’re making my nights yummier and cozier, and I love this pillow so much.

-ZUlay Henao

Moms, we truly hope you can use these tips to find some rest while growing and awaiting the arrival of your little one. Mom’s sleep is so important, especially when pregnant.

Thank you to bbhugme for making this IG Live and sponsored blog post possible.