Mom’s Genius Hack for Tackling Morning Sickness and Crippling Fatigue

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As a mom blogger, I often get emails from women desperate for tips to help them through common pregnancy symptoms. Pregnancy- particularly in the early months- can be hard on a mom-to-be due to issues like intense waves of nausea and extreme fatigue.

Why Am I so Tired and Sick?

Morning sickness is very common during the first trimester of pregnancy. In fact, more than half of all pregnant women experience some degree of nausea and vomiting. The exact cause of morning sickness is still unknown, but it may be related to hormonal changes as your body adjusts to the growth and development of your baby.

Ultimately, all the changes a pregnant woman’s body goes through to grow a baby from a single cell to a 7-pound baby (on average) are pretty amazing. No wonder mom is tired; her body is working overtime!

Related read: The Ultimate Guide to Morning Sickness

Am I Pregnant? Or Dying?

I remember feeling like I had been run over by a bus during my first pregnancy, especially in the first trimester. At my peak of fatigue and nausea, somewhere between weeks 8 and 10, I even recall a time I was so tired that I laid down on the kitchen floor and stayed there for a good 15 minutes while I took a quick catnap. I was so tired that I apparently couldn’t even make it to my bed 25 feet away.

One Genius Hack Anyone Can Do

As mentioned, I do get the occasional email from an exhausted mom desperate for a secret hack to help them survive their first trimester and stop struggling so hard.

From my own experiences and in talking with other expecting moms, one piece of advice helps the most. And, thankfully, it doesn’t require buying any special foods or going to the doctor’s office.

And the Winner is…

There is a little-known secret that helps all moms; it is simple yet life-changing. Pssst, it’s SLEEP!

I know it can feel too simple. And maybe you’re ready to move on to some other pregnancy advice. However, I challenge you to pause for a moment and analyze your current habits around sleep.

• Are you actually getting enough sleep?
• Are you making an effort to go to bed earlier or get in a nap daily?
• What time-wasting activities are you participating in that could be spent sleeping? (I’m looking at you, Netflix, and TikTok.)

Many of us are guilty of complaining about being tired but not taking any steps actually to alleviate it. So, I’m here to call you out and help you take one small step toward feeling better by getting more daily sleep.

• What small step can you take today to start getting an extra 30 minutes of sleep? Then, try to build from there.

To Be Honest

Many pregnant women, including myself, feel like they could sleep all day and night if they were allowed. Maybe that isn’t plausible, but most of us can get in a little extra shut-eye on a daily basis.

If this isn’t your first pregnancy and you have other kids around or work full time, you might struggle to find extra time to sleep. But I have confidence you can do it with some schedule adjustments and asking for help from your family.

If you find ways to make it work, your body will surely thank you.

Related read: 15 Foods That Help Fight Pregnancy Nausea

How I Got More Sleep in My First Trimester (and Beyond)

During my first pregnancy, I worked 10-hour days in a job requiring me to be on my feet all day. So, when I got home late I made it a point to give myself 2 hours to unwind and then promptly went to bed. As someone that notoriously functioned off of 6 hours of sleep, suddenly getting 10 or more hours of sleep per night felt extreme, but I recognized that it was what my body needed- and it helped immensely!

A few years later, I was now a hybrid stay-at-home and work-from-home mom in my second pregnancy. So when the pregnancy fatigue hit, I started joining my 2-year-old for a nap instead of working through it as I had in the past.

What Would an Extra Hour of Sleep Do for You?

When you factor in that pregnant women typically require more sleep on average than non-pregnant people, it’s easy to see why the need for extra sleep can’t be ignored.

If you’re struggling with fatigue and nausea during your first trimester, my top advice is to add an extra hour of sleep per day (or naps during the day). Most of us can make this happen with a few simple but strategic changes. You’ve got this, mama!