Our Blog: Upward Alabama

Why Sleep During Pregnancy Matters More Than You Think (And What You Can Actually Do About It)

By Courtney Worley, Ph.D., ABPP, DBSM, M.P.H.

Sleep

Insomnia Treatment CBT-I Pregnancy Perinatal Health Postpartum Health

Posted: May 12, 2026

You are growing a human. You are exhausted. And yet — somehow — you cannot sleep. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Sleep disturbances affect 75% of pregnant people, peaking in the third trimester. Despite being incredibly common, poor sleep during pregnancy is often brushed off as “just part of it.” But the science tells a different story: sleep health during pregnancy is a serious maternal health issue — one that is treatable, and worth taking seriously.

Sleep Apnea Awareness Week 2026: When Sleep Apnea Doesn’t Come Alone

By Courtney Worley, Ph.D., ABPP, DBSM, M.P.H.

Sleep

Insomnia Nightmare Treatment Behavioral Sleep Medicine CPAP Support

Posted: April 18, 2026

For a significant number of people living with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), the condition does not arrive in isolation. It arrives with insomnia. It arrives with nightmares. It arrives as a constellation of sleep disturbances that interlock, amplify one another, and demand a treatment approach that is just as layered as the problem itself.

Sleep Across Time and Place

By Misti Norton, Ph.D., DBSM

Sleep

Insomnia

Posted: October 16, 2025

Many people put extensive pressure on themselves to sleep a certain way, at a certain time, with or without certain people. But when we look at world history, our own personal history, and cultures across the world today, we see that there are very few firm “shoulds,” and we can rework patterns and habits that are not serving us.

Up Close with Upward: Running on Empty

By Courtney Worley, Ph.D., ABPP, DBSM, M.P.H.

Advice

Sleep Insomnia

Posted: October 16, 2025

Dear Upward, My days are crammed with work, kids, and responsibilities. By the time I fall into bed it's late, and I'm up again before sunrise. On rare weekends when I could sleep in, my body refuses. I see two options: (1) wake up naturally and hope to drift back to sleep a few times, or (2) knock myself out with sleep meds or herbal remedies. Which path actually helps my body recover? What's worse for my health: too little sleep or too much medication? —Running on Empty