To be honest, pregnancy is far from the wonderful journey your mom or aunt told you it would be. It is a full nine-month journey into hurting hips, back, and tiredness. More so, it is difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position in the day and at night. Sometimes you will toss and turn and not be able to sleep at night. You will shove pillows behind you and under your knees to make you comfortable to sleep, but all to no avail. I get you. It is all for the joy of beholding your little one and it is worth it.
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It is important for pregnant women to sleep. It is good for you and the growing baby inside you. However, the changes in your body may make it difficult for you to sleep. In fact, most women report fatigue, which can worsen sleep while pregnant, especially in the first and third trimesters. The National sleep foundation survey reported that 78% of women have more trouble sleeping when pregnant, while 15% experiencing restless leg syndrome during the third trimester. Actually, each trimester comes with its own sleep challenges.
For instance, in the first trimester of pregnancy, regular waking up due to the need to go to the bathroom and daytime sleepiness affects sleep in the night. In the second trimester, the baby is growing and emotional stress associated with pregnancy makes it difficult to still sleep better. In the third trimester of pregnancy, the discomfort of the growing bump, heartburn, leg cramps, regular bathroom visits all increase the sleep challenge.
But not to worry, this article will show you tips to sleep better while you are pregnant. Sit back, relax and read.
15 Tips to sleep better while you are pregnant
1. Relax as much as possible
One of the tips to sleep better while you are pregnant is to relax as much as possible when you are ready to sleep. This means doing away with all kinds of screens, such as TV screens, tablet screens, and your phone. Relaxing will help you quiet down your mind and calm your body. One of the best relaxation techniques you can use includes deep breathing or the 4-7-8 breathing method created by Dr. Andrew Weil. He advises people to breathe in 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds and breathe out 8 seconds, then repeat the process 4 times. It will give you a profound sense of inner relaxation. Other relaxation techniques include Yoga, Meditation, humming, etc.
2. Take a glass of warm milk
Milk contains a sleep rich ingredient known as tryptophan. It is an amino acid that can help your body produce serotonin, a brain chemical that induces deeper and more restful sleep through melatonin. Milk also contains Calcium that helps to maintain sleep. This is why taking a glass cup of warm milk before you sleep will help you to sleep longer and better.
3. Use a Full body pregnancy pillow
Most times, in order to get comfortable enough to sleep, you put pillows all around you, to help support your back, hips, knees, neck, and head, but all to no avail. The pregnancy pillow is designed to give you all-round comfort. It helps you to sleep comfortably, relieves back pain and reduces night interruptions. Want to check out the best one for you? Check out the PharMeDoc Pregnancy pillow here.
4. Avoid taking naps in the day time
Napping in the daytime, especially in the first trimester can reduce your sleeping time at night. It is like taking a small amount of food before you eat the real meal, it can reduce your appetite for the main meal. As much as possible, avoid taking naps in the daytime to enable you to sleep more at night.
5. Avoid taking liquids after 4.00 pm
One reason you don’t sleep well at night is because of the frequent bathroom visits. To prevent this, take enough liquid during the day to help you stay hydrated. Don’t take lots of liquids in the evening. The consequence is less sleep.
6. Use pregnancy pillow wedge
Pregnancy pillow wedge helps to relieve swelling in your hands, legs and feet and back tension related to stress. Putting the pillow wedge under your belly, behind your back or between your knees makes you comfortable, and you feel relaxed enough to drift to sleep easily and waking up in the morning feeling refreshed. Check it out here.
7. Remove distracting appliances away from the bedroom
Most of us keep the TV, computer, cell phone, tablet, etc in the bedroom. The bedroom is not for watching the television or operating your computer or cell phone; it is for sleep and sex. Keep it that way and you will be on your way to having the best sleep ever.
8. Create a relaxing sleep schedule
Have events that lead to your sleeping time. This can be taking a shower to help your body relax as you prepare to sleep. After the shower at night, you can massage your skin with a moisturizing balm to help you relax while you sleep.
9. Eat light before bed
When you eat too much food at night, it will interfere with your sleep. Too much food increases your body temperature and moves your stomach to start the digestion process when all it wants to do is slow down. On the other hand, when you eat too little, you will have hunger pangs that will wake you up at night. To create a balance, eat moderately before you go to bed.
10. Use a sound machine
A sound machine can help lull you to sleep with its gentle sound. It will help to block outside noise to give you a comfortable and peaceful environment to sleep for long. You can use it for the baby nursery when you deliver your baby. Check out the Douni sleep sound machine. It has 24 soothing sounds to help you sleep and relax.
11. Go to bed when you are drowsy
The truth is, pregnancy changes your sleep patterns. If you are feeling sleepy earlier in the night than usual, it is time to go to sleep. Pay attention to your body while you are pregnant and follow its cues, especially when you are pregnant. Don’t worry about going to bed too early if that’s how you feel. This will help you ensure that you sleep well at night.
12. Get a breathable Pajamas sleepwear set
Do you feel itchy and uncomfortable in your normal nightwear? You need a maternity pajama that is soft and gentle on your skin. The Kindred bravely davy ultra-soft maternity and nursing Pajamas is exceptional, It is useful both for pregnancy and for nursing babies. It comes in an elastic waistband that makes it easy to transit from pregnancy to motherhood.
13. Avoid drinking caffeine after launch
Caffeine contains stimulants that can affect your sleep patterns negatively. It will keep you awake way beyond your normal bedtime. When you sleep, you will still wake up continuously at night. It can also keep the baby in your womb awake for a long time. If you want to enjoy your sleep at night, remove caffeine from your diet. If you must take caffeine at all, take it in the morning hours.
14. Use a sleep mask to shut out the light
The body is affected by daylight and dark environments. This is especially true if you live in a metropolis and your window gets lots of light both in the day and at night, which has made it difficult for you to sleep. The truth is that light disturbs sleep. But there is something you can do about it. Get a sleep mask to help shut out the light so you can sleep better.
15. Take a walk during the day to activate melatonin secretion
Melatonin secretion signals your body to sleep. You can activate it by getting enough sun during the day. Actually, you don’t need much, you only need about 20-30 minutes per day. If you take a walk or a run, you will get enough sun rays to work in your favor. If you don’t want to take a walk, sit by the window for some time.
Tips to sleep better while you are pregnant
Pregnancy may be a challenging period, but it is worth it when you hold your baby in your arms and you see that beautiful smile in their face. Above are tips to sleep better while you are pregnant. Try them out and ensure you have a good night sleep daily.
