Tips for Effective Sleep during Pregnancy

For pregnant women, sleep disturbance is a common occurrence. It can be occasioned by the normal stress and anxiety that comes with being pregnant, hormonal fluctuations and also the physical changes in the body may cause discomfort during sleep time before one fully adapts. As the months go by, sometimes finding the right position for sleep may also become a challenge, or you may find yourself making several trips to the toilet to empty your bladder.

If you are pregnant, and you have already started experiencing sleep problems, don’t worry yourself to death because it is normal and with time, you will adapt and you will be enjoying your sleep every night. In the meantime, here is a look at some top tips to help you sleep effectively during pregnancy-:

Reduce the number of hours you sleep during the day

With pregnancy, you may think that fatigue and tiredness have made a permanent home in your body and so the temptation to sleep with every opportunity you get may be very strong. Though we are not suggesting that you shouldn’t sleep during the day, we are recommending that you should limit the number of hours you spend sleeping during the day. Ideally, naps for between 30 and 60 minutes are ideal, since if you sleep for long hours during the day, you may interfere with your sleep cycle and you may find sleeping at night more difficult.

Drink a lot of fluids during the day

It is recommended that you take a lot of fluids during the day so that you don’t drink much from evening towards bedtime. Fluids are important when you are pregnant, but when you take a lot of them late in the evening or just before going to bed, you may find that you will have to make several trips to the toilet, and this will without a doubt have an effect on the quality of your sleep. Besides, the growing baby inside your tummy will exert pressure on your bladder, and with the slightest trigger, you will always want to visit the small room.

Have a comfortable bed

Of course, with the changes in your body, you want to be sleeping in a very comfortable bed. Invest in a quality mattress like those sold at Tuft and Needle Mattress, and also pick a few comfortable pillows because you will need more than one to keep your entire body comfortable. Again, you may consider investing in special body pillows that will conform to the shape of your growing tummy and ensure that you get all the support and the comfort you need.

Don’t get stressed or anxious

If you are stressed or anxious during pregnancy, it will be very difficult to fall asleep at night and to remain asleep. If you find that you are beginning to worry a lot, just remember that worrying is a solution to nothing and find a way of solving your worry. You can talk to someone or even seek professional help if you think things are getting out of your hand. Remember, worrying is not good for you in that condition, and is also not good for your unborn baby.

Watch what you eat

Even without pregnancy, it is imperative to watch what you eat if you want to enjoy good sleep at night. And now with pregnancy, watching what you eat is even more important because, now, there are two lives involved. Things like caffeine and alcohol should be avoided completely because they will stop you from sleeping well at night.

If you are suffering from nausea, eat healthy snacks frequently during the day. Ideally, you should always have a full stomach to reduce the chances of getting affected by nausea. For your pregnancy, you should stick to well-balanced diets, with meals taken at least two hours before going to bed. As usual, going to be immediately after eating will do nothing, but make it difficult for you to fall asleep.

Exercise on a regular basis

Exercise is vital for a healthy pregnancy, but it is also necessary when want to sleep well at night during this period. There are a number of exercises you can do while pregnant, but it is recommended that before you engage in any, you should consider talking with your doctor so that they can advise further on the suitability of the various exercises relative to the pregnancy stage. For starters, you can think about light cardio workouts as well as simple yoga. But as you do all these, don’t work out later in the evening since this will have an impact on your sleep and you may not be able to sleep better at night.

Learn to relax before going to bed

When you are pregnant, you should continue sticking to your bedtime rituals and if you never had any, you should create a routine which should feature a lot of relaxation before going to bed. You should create an elaborate wind-down program so that you prepare your body for the rest that is about to come. Things like television, mobile phones or laptops should not be touched at least one hour before you go to bed. If possible, you should take a warm bath and practice relaxation techniques to completely sooth the mind, body, and soul so that by the time you get to bed, you will be ready to fall asleep and sleep like a baby.

Sleep on your left side

It is also important to know how to sleep correctly when you are pregnant. In as much as there is a myriad of positions suggested or recommended by experts, a good number of them will usually involve sleeping on your left side. This is the right position to help alleviate pressure being exerted by the growing baby and to allow for better flow of blood to the abdomen region and to the baby. It is important that you learn how to sleep on the left side early on during the pregnancy so that you get comfortable with it as the pregnancy progresses and the belly increases in size.