Sleep tips for pregnant women
16-12-2013
Being pregnant is an exciting time, you have a new life growing inside you and your whole world is about to change. With the excitement and joy comes a number of new problems and issues. Take sleep, when you are pregnant you are likely to have trouble sleeping. There are a number of reasons of this, from trouble getting comfortable as your belly grows to having to get up more as your bladder shrinks.
While it is harder to sleep when you are pregnant, it is also more important than ever for you to be well rested, you body is busy doing one of the most incredible feats of nature: building another person. It is vital that pregnant women sleep well. Here are some tips that might help.
1. Naps really do help. The power nap is not common in the Western world but it is incredibly beneficial. If you are not getting enough sleep at night then you can make up for it with a 20-30 minute nap.
2. Drink plenty of fluids during the day, and cut down your consumption during the evening. Unfortunately your bladder will have increasing pressure on it as your pregnancy moves along and with the increase in pressure you will need to go to the bathroom more. Monitor your fluid intake and aim to drink more during the day and less at night.
3. Watch what you eat. The types of food you eat will impact your sleep while you are pregnant so avoid spicy and heavy meals at night as they can keep you awake. Because your body is more sensitive you need to be careful about what you are eating as it will have more impact.
4. Exercise during the day. The more you exercise the better you will sleep at night so make sure that you do light exercise every day and this will help you to overcome the sleeping troubles.
5. Drink herbal teas. Talk to your doctor about which ones are right for you, but there are a number of herbal teas that have relaxing and soporific qualities that you can drink at night to help you fall asleep.
6. You can get special pregnancy pillows that make you more comfortable in different positions so do some research and find out which ones suit your sleeping positions.
7. Once you are in your the third trimester, try to sleep on your left side as this allows for the best blood flow to the foetus and to your uterus and kidneys. Avoid lying on your back for a long period of time.
8. Try different relaxation methods, things like mediation and muscle clenching. These are really good at distracting you so that you can drop off.
9. Make sure you have a good bed, too many expectant mothers sleep on uncomfortable or unsupportive mattresses during their pregnancy. The quality of your bed and mattress will have a huge impact on the quality of your sleep and considering the importance of sleep you may want to get a new bed.
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