Pregnancy Sleep Tips

Pregnancy Sleep Tips

july 25 featured image.Want to sleep like a baby when you’re expecting one? This article has some tips for you. You may already know about the lack of sleep you will get once your bundle of joy has arrived, but you may not have realized that you could have trouble sleeping beforehand.

 

During pregnancy, depending on your trimester, things like scary dreams, morning sickness, heartburn, and restless legs can all cause pregnancy insomnia. Not to mention, your growing belly is making it difficult to get into a comfortable position. And, just the anticipation and excitement of a new baby being on the way can take a toll on your sleep.

There are things you can do that can help you get the sleep you need when you’re facing this new sleep challenge.

Why Sleeping When Pregnant Can Be Difficult

If you’ve been pregnant before, you already know the low-energy you will likely experience during this pregnancy. Overwhelming fatigue and lethargy are common during pregnancy because you’re experiencing an increasing rise in progesterone — a hormone necessary to maintain pregnancy.

Your body is also going through metabolic changes. You’re taking in a lot more calories to feed the gestation process and your growing fetus is taking all of your energy.

In addition, you might find that you have heartburn, particularly when laying down, as your uterus grows and pushes on your diagram.

Products That Can Help

There are some products you can use to help get more sleep when you’re suffering from pregnancy insomnia.

pregnant woman with body pillowPregnancy Sleep Pillow – A pregnancy sleep pillow is a large sized pillow that’s U-shaped, bean-shaped or wedge-shaped. These pillows tend to be a lot more comfortable for pregnant women, particularly while they are trying to get some sleep at night. They can help give you belly and back support.

If heartburn is keeping you up at night, try using a wedge pillow to slightly elevate your upper body to help prevent acid from creeping into your esophagus.

Herbal Tea – If you’re still finding it hard to snooze, you can try a cup of herbal tea (chamomile, oat straw or catnip) an hour or so before going to bed. Most health-food stores sell these types of teas.

Positions that Can Help

Sometimes all it takes is switching positions. If you wake during the night sleeping on your back, change your position. Try pregnancy side sleeping, which usually helps make you more comfortable. Lying on your side, stuff a pillow between your legs and knees. Placing your belly on a pillow can help, too. This will help to align your spine and legs and ease the pressure on your sciatic nerve. You can also use a body pillow.

But if that doesn’t work for some reason, try sleeping in a recliner with lying back slightly with your hands and arms elevated on pillows and your feet up.

How Much Sleep Do Pregnant Women Need?

Adult women usually need around 7 to 9 hours of sleep. But when you’re pregnant, according to the National Institute of Health, you require a few more hours of sleep each night. You may also require a few brief naps during the day.

Although all these steps may not totally alleviate your pregnancy symptoms, they can help to make you more comfortable, so you can sneak in a few more hours of sleep while you are expecting.

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