How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep When You’re Pregnant

During pregnancy a lot of changes take place in the mother’s body rapidly. Though exercising and having a balanced diet is important, having a good enough sleep also adds to the vital To-Do Pregnancy list. Having a good night sleep while pregnant is important for you as well as your baby. Especially during the last three months of pregnancy, you don’t sleep as deeply as you want to and may end up waking up quite frequently during the night. One of the many advises that you will receive then is ‘getting a good rest before the baby comes’.

Well, it’s easier said than done. There are a number of factors like excess hormone, constant urge to pee and pregnancy jitters that can make you twist and turn in your sleep throughout the night. But did you know that it is quite easy to get a good night’s sleep even when you are pregnant? A slight change in the daily routine can work wonders and you will have a sound sleep.

It is vital to get a good enough sleep even when pregnant. It is also essential to make your sleeps as comfortable as possible.

1. Have lots of liquids

Your baby will need loads of water for the blood supply and amniotic fluid. So it is imperative that you stay hydrated during pregnancy. But as he grows he will continue to push against your bladder which means that you need to get up in the middle of the night to pee. So your aim should be to have most of the non-caffeinated liquids during morning and afternoon. This will reduce your bathroom runs. But you must have water as soon as you feel dehydrated.

2. Carefully time your naps

Pregnancy can make you feel really tired during the day due to hormonal and other physical changes. This usually happens in the first and third trimesters. Medical experts have opined that taking occasional naps is a good thing but each nap should not last more than 40 min. But do not sleep for long otherwise you will find it impossible to sleep at night. If you are feeling sleepy after 4 pm then it is better to skip the nap and hit the bed early instead.

3. Switch off technology

The modern tech tools can create havoc in your sleep routine. Just log off your computer and switch off your TV and cellphone at least an hour before you sleep. Researches have proved that brain can misread the artificial light as daylight and hence may not release the sleep-inducing chemicals. Both TV and computers are mentally stressing and can disturb your sleep.

4. Take a bath

There are many pre-bed rituals that can help your mind and body to get relaxed. The best you can do is to take a warm bath or shower just before you go off to sleep. When you are in water, your body temperature will drop mimicking the same thing that happens when you are asleep. the other options would be stretching and deep breath exercises.

5. Stay away from caffeine

A cup of drip coffee or 3 cups of tea are safe during pregnancy but you must try to avoid the caffeine altogether. This is because caffeine stays in your system much longer. So try to have your fix of coffee before 1 pm so that you have an undisturbed sleep at night.

6. Have a proper pre-bed snack

It is recommended that you avoid a heavy evening meal and instead opt for a light dinner which will not lead to sleep interruption. The right foods and snack can actually help you to sleep better. Choose something that has around 200 calories and contains proteins and carbohydrates like cottage cheese, fruits and whole grain crackers.

7. Correct temperature

Around 3 to 4 hours of falling asleep, your body temperature falls to the lowest level; It helps in achieving a deep sleep phenomenon. Therefore, it is advisable to keep your room cool while preparing for sleeping, as during pregnancy, the body heat of the woman increases. 18 to 20 degrees Celsius should be the temperature of the room ideally.

8. Make bed for sleeping only

Get rid of any work related activity to be done in bed like responding to your emails, working on your laptop or doing any office related, stress causing activity. Seclude the bedding area for the purpose of sleeping only. When you do so, you train your mind to think that bed is the place for you to relax and hence once you settle down there, it will induce sleep automatically.

9. Provide yourself with a comfortable bedding

Select the right mattress and make your bed as comfortable as possible. Free your bed of any cluttering; Clearing clutter helps provide peace to the mind and hence aids in a better and restful sleep. Buy a lot of pillows of all sizes and arrange them for extra support, according to your needs. You can place the pillows under your head, arms, snug it between your knees or stuff it between the baby belly and the bed, whichever way makes you feel restful.

10. Avoid passive smoking

Smoking during pregnancy can obviously have dire some consequences; A study conducted with more than 35,000 pregnant women at Nihon University in Tokyo, found that the women who were exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke had trouble falling asleep and staying asleep more than those women who did not face the same. So next time anyone smokes with you in the same room or near you, just ask him to put the cigarette out.

11. Exercise your way to better sleep

A daily workout of 30 minutes can strengthen your body and aid you in the time of labour and delivery. Brisk walking, swimming and low-impact aerobics can all help achieve a healthy body with enough use of energy to induce sleep. If you were never an active exerciser begin small, with a 5 minute workout climaxing your way to 30 minutes but not more than that. However avoid doing exercises while lying on your back during the first trimester.

As the time period of pregnancy progresses, women has less deep-sleeps, which are less fulfilling and hence it is advisable for expecting mothers, to spend a their major time, resting in bed.Following the above mentioned points can help you achieve a sound undisturbed sleep during your pregnancy.