7 Important Sleeping Tips During Pregnancy

Getting a good night’s sleep is something that gets progressively more difficult as you go through your pregnancy. With the baby kicking and the constant need to nip to the toilet, it seems like a good night’s sleep is something you won’t see until the baby has arrived. But here are some sleeping tips during pregnancy.

Cut back on evening drinks

One of the things that most pregnant women note is that they spend a lot of time going to the toilet and this breaks up sleep. While there’s no way to guarantee this doesn’t happen, there are a couple of tips to help. First, make sure you avoid drinking within three hours of bedtime as this is what causes the need to go to the toilet. Second, if you do get up, use a nightlight or other dim light as a full bright light stimulates melatonin and wakes you up.

Protect vulnerable joints

Joints such as the hips are most vulnerable when you are pregnant and even things like the sciatic nerve can cause problems. There are a few ways to handle this – if you have luxury beds, then these often have toppers to help ease pain points but if you don’t, then pillows can help. You can even use a full body pillow to support your whole body.

Use pillows to stop stuffiness

Pregnant women often experience nasal swelling that makes it feel like you constantly have a cold. Plus the baby can press against the lungs in the last trimester, adding to the problem. To help avoid this, use more pillows or put a wedge under the mattress to lift your head up. In the worst case, try sleeping in a recliner for periods where you can lift up your feet, but your head is much higher than your body.

You can also try having a humidifier in the room in case the problem isn’t just the baby but also allergies.

Nighttime heartburn

A common cause of waking when pregnant is heartburn. This is because the baby pushes against the stomach and upsets the digestive system. Rather than eating three big meals, it is best to have six smaller meals spaced during the day. Keep away from greasy foods and avoid anything too strong flavoured, especially later in the day.

Create a new bedtime routine

Creating a new routine when you are pregnant helps your body understand it is time for sleep. You can try different things to see what works but a few ideas include:

Read a chapter of a book (nothing too stimulating or exciting)
Have a warm shower
Drink a cup of warm milk with a little honey
Have a small snack of things like peanuts that contain sleep-promoting compounds

Have a daytime nap

When you don’t get enough sleep, it makes everything a lot harder. So reducing the pressure on yourself to sleep all night can help. Try having a short daytime nap, around 20-30 minutes where you can to make up that sleep quota and recharge the batteries. Don’t sleep for too long, though as this can make you feel more tired, not less.

Keep yourself cool

Even in winter, your body tends to run warm when you are pregnant and being too hot makes it hard to sleep. Turn down the radiator or heating in the bedroom to keep it at a lower temperature than normal, even if it is winter. Then have an extra blanket or two around that you can use if you find you are getting too chilly.

Hopefully, these sleeping tips during pregnancy will help you enjoy your time. Let us know if you have any others in the comments.