The importance of getting adequate sleep during pregnancy cannot be overemphasized. However, getting good sleep can be challenging for many pregnant women as a result of discomfort, cramps, and hormonal factors among others.
Although a good night’s sleep may not come easily for many pregnant women, it is possible to have one and even many!
Pregnant women just have to pay attention to a couple of things to ensure that sleeping does not become a hard task. Knowledge is what differentiates a pregnant woman who enjoys good sleep and the one who encounters problems sleeping. So, if you are planning to get pregnant or become a surrogate mother, there are a couple of things to look out for if you want to sleep with ease.
This article was written to have pregnant women equipped with the right knowledge, so if you are a pregnant woman reading, get in here for your sleeping needs.
5 Best Tips to Ensure You Sleep Soundly During Pregnancy
Avoid eating two hours or less before your bedtime
Pregnancy is complicated enough, so you don’t want to have your diet make it any worse. Eating right is important at every stage of one’s life, but during pregnancy, it becomes even more important. Eating several hours before bedtime is an important component of eating right. If you eat about two hours to your bedtime prior to your bedtime, you are more likely to have heartburn.
Heartburns make sleeping even harder.
Exercise frequently
While rest is good, excessive rest (without activity) can be harmful as well. Try to move around at least once or twice a day. You can take an easy walk around the house in the morning, at night or both. Exercising has different advantages including the relief of stress, relaxation of the body, and general wellness of the baby and mother.
Good pillows & cushions will help a lot
During pregnancy, you would need to experiment to find ways that you can rest comfortably. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Cushions and pillows make it easier to rest in certain positions, so ensure you have the most comfortable of those you can get. You can try putting a pillow in between your legs and have one other long pillow supporting your back. You can also invest in cushions and pillows that specifically take care of the comfort needs of pregnant women. Great mattresses complement good pillows. If you are looking to get a great mattress, you can start off by reading ghostbed vs purple mattress comparison by Sleep Delivered.
Have a consistent bedtime and avoid screens close to that time
Once you condition yourself to go to bed at a certain time every night, your body gets accustomed to sleeping at that time. You can incorporate this into your sleep life during pregnancy. If you plan to get a certain number of hours of sleep, then consistently try to fall asleep at that particular time every night. This way, your body gets accustomed to sleeping at that time. It is a practice that would help you even after the period of pregnancy.
Consistently falling asleep at a certain time can be really hard with exposure to screens (as those of TVs, laptops or mobile devices). Exposure to a screen close to your bedtime hinders the production of melatonin hormone, which is known to aid sleep. For this reason, avoid screens for at least one hour before your bedtime.
Avoid caffeine and spicy foods
A cup of coffee in the morning might have been a routine for you in the past, but this has to change during pregnancy as it is a routine that can affect your sleep. Caffeine as well as spicy foods increase your risk of having heartburn and acid reflux. So, no matter how much you love foods or beverages that fall under this category, during pregnancy, it is best you avoid them. Rather, choose water, herbal tea, or any other healthy substitute.
Conclusion
The period of pregnancy can be really challenging, but with adequate sleep (which can be obtained by following the tips in this article), pregnant women can pull through.
