There are many reasons that make pregnant women have trouble sleeping. Most pregnant women know that their sleep time will decrease after the baby is born, but they don't expect to face the sleep difficulties that can develop during pregnancy itself. Many factors can affect the quality of sleep when you are pregnant, such as waking up repeatedly because you need to urinate, feelings of anxiety about the current pregnancy and the upcoming delivery, fear of labor itself, and stomach problems such as heartburn. due to increased stomach acid). However, there are some things you can do to help you get good quality sleep, depending of course on what's causing you to be unable to sleep.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Changing Your Diet
Step 1. Watch your food
When you are pregnant, you must pay close attention to the food that enters your body, especially the food you eat just before going to bed. It's not a good idea to eat spicy, fatty foods at night. These foods can increase the risk of insomnia due to heartburn problems.
In general, it's best to avoid eating a meal an hour or two before your bedtime schedule. This also applies to drinking, which can cause you to need to urinate multiple times at night
Step 2. Eat smaller portions
To reduce problems with food, such as indigestion and constipation, try breaking up your meals into smaller portions. Instead of eating three large meals, divide them into five or six smaller meals. This is clearly in line with the portion of dinner that should be less.
If you are hungry at night, eat a snack that contains protein and good carbohydrates. Eat something like a few slices of saltine crackers and low-fat cheese or a bar of whole-grain granola and a glass of skim milk
Step 3. Consume non-caffeinated beverages
Don't drink caffeinated drinks after the afternoon. If you want to drink something, drink water or something that calms you down, like a cup of hot decaffeinated tea. It's important to keep your body hydrated to prevent headaches and other problems that can result from dehydration.
Method 2 of 3: Making Lifestyle Changes
Step 1. Exercise as much as possible
You shouldn't abandon your exercise routine just because you're pregnant. Adopting a regular exercise routine can help tire you out enough to fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow. However, it is important not to do the exercise before bedtime. The adrenaline surge produced during exercise can have the opposite effect of keeping you awake instead of feeling tired.
- Women often experience leg cramps during pregnancy. Exercise can help work those leg muscles so they don't wake you up at night.
- Always follow your doctor's advice if he asks you not to do strenuous exercise. If you're in doubt about what exercise is right for you, talk to your doctor for some advice.
Step 2. Relax at night
Instead of doing activities that can be stressful or tiring in the afternoon and evening, try to do activities that are more relaxing. That's not to say you shouldn't do anything, but it's a good idea to do something fun and relaxing for the two or three hours before bedtime. Don't worry about work or the future that can stress you out. Otherwise, you'll feel anxious, making it more difficult to sleep at night. Instead, do some reading, meditating, or watching your favorite show.
- You can also try doing yoga a few hours before bed. Yoga will help you relax and can be considered as a daily practice. Make sure you find a prenatal routine that works for you.
- Ask your partner to massage your shoulders, neck, back or legs. Massage can help you relax and induce sleepiness.
- During the half hour before bedtime, begin to avoid excessive mental stimulation and light exposure. The light emitted by electronics can decrease the production of melatonin, a hormone the body produces to help you sleep. Try reading or listening to music instead of playing with your phone or computer or watching television.
- A few minutes before bed, take about a minute and relax without any stimulation. Stop reading, turn off the music, and allow your body to complete the relaxation process leading to a good night's sleep.
Step 3. Make sure you have a regular daily routine
If you try to force yourself to go to bed at the same time every night, this step will help your body develop a regular bedtime routine. That way, your body will feel tired at the same time every night so it will be easier for you to fall asleep and sleep longer.
It's fine if you want to take naps in addition to your regular bedtime routine, but only short naps are enough. Short naps during the day, about 30 minutes, can actually help you sleep better at night by making sure you don't get too tired. Sometimes, it's hard to sleep when you're exhausted. Just make sure you don't sleep too long and replace a good night's sleep with daytime sleep
Step 4. Use the bed only for sleeping activities
Don't use your bed for work, paying bills, or any other activity that makes you associate your bed with stress or discomfort. Instead, do activities that are only done in bed, such as sleeping and having sex. Thus, the body will be conditioned to associate the bed with things that are good, calming rather than stressful.
It doesn't matter if you want to read before sleeping in bed. Just make sure it's fun reading and not something work or study-related that can stress you out
Method 3 of 3: Maintaining a Soothing Sleeping Environment
Step 1. Buy comfortable pajamas
You buy maternity clothes to wear during the day, therefore buy sleepwear for the night. If you sleep in pajamas that don't fit well or are too tight, these clothes will disrupt your sleep and make you sleepier. Buy comfortable pajamas for pregnant women to help you sleep more comfortably.
Step 2. Make a comfortable bed
If you didn't feel comfortable sleeping on your current mattress before you got pregnant, chances are that you will be even more uncomfortable while you're pregnant. This might be a good time to buy a new mattress that will support your body better and provide comfort. A comfortable mattress will make a huge difference when it comes to a good night's sleep.
- If a new mattress is too expensive for you, try a mattress pad. This can help your back and legs while you sleep without spending too much extra.
- Make sure the sheets and comforter are also comfortable. You certainly don't want a comfortable mattress to be damaged because of inappropriate bedding. Make sure you choose a fabric that you like and a comforter or blanket that matches your desired room temperature at night.
Step 3. Make sure the bedroom always has a comfortable temperature
Pregnant women give off extra body heat, so make sure the room has a cooler temperature to accommodate this condition. Keep an extra blanket nearby so it's easy to use if you get cold at night due to the cooler temperatures.
- Better a little cold than too hot when it comes to sleep. It can be very difficult to sleep comfortably when you are hot.
- Comfortable room temperature may vary depending on each person's body temperature. Try to find the right temperature for you. A temperature of 20-20, 6 °C is usually suitable for most people.
Step 4. Find a sleeping position that works for you
If you're used to sleeping on your back or on your stomach, you'll need to adjust to a new sleeping position while you're pregnant, but it may be very difficult at first. When you're pregnant, the best sleeping position according to the American Pregnancy Association is on your left side. This position helps improve the flow of blood and nutrients to the developing baby and is comfortable for you.
- You will also feel comfortable placing a pillow between your legs or propping your feet up on a pillow or pile of pillows. This step can also help get the blood circulation you and your baby need, helping you sleep better.
- Consider buying a body pillow that is specifically designed for pregnant women.
Step 5. Sleep in an upright position
If you tend to experience heartburn despite your best efforts to prevent it, try sleeping upright with a pillow to support you, but make sure you sleep on your side. In addition, having Tums (antacids) near you at night can help with heartburn if stomach acid suddenly rises.
- You can also try keeping light snacks like saltine crackers near your bed so you can eat them if you tend to wake up feeling nauseous at night.
- Tums is safe for consumption by pregnant women. However, consult your doctor before taking other antacids that contain sodium bicarbonate, such as Alka-Seltzer and Zegerid.
Tips
- Whether you have insomnia problems or are generally able to sleep easily at night, it never hurts to consult a doctor. Your doctor may be able to help plan a sleep program that is good and suitable for you.
- If you have severe insomnia, ask your doctor about doxalamine, which is safe to use during pregnancy. Doxalamine can cause morning lightheadedness if you can sleep for seven to eight hours without waking up.
