Pregnancy often brings with it a number of discomforts, including nausea, heartburn, restless leg syndrome and snoring, which can interfere with sleep. These (sometimes unavoidable) problems can be exacerbated by poor sleep habits you developed before pregnancy, and the following guidelines will help you sleep better at night during pregnancy and after your baby is born.
1. Take a nap every chance you get.
Taking a 30 to 60 minute nap during the day can make you more alert, improve memory, and often reduce symptoms of fatigue. A recent study found that more than half of expectant mothers take at least one nap from Monday to Friday, and 60% of women take at least one nap on the weekends. But keep in mind that sleeping in during the day may affect the quality of your sleep at night.
2. Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine
After you get home from get off work, have a leisurely dinner and try to relax as much as possible. After you finish eating, do something quiet, like reading a book or relaxing in a hot bath. Also, try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every morning and night to adjust your body clock.
3. Wake up for a while if you can’t fall asleep
If it seems like hours have passed (but it\’s probably only 20-30 minutes!) and you still can\’t fall asleep, get up and go to another room and listen to soothing music or read a magazine. When you feel sleepy, go back to bed.
4. Practice some relaxation techniques
There are many self-help techniques that can help you fall asleep, such as guided imagery, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and more.
5. Eat snacks before bed to prevent nausea
If you feel nauseous (which is more common in the first trimester), try to prevent your stomach from emptying by eating light snacks like cookies regularly, especially before bed.
6. Avoid spicy food before going to bed
Spicy foods like chili peppers or acidic foods like tomatoes can cause heartburn and indigestion no matter how cooked they are. The same goes for eating a large meal right before bed. Instead, eat earlier and simpler, giving you two or three hours to digest your dinner before bed.
7. Drink less water in the evening or evening
When you\’re pregnant, your body needs a lot of fluids, but drinking more fluids in the morning and less fluids in the late afternoon and evening can help you make fewer trips to the bathroom at night.
8. Sleep on your left side
It\’s best to teach yourself to sleep on your left side during the first month of pregnancy. This position helps blood and nutrients flow to the baby and uterus, while helping the kidneys remove waste and fluid. Once you get used to this sleeping position, you\’ll be able to rest better as your belly grows.
9. Don’t stress if you can’t sleep
If you wake up during the night, do notBe worried. It\’s normal to have restless sleep during pregnancy, and while you\’re unlikely to get a good night\’s sleep right away, you\’ll eventually establish a bedtime routine that works for you.
10. Quit bad habits
During pregnancy, smoking and drinking can harm your baby and make it harder for you to sleep. You can use pregnancy as an opportunity to break bad habits and reduce alcohol consumption.
In addition, reduce the intake of caffeinated drinks, such as tea, coffee, cola drinks, etc., especially in the afternoon and evening, and avoid them completely.
11. Make your bedroom look beautiful
Take the time to make your bedroom as cozy and inviting as possible so you can sleep more peacefully. Since you may feel hotter than usual during pregnancy, keep your room cool. Keep lights and noise to a minimum as they tend to wake you from a light sleep.
12. Beds are only used for sleeping and sex.
If you have habits of reading or watching TV in bed, break them and save your bed for more enjoyable in-bed activities.
13. Keep anxiety out of the bedroom
Stick to a to-do list to complete by dinner time and wait until the next day to tackle it, and make sure you get all your errands done by dinner time so you can relax before bed. If you\’re the kind of person who wakes up in the middle of the night thinking about something urgent you need to do, keep a notepad next to your bed so you can quickly jot things down before falling asleep again.
14. Wait at least three or four hours before going to bed after exercising
While exercising during pregnancy is good for your physical and mental health, it can also hinder your sleep if your body doesn\’t have enough time to relax after a workout. Some research suggests that exercising too close to bedtime may affect sleep depth.