Around 78 percent of pregnant women report disturbed sleep. Pregnancy can disrupt sleep due to changing hormone levels. Luckily, practicing new habits can improve your sleep.
Around 78 percent of pregnant women report disturbed sleep. Pregnancy can disrupt sleep due to changing hormone levels.
How New Habits May Improve Your Sleep in the First trimester
During the first trimester, you may be getting your usual amount of sleep but still, feel tired during the day. To help with daytime fatigue, you may want to increase your nighttime sleep by an hour or so.
It’s generally fine to nap during the day, but limit naps to 20-40 minutes at a time, and try not to nap too close to bedtime. Get some exercise and plan physical activities for the morning to promote sounder sleep at night.
How New Habits May Improve Your Sleep in the second trimester
In the second trimester, heartburn, leg cramps, and vivid dreams might make sleep difficult. Stretching before bedtime may help with leg cramps. Sleeping on a slight incline, and limiting spicy foods, caffeine, carbonated drinks, or other offending foods might help with reflux.
How New Habits May Improve Your Sleep in the third trimester
In the third trimester, lower back pain, frequent urination, and restless leg syndrome (RLS) can impede sleep. Eating a diet rich in iron and folate might help with RLS.
Some women benefit from warm showers or compression stockings to alleviate the annoying sensation of RLS. Others may benefit from covering their legs with a weighted blanket.
Your obstetrician will encourage you to sleep on your side, particularly your left side. This will help increase the blood flow to your baby. You may want to sleep with a pillow between your legs to help with back pain or discomfort.
Staying hydrated during the day, and avoiding excessive liquids two hours before bedtime may help with frequent urination.
