It can be quite a challenge to get a good night’s sleep in your first trimester of pregnancy for several reasons. The discomfort of body changes, nausea, backaches, and frequent nighttime urination take their toll.
What Is the best sleeping position in the first trimester?
Three little letters: SOS. It’s an acronym that stands for “sleep on your side.” In fact, favoring the left side of your body is even more beneficial as it increases the amount of blood and nutrients reaching your baby. This will become increasingly important as your pregnancy progresses.
In contrast, laying on your stomach may cause lower back pain, and strains the neck muscles. Similarly, sleeping on your back is problematic, especially in your later trimesters, since it forces your enlarging uterus to put pressure on the inferior vena cava. Both of these positions ultimately reduce blood flow to your fetus and trigger dizziness and nausea.
6 tips for a good night’s sleep in the first trimester
Promote restful sleep in the first trimester or early in your pregnancy by adopting the following sleep first trimester healthy habits:
1. Schedule and prioritize your sleep.
2. Try to get an extra hour of sleep at night, and take short strategic daytime naps as needed.
3. Drink plenty of fluids (especially water) during the day, but reduce consumption close to bedtime.
4. Prevent nausea by sticking to bland foods (e.g., the BRATT diet of bananas, rice, applesauce, toast, and tea).
5. Learn to sleep on your side; it will come in handy after the 20th week of pregnancy.
6. Plug in a night light instead of turning on the overhead light so you can more easily fall back to sleep after returning from a trip to the bathroom.
