Mama, we know getting those 10-12 hours a night is hard. Despite being exhausted all day, when it comes to bedtime sleep is ever evasive and many mamas find themselves searching the web at midnight for pregnancy sleep tips.
Read on to discover the sleep stealing culprits, why it happens and what you can do about it with our favourite tips to sleep better during pregnancy…
What Causes It?
Struggling to sleep during pregnancy can be caused by many things. For example, your everchanging hormones and the extra progesterone that you create during pregnancy can make you feel more sleepy. In early pregnancy, your blood pressure and blood sugar levels decrease and this can also make you feel more tired (a good excuse for a daytime nap, mama).
Once you enter your third trimester, as your baby grows and develops you may notice that you have back pain, aching joints and muscles, leg cramps, heartburn, snoring (but that one we’ll deny) and frequent trips to the bathroom due to the extra pressure on your bladder. Team all of those with anxieties about your baby, you’ll often find that sleep plays hard to get during the 9-month stre-e-tch. But, don’t worry mama! You may be able to come up with an action plan with our list of tips to sleep better during pregnancy.
1. Skip Late Night Snacks
We know it’s a hard one but try not to drink too much or eat a large meal right before you plan on heading to bed, especially if you’re finding that you’re struggling to sleep during pregnancy. This will help reduce the chances of heartburn and decrease the number of trips to the bathroom at midnight. There are some food types that can actually help you sleep but in general, avoid caffeine and chocolate (or just reduce with this one!). But, if you do consume it make sure it’s at least 4-6 hours before bedtime so you can wind down peacefully in the evening.
2. Get Comfy
Perhaps an obvious one, but keep your bed as comfy as possible to help support your sore back and aching muscles. If that means pillows in six different sizes propping you up in all ways then so be it! That being said, you can buy pregnancy pillows to help you out.
They come in various shapes so you can wrap around your body as needed to get into a comfortable position and they can help support your bump, between your legs and behind your back as these are the areas that gain the most benefit from a little extra support whilst you sleep during pregnancy. Although they don’t always work for all mamas, pregnancy pillows can help keep your neck, back and hips aligned during sleep, reduce pressure around your hips and pubic bone, improve circulation and common pregnancy conditions including heartburn, leg cramps and nasal congestion.
3. Don’t Toss And Turn
Your bedroom should be a soothing sanctuary that is reserved only for sleep. If you’ve been lying in bed tossing and turning all night and no matter what you do you can’t fall asleep, we recommend getting up and occupying your mind with a calming activity such as reading a book, making a cup of tea (caffeine free of course) or taking a relaxing bubble bath. It might seem strange, but lying in bed worrying about getting to sleep can actually be counter-productive and might make you associate bedtime with stress, which is something you don’t want mama!
4. Relax, Relax, Relax
Do whatever you need to do to be as chilled out as possible. Whether that’s reading a book, taking a long walk through the woods or meditation, finding and exploring activities that you know provoke a sense of calm within you will all help to stop you from having to count sheep every night.
Why not try learning some mindful relaxation techniques? Practicing yoga before bed has been shown to help improve anxiety and reduce the amount of times you wake up during the night! This calming prenatal yoga class for bedtime by Pregnancy and Postpartum TV is the perfect way to wind down and soothe your mind at the end of a long, busy day. Just pop your pyjamas on and stre-e-tch out the stress!
5. Adopt A Relaxing Bedtime Routine
Introducing some evening rituals into your night time schedule can help you wind down and prepare better for a good night’s sleep. Our Tummy Rub Routine contains everything you need to give yourself a head-to-toe pamper and is created to nourish and protect growing bumps and boobs! Begin by prepping and polishing your skin with our Tummy Rub Scrub that is supercharged with gentle yet effective pumice and volcanic sand to reveal silky smooth, nourished skin.
Next, apply our iconic and bestselling Tummy Rub Butter that is packed with our unique Omega Rich Skin Stretch Complex and is clinically proven* to increase skin elasticity and moisture, helping to protect against stretch marks. Finally, you can layer our Tummy Rub Oil over the top of the Butter for additional stretch mark protection. Expertly formulated for uncomfortable and dry bumps, this silky, lightweight blend of natural oils will provide your skin with instant nourishment, long lasting hydration and help keep your skin strong and supple as your bump grows!
*Independent clinical trial.