8 Tips For Getting More Sleep During Your Pregnancy

Women don’t sleep well during pregnancy for a variety of reasons. These may include frequent trips to the bathroom during the night, difficulty finding a comfortable position – especially during the third trimester, leg cramps and general anxiety.

There are however a few things you can do to get more sleep despite these challenges. Many of them are general tips for dealing with insomnia while others are specific to pregnancy. You will likely still suffer from the occasional bout of insomnia, but the following tips and tricks should make a real difference in the amount of sleep you get and in your quality of sleep:

1. Get a Total Body Pillow. A must-have for pregnant women, especially during the third trimester, the Total Body Pillow provides amazing, total body support. The unique design follows the body line to support and realign neck, belly, back and hips.

2. Start a bedtime routine. We usually recommend a bedtime routine for babies, but a bedtime routine is actually very helpful for adults too because it helps us wind down and signals to our brain that it’s time to become drowsy and go to sleep. Your bedtime routine can include a warm bath, a massage if your partner is willing, and listening to soft music.

3. Make sure your bedroom is comfortable. It should be dark and quiet. Room temperature should be cool but not cold. These conditions will help you fall asleep and stay asleep. If your bedroom is noisy and the noise is beyond your control, such as street noise, you might want to use a background sound such quiet music or a white noise.

4. Regular exercise seems to help with regulating sleep, but avoid exercising too close to bedtime.

5. Getting plenty of sunshine also seems to help with regulating sleep.

6. Avoid eating a heavy meal right before bedtime, but you should also avoid going to bed hungry. Try to eat a small meal about two hours before bedtime.

7. Keeping a regular sleep pattern, going to bed at the same time each night and getting up at the same time every morning, will often help to regulate your sleep.

8. Don't force it.If 30 minutes after you went to bed you’re still awake, or if you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep, don’t stay in bed, tossing and turning. Instead, get out of bed, go into a dimly lit room and do something quiet such as reading a magazine or listening to quiet music. When you become drowsy, go back into bed.

Even if your disrupted sleep patterns continue, try not to worry about it too much, especially if you manage to get at least six hours of sleep per night. Worrying will only make the problem worse, and there’s really no reason to worry. Our bodies have a way of making sure we get enough sleep in the long run, so after a few tough nights, you’ll probably have a night of great sleep! However, if you consistently get less than six hours of sleep per night, do talk to your physician about it.

By: Happy Mama Gifts

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Vered DeLeeuw is a professional writer living in San Francisco. She's been pregnant twice and is grateful for the morning sickness remedies offered by one of her favorite clients, Happy Mama Gifts, who offer great pregnancy products on their website.