If it feels like you have not slept well since you got pregnant, you are not alone. Pregnant women often have trouble sleeping. The good news is, you do not have to suffer from lack of sleep for your entire pregnancy. Try these tips to help you rest a little bit easier.
One major cause of interrupted sleep during pregnancy is that your constantly active bladder that has you running to the ladies room all day long does not take a break at night. You will probably find yourself waking up at least a couple of times each night to pee. While you may not be able to eliminate night time trips to the bathroom, front – loading your fluid intake in the earlier hours of your day and avoiding coffee after noontime can help reduce the amount of urine that you produce during the night. Another useful tip to ensure that your nightly bathroom breaks don’t cut too far into your sleep time is to place a night light in the bathroom so that you do not have to turn the bright overhead light on when you get up to pee. Bright light wakes you up, and that can make it harder to fall asleep after you get back into bed.
If hunger is waking you up, try having a snack before bed. If you have a bed time snack, choose one that is low in sugar and contains some protein and complex carbs. For example, whole grain crackers with cheese or a hard boiled egg and some pretzels.
Pregnancy can cause your body temperature to be elevated. I felt very hot at night during my pregnancies, and keeping the bedroom a little cooler than usual was very helpful. Other people in the bedroom can compensate for the chill by adding an extra blanket on their side of the bed.
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