With all the excitement and anticipation of pregnancy (not to mention the hormones involved) is it really any wonder that sleep can be a little illusive when you’re expecting?
And if you’re having trouble sleeping, you can rest assured that it is not all in your head – In the first trimester there are the hundreds of hormones rushing around your system and the morning sickness to contend with, moving on to the second trimester and you may be suffering with heartburn or indigestion, and in the third trimester you’ll have baby pushing on your bladder, aches and pains and a huge bump to manoeuvre about!
When you do finally manage to drift off, you may even find that you start to dream more often and more vividly than usual! This is completely normal – just another one of those weird pregnancy side effects. But if you’re interested, check out this article from baby centre on how to interpret your pregnancy dreams!
Here are our top 5 tips for getting a better night’s sleep during pregnancy:
1) Prepare
This is all about doing everything you can during the day to make sure that you are relaxed and ready to sleep when bed time rolls around. It’s ok to nap during the day (and sometimes it’s necessary) but try to keep it short and sweet – the optimum time is between 20 and 30 minutes, which is just enough to feel refreshed without reaching the deep sleep phase. Try to drink lots of water in the morning and ease off towards the evening to prevent nature calling in the middle of the night. You should also try to avoid caffeine, and exercise in the evenings as these are likely to keep you buzzing into the night.
2) Relax
Just as you would for a child who doesn’t like bedtime, think about establishing a relaxing bedtime routine for yourself. If you can, try to go to bed around the same time every night so that your body clock gets used to the idea, and think about establishing a few bedtime rituals to ease yourself into sleep. You could try a warm bath, or massaging your bump with pregnancy products like Mama Mio. Or you could read a few pages of a book (a nice one – keep work far away from your bed).
3) Get Comfy
Finding a comfy sleeping position can be tricky in the final few months of pregnancy. But it’s been proven that sleeping on your left side is best, as it allows nutrients to flow easily to baby, while putting the least possible strain on your organs. You could also try a full body pregnancy pillow to keep you raised and supported in all the right places.
Of course the real key to a comfy night’s sleep is finding the right maternity nightwear for you. We have a fabulous range of maternity pyjamas and nighties, all made in the softest, most stretchy fabrics. You can choose from flirty lacey slips, relaxed button down nighties, matching maternity pj sets and ultra soft bamboo fibre separates! And you’re in luck, because right now we’re offering a fantastic 20% off across our entire maternity nightwear range, so shop now and prepare for a peaceful night’s sleep!
4) Visualise
Once you’re tucked up in bed, relaxed and comfortable, it can be frustrating if sleep doesn’t seem to be forthcoming. But there are things you can do to help the situation. We’ve all heard of counting sheep, but you may be interested to know that there are all kinds of other tricks that may help. Next time you’re lying awake, why not try imagining yourself a brand new dream house and decorating the rooms. Or you could try muscle relaxation – simply tense and relax all your muscles in order, starting with your face and working your way down your body to your toes and then back up again.
5) Don’t Fret
And finally, if you’ve followed all the tips, done everything right and baby is still not letting you sleep, don’t lie awake fretting. Simply get up, go into another room and do something relaxing (or boring) until you feel drowsy again. A good midnight laundry folding session is surely enough to put anyone back to sleep!
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