#Sleepless nights during pregnancy full#

See your doctor for advice if insomnia persists.However, vigorous exercise within four hours of bedtime should be avoided. Regular exercise can promote physical and mental health and also improve circulation, helping to reduce night-time leg cramps.Find something which works for you, and include it as part of your bedtime routine. Relaxation techniques can help calm your mind and relax your muscles.Wedge-shaped pillows are angled to support your bump when lying to relieve lower back ache and can also be used as feeding pillows after birth. Placing a pillow between the legs, for example, can help support the lower back and make sleeping on your side easier. Pillows can be used to support the belly and back.So, if you’re not getting enough rest at night, take a nap to help reduce fatigue, even if only for 30-45 minutes. Although daytime napping is usually best avoided, as it can lead to insomnia, during pregnancy it’s important to sleep when you can.If heartburn is a problem for you, use an extra pillow to raise your head in bed. To prevent heartburn, make sure not to eat too close to bedtime and avoid fried foods as they may worsen symptoms.Try taking a bath, reading in a dimly lit room or having a warm milky drink in the lead up to bedtime.

Follow a bedtime routine to help you relax and wind down as bedtime approaches.

These tips may help, however, if your sleep disturbance is severe, consult your doctor to rule out any other cause. So, it is especially important for pregnant women to develop strategies for coping with sleep problems to ensure that they are getting adequate sleep throughout their pregnancy

#Sleepless nights during pregnancy full#

Getting a full night’s sleep can become even harder when the baby arrives. This is especially true of first time mothers. Worrying about labour and delivery can also lead to insomnia, as women find it more difficult to switch off. A number of other sleep disorders, such as restless legs syndrome and gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD can be caused, or made worse, by pregnancy. Frequent trips to the bathroom during the night can also disturb sleep. Sleep Apnoea is a condition where the walls of the throat relax and narrow during sleep, interrupting normal breathing. Hormonal changes can also affect the muscles, and can lead to snoring and an increased the risk of developing Sleep Apnoea, particularly in women who were overweight when they became pregnant. It is very common for women to feel fatigued during pregnancy, especially in the first and third trimesters and with each trimester, new sleep challenges emerge.Ī rise in progesterone levels, for example, can explain increased daytime sleepiness, especially in the first trimester. Sleepless nights during pregnancy are just darn cruel As if you have not been through enough already and now you can’t sleep If you are anything like me, listening to your partner snore irritates the hell out of you, whilst you lie there wide awake night after night. Pregnancy is an exciting time for most women, but hormonal changes and the physical discomforts associated with carrying a child can lead to sleep disturbance.