Pregnancy Sleeping: Creating A Healthy Routine

It’s really natural to feel more tired than usual when pregnant, especially in the first trimester. Hormonal changes can really knock you off your feet and make you feel a new kind of tiredness you wouldn’t have thought possible.

On top of this, when you think about it, you are eating, living, and sleeping for two now, maybe more!

6 Tips For Better Pregnancy Sleeping

Here are some ideas to help you manage your sleep during pregnancy, making sure you are ready to tackle whatever life might throw your way…

1. Try to be consistent

Whilst it's important to listen and react to what your body is telling you, pregnant women will find keeping a consistent bedtime will help you to rest well and make the most of a good night's sleep.

Allow yourself some winding down time too, cutting brain stimulation will help you switch off.

Don't let sleepless nights affect your daytime routine!

2. Put your feet up

During the day, if you’re sitting down, try and find something to put your feet up on. Keeping your feet up is a great way to keep your vascular system healthy.

Your body is creating 50 percent more blood than usual and your heart works 30 percent harder making sure that you are getting the good stuff for both you and your bump.

3. Using a pregnancy support pillow

Pregnancy support pillows are great for helping you stay in that perfect pregnancy sleeping position for you and your baby.

The NHS pregnancy sleeping guidelines recommend sleeping on your side when possible. This is so that your vascular system is working efficiently for you and your baby, and a good pregnancy pillow will help keep you in that posture, so you can drift off knowing you will stay there.

Also, pillows like this will relieve the stress from your body, which is carrying more and more weight and changing by the day.

Keeping your legs apart will ease your hips and help leg cramps, and a good upper structure such as our pregnancy pillow SnuzCurve’s upper core cushion, will stop your shoulders from rolling and keep your spine in a neutral position.

Pregnancy sleeping positions matter, especially if you have trouble sleeping or those relaxation techniques everyone preaches just don't do the trick as they should.

Your maternal sleep position is where you will be spending the most time, so it is important to listen to your body and make sure you are as comfortable as possible for both you and your baby.

If you suffer from sleep problems, like restless legs syndrome, or sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea or insomnia, speak to your GP or midwife as soon as possible.

4. Your journey

From early pregnancy, making sure you are getting enough sleep is vital. You might find that you need to take a few more daytime naps, which is fine - this is a classic pregnancy sleeping symptom!

As your pregnancy develops, and you approach the third trimester, you may find it harder to sleep at night due to the extra weight and pressure on your body.

This is where a maternity pillow, such as the SnuzCurve, is a great alternative to sleep medicine or other sleep aids because it provides full body support and relaxes you into a comfortable pregnancy sleeping position.

5. Be aware of your diet

You’ll probably find that your diet will change during pregnancy, and that's before we talk about unusual cravings!

An imbalance of blood sugar levels can impact your sleep. You can help keep this in check by avoiding eating too many carbs, or if you are suffering from heartburn, avoiding rich food.

6. Be good to yourself

With so much change going on, both physically and mentally, life can turn into a real emotional rollercoaster. Know that being tired won’t harm you or your baby, but tiredness can make day to day life feel more difficult, especially in those early days before you have told people your news. Knowing that your body is going through so much, is the first step to tackling it all. Listen to your body. You got this. Sleep is the foundation of health. Get it right and you’ll be living the dream.