How To Sleep When Pregnant

Having difficulty getting to sleep during your pregnancy? Here are some tips to help you sleep more comfortably.

During your pregnancy it can be very common, particularly as the weeks progress, to find it difficult to get comfortable while sleeping.It makes sense, after all – your body is going through lots of different changes and your growing bump can disrupt your sleep, as well as lead to such symptoms as heartburn, back pain and breathing difficulties.Some mothers also find, particularly during the last three months of pregnancy, that they need to get up frequently to use the bathroom, which can disturb sleep.

Pregnancy sleep positions

It is extremely important that you try to avoid sleeping on your back, as this will decrease circulation for both you and your baby and can increase risk of still birth. Sleeping on your back can also encourage more back pain. This recommendation to avoid sleeping on your back is particularly important after 20 weeks due to the weight of the uterus cutting off blood flow to itself.Also, sleeping on your stomach later in pregnancy can be quite difficult due to the increasing size of your bump.It is recommended that you sleep on your side, preferably your left side, while pregnant. Sleeping on your side allows for maximum blood flow to your baby and helps with kidney function.Many mothers find that pillows will help you get comfortable. Place a pregnancy sleep pillow between your knees and sleep with your knees slightly bent. You can also put pillows under your bump to help support it and place a pillow at your back to help support your lower back.

Is snoring common in pregnancy?

Some mothers start to snore during pregnancy. It is not necessarily a problem if it happens occasionally, but if it occurs often, is very loud or interrupts sleep, you should speak to your doctor or midwife. Snoring during pregnancy may indicate breathing problems during the night. Sometimes mothers who start snoring have also developed high blood pressure. For the health of both you and your baby, you may need to speak to your doctor or midwife.And finally, the best tip of all is to keep trying out different positions and find what works for you!

References:http://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/pdfs/Pregnancy-and-Sleep.pdf