In between tackling a racing mind, going for frequent bathroom breaks, dealing with cramped legs, accommodating a puffed-up baby bump and suffering from enhanced heartburns, grabbing a peaceful sleep at night often seems like a distant dream for most. This is sort of a preparation time for the sleepless times ahead.
But getting ample amount of sleep is more important during this phase as you are sleeping for two people. To help you with the situation, here are some of the most common sleep problems during pregnancy and tips to deal with them. Have a look.
- You Have Heart Burn and Gas – You may you feel gassy and bloated during this time as the pregnancy hormones can slacken the process of digestion. This can also contribute towards the relaxation of the muscles of the digestive tract which help the stomach acids to burn their route up the oesophagus.
Tip – It is for this reason that exercising and eating right are so important during pregnancy. These will prevent any gas-related issues from tormenting you. If you experience heart burn, then you can try the over-the-counter antacids. You must keep up the head of your bed so that the acid withdraws instead of going up the oesophagus. Avoid acidic foods and try not to go for a big dinner before bed. Instead go for light snacks like cheese, apple or wheat crackers.
- You Are Stressed – In preventing a sound sleep at night, stress and anxiety play a major role. So keep it in mind that worrying is not going to help you be it work-related issues, emotional problems or anxiety about your new-born. The unresolved stresses give rise to a major amount of depression among the women who are expecting. This especially involves issues about the baby including how good a mom you will be, the labour and how you will balance family and work
Tip – So you should go for a professional help or talk to a friend about the issues that are making you feel upset. You can also use a notebook to write down your sources of trouble and try to rationalise them in a cool mind later.
- You Feel Uncomfortable to Sleep on the Side – In order to support the baby bump and not to stress your body too much, it is recommended that you sleep on side. But if you are finding that to be too difficult then you can follow the tip mentioned below.
Tip – You should position the pillows behind your back and between the legs. The wedge and full body pillows are the best relief options for the expecting ladies. Otherwise, you can also try a comfy armchair or recliner.
- You Need to Go for Frequent Urination – This is one of the chief issues that can trouble you through your pregnancy. As soon as the first trimester, this problem can emerge. HCG, a hormone associated with pregnancy can make you go for frequent pee breaks during the first trimester.
Tip – For controlling this, you must remain hydrated during the day. But keep 2 hours break between drinking water and going to sleep at night. Keep it in mind that frequent urges to pee are quite common during pregnancy and so don’t need to worry about it.
- You Get Hunger Pangs – If you have to wake up time and again because of your hunger pangs, you will bid adieu to a good night’s sleep for the entire time during your pregnancy. This is also quite a common issue that most women face during their pregnancy.
Tip – For preventing the hunger pangs and the cravings from keeping you awake at night, you should go for some light snacks prior to slipping between the sheets. You can try half banana along with some almonds or whole-grain crackers and a glass of milk. If you experience nauseas while sleeping, it is best not to nibble on crackers or have anything just before going to sleep.
- You Snore - If you have suddenly become a consistent and loud snorer after pregnancy, the congestion because of hormones can be the main culprit for your trouble. Not only that, the excess weight that accompanies pregnancy can also be the reason for that.
Tip - To control this, you can start using several pillows for elevating the head, use a humidifier or try the nasal strips. Again, rarely, loud and continuous snoring can also be a symptom of some kind of diabetes and sleep apnea. So immediately consult with a sleep apnea dentist or talk with your doctor for a recommendation so that the problem can be detected and treated before it takes an ugly turn.Apart from the above you can also suffer from Restless Leg Syndrome and other issues. In this case, the best way to deal with them is to consult with your doctor who can help you to cope with this phase so that you can welcome your bundle of joy without suffering a lot.
