How to sleep during pregnancy – the rules of healthy sleep when carrying a baby

Healthy sleep allows pregnant women to replenish energy and ensure proper rest. Each woman chooses her own sleeping position and duration of sleep according to her personal preferences. However, recovery from each day is only possible if a full night’s sleep during pregnancy. Neglect it is not worth it, especially during pregnancy, because the human body in general, and the female in this state in particular, needs daily rest.

On the mood and well-being of women can affect even one night, during which she did not get enough sleep. If night sleep is not enough, a woman can allow herself to sleep during pregnancy and during the day. Also every month the figure of the pregnant woman changes, and this leads to new questions – for example, how much sleep in pregnancy. Or what positions are considered the safest for the baby and comfortable for the expectant mother.

Recommendations for choosing a sleeping position

Choosing how to sleep during pregnancy, a woman should understand what the recommendations for determining a position for rest are related to. They depend primarily on the gestational age of the woman, the size of the fetus, the need to reduce stress on the internal organs and systems of the expectant mother. Sleeping positions recommended by specialists during the period of carrying the baby are mostly related to the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, because in the early terms there is still no need for categorical prohibitions on certain body positions.

In the future you will have to choose positions for sleeping which will minimize the load on the spine, reduce or prevent the occurrence of unpleasant conditions such as shortness of breath, muscle and headaches, poor circulation, edema, arrhythmia, and also disruption and worsening of the blood supply to the unborn child.

Features of sleep in the first trimester – are there any restrictions

The changes that occur in a woman’s body during pregnancy, in the 1st trimester have minimal impact on the comfort of sleep. The abdomen is practically not noticeable yet, so nothing prevents you from taking the habitual position at night. At this time you can even fall asleep on your stomach, cuddling with your favorite stuffed toy or curled up. How to sleep correctly during pregnancy – during this period this question is not relevant yet.

If in the first trimester the woman is not suffering from toxicosis, this time is the most comfortable for the woman, because, without thinking about unnecessary discomfort, you can sleep in any position. The main problem in this period may lie in the pregnant woman’s increased sleepiness, because at this stage a woman usually goes to work and continues to work in the same mode. Therefore, during this period, it is more important not to look for an answer to the question of how to sleep when pregnant, but to work on the quality of sleep that compensates for its duration.

How to sleep in the 2nd trimester – comfortable positions

The onset of the 2nd trimester of pregnancy is characterized by an active increase in the abdomen. From this period begins the restrictions that a woman will have to adhere to until she gives birth. First of all, sleeping on your stomach becomes an absolute taboo. In this position it is uncomfortable to sleep because of the growing belly, and besides just dangerous – in this position because of the pressure of body weight on the stomach can be harmful to the fetus due to poor circulation.

This position during this period, even in sleep a woman instinctively tries to replace the position on the back or side. Sleeping in such positions becomes the most preferable for pregnant women in the 2nd trimester. At this stage of carrying the baby you should prefer sleeping on your back, because after a short time such position becomes unacceptable. And in the 3rd trimester the only possible position is sleeping on your side.

The 3rd trimester of pregnancy – how to ensure comfortable sleep

During this period, the woman has to forget about comfortable sleep, as in the early pregnancy. The belly that has increased to an impressive size prevents you from sleeping in the later stages of her pregnancy. In the third trimester many things that previously seemed habitual and elementary become difficult for a pregnant woman to do, including sleeping. This is due to the fact that it is not so easy to find a comfortable position for your body, which has become more oversized, and this often leads to lack of sleep.

The 3rd trimester is the time when you have to find the right answer to the question of how to sleep during pregnancy to replenish energy for the new day, to rest and not to harm the unborn child. Sleeping on your side during this period is the most recommended way of night rest. It can be varied by the half-sitting position – with a few pillows placed under the back.

Positions in which it is not recommended to sleep

Correct and adequate sleep during pregnancy includes the choice of sleeping positions that allow maximum relaxation and rest during the night. If the harm of sleeping on your stomach is obvious and understandable without explanation, then why you should give up the position of lying on the back, many pregnant women absolutely do not understand. This prohibition is due to the fact that, as the fetus grows, the load on the vena cava and intestines will increase significantly, cutting off oxygen to the baby.

In addition, the position on the side, which is considered ideal, can be recognized as such only in relation to this position on the left side. It improves blood flow with oxygen to the placenta. The habit of sleeping on the right side during pregnancy can lead to compression of the kidney and provoke serious consequences.

It is useful to turn over in your sleep more often to stimulate blood circulation, and even to get up and stretch a little.

What are the unpleasant consequences of not following the rules

Women who ignore advice about how to sleep for pregnant women, risk not only a good rest, but also the health of the unborn child and their good health. So, deciding not to give up the position on the back in the second and third trimesters and subjecting the inferior vena cava, which delivers blood including to the brain, to compression, a woman may encounter problems, expressed in:

• low blood pressure;
• cramps;
• dizziness;
• nausea;
• hemorrhoids;
• numbness of the extremities;
• difficulty breathing.

Recommendations regarding the best positions to sleep in during pregnancy apply to the period of pregnancy for most women. However, the position of the fetus in the uterus should not be ignored, as well as the individual characteristics of the body. With a transversal presentation, you should choose the side where the baby’s head is, and with a breech presentation, it is recommended to change the position as often as possible.

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Sleeping with a pillow for pregnant women

In addition to the recommendations of positions in which to sleep during pregnancy, experts offer additional devices that will make a woman’s sleep stronger. This can be facilitated by the purchase of a special pillow for pregnant women. Such products are made of hypoallergenic materials – hollofiber, buckwheat husk or polystyrene foam balls, relax muscles and provide support for a woman’s back and abdomen.

Manufacturers offer them in various shapes:

• D – help you sit comfortably on your side, supporting your stomach and head;
• C – make sleeping on the left side more comfortable, support the abdomen;
• I – small-sized pillows, which are designed to support the back or abdomen;
• U – the most popular models that support both back and abdomen.

U-shaped pillows can also be used after the birth of the baby to take a comfortable position for breastfeeding.

How long and how long should a pregnant woman sleep?

How and how much to sleep during pregnancy – following these tips also makes the sleep of a woman expecting a baby full and healthy. The duration of sleep in the 1st trimester of pregnancy usually increases to 9-11 hours, taking into account 1.5-2 hours of daytime rest, as this period is characterized by increased lethargy and sleepiness. This is due to an increase in the concentration of progesterone

From the 2nd trimester, the concentration of the hormone stabilizes, and the function of its production is gradually transferred to the formed placenta. This contributes to a decrease in the need to sleep a lot during pregnancy.

The duration of sleep during pregnancy in the 3rd trimester depends on the lifestyle and individual characteristics of the body. Most often, it lasts 1-2 hours longer than before its onset. At night, you should sleep at least 8 hours during pregnancy in any case.

Tips for improving your sleep during pregnancy

In order to sleep soundly and fully during pregnancy, not to have problems falling asleep, it is worth observing certain recommendations that relate not only to positions during sleep, but also to other aspects that ensure a healthy sleep in everyday life for a woman expecting a baby.

She absolutely must:

• Adhere to the regime of the day. It becomes easier to fall asleep if going to bed at the same time – it develops a body conditioned reflex.
• Do not abuse the daytime rest. Pregnant women should not sleep more than 2 hours a day.
• Do not drink too much liquid and do not overeat at night.
• Make sure to take walks in the fresh air during the day and before going to bed.
• Take a warm shower in the evening to relax.
• Ventilate the room in which you intend to sleep.
• Wear comfortable clothes to sleep.

Observance of these measures will allow you to sleep well during pregnancy.

How to sleep when pregnant with twins

Expecting a child and the related changes in a woman’s body, as well as the need to subordinate all aspects of daily life – not an easy time, and in the case of twins, all the difficulties can safely be multiplied by two. Here you definitely can not do without wearing a bandage during the day, and worry about how to sleep during pregnancy will not have to solve the problem in the second trimester, and much earlier. The abdomen when pregnant with twins increases twice as fast as when expecting a single baby.

Therefore, you will have to take care of the positions in which you need to sleep when pregnant much earlier. All of the recommendations that relate to the choice of sleeping position for a woman who is pregnant with one child at night are even more applicable to those who are expecting two babies at once. Sleeping with more than one pillow, the preferred position is on the left side, starting in the 1st trimester.

Recommendations for eating before bedtime

Strong and proper sleep during pregnancy is possible not only by picking a comfortable and safe position for sleep, but also by taking additional measures to ensure it First of all, it concerns the diet, especially eating before bedtime. Many women are always hungry and do not deny themselves the right to eat at any time of day. However, overeating, especially before bedtime and in the late term, can lead to the fact that pregnant women will sleep poorly and restless.

To avoid this, for dinner it is better to eat fish dishes, stew or vegetables, fresh salads, egg dishes. A bun with yogurt or milk will also do. Women can also afford a second dinner, in which it is good to include ryazhenka, kefir, yogurt or a piece of cheese with dry cookies, a glass of warm milk, possibly with honey, a handful of dried fruit or nuts. The last meal should be no later than 3 hours before bedtime.

Tips on the amount of fluids before a night’s rest

Among the recommendations that must be met, such as, for example, in no case sleep in a bandage – the advice of experts to limit as much fluid intake during pregnancy in general, and before going to bed – especially. Drinks should choose those that have a calming effect on the nervous system – herbal tea, warm milk. It is clear that coffee has long been excluded from the diet, especially at night, and you should not drink regular black tea.

Drinking large quantities of fluids presents an additional burden on the kidneys, which are already operating in a highly stressful regime. In addition, a woman will have to get up more than once during the night, which also negatively affects the quality of her sleep. It is always better to drink pure mineral water in small quantities to quench thirst.