Doesn’t matter how early in your pregnancy you are, discomfort during sleep can occur at any stage. In my experience I was able to get my full 8 hours of sleep every night up until in my late third trimester. During the early months of pregnancy, physical discomfort kept me up. How do I maneuver my bump so it’s not in the way but also that I am positioned in a safe sleeping arrangement. Did you know it is unsafe to sleep on your back especially once you start showing quite a bit of your bump?
Second and third trimester it is highly recommended to avoid sleeping on your back as much as possible because there is a chance of having a major blood vessel compressed that could reduce blood flow throughout your body and to your uterus! Scary right? Well one thing you could do if you turn onto your back while you are already asleep is ask your partner to wake up periodically to check on you and remind you to turn or stuff a pillow behind your back when you fall asleep on your side.
- Limit overnight urination: Going pee during pregnancy is an all time chore! It is hard to avoid it and yo hold it! So if you find yourself frequently waking up in the middle of the night try to limit your water intake before bed. Have a glass by your bedside but only take some sips right before falling asleep and don’t forget to make that one last trip to the bathroom too.
- Sleeping positions: Sleeping on your left side is mostly recommended to increase blood flow, however, as mentioned above if you do wake up on your back please don’t stress and simply roll over. And if you feel dizzy from sleeping on your back then flex your leg muscles a couple times while laying down to get you blood flow back on track.
- Nausea and Heartburn: Morning sickness can take a tremendous toll on your body leaving you restless and disrupting your sleep. Eating smaller meals during the day and eating more frequently can ease the discomfort. Propping up your body and back can also help with this.
- Pregnancy Pillow: My absolute favourite item during pregnancy and after! My pregnancy pillow offered support during my sleep like no other! It basically replaced my partner and I was totally okay with it. The only way I could sleep was having the first half of the pillow support my back while I was on my side and the lower half was tucked in-between my legs to support my top leg resting on my bottom leg. I tucked in the tip of the pillow under my bump and within minutes I was having a snooze without the hassle of tossing and turning. https://amzn.to/3QhePhU
- No sleep for no reason: If you are in your last couple weeks of pregnancy and is feeling eager to meet your little one, sleepless nights are sometimes a given for no reason. Yes there is the physical discomfort that is pretty much unavoidable by this point. During my last couple weeks I found myself taking up around 4:00 / 5:00 A.M. on demand! I was pretty frustrated for the first few nights this occurred but by day 3 or 4 I came to terms with my new routine. I decided to get up from bed and walk over to the nursery where I sat in the rocking chair, opened the blinds and watched the sunrise. I took in all the little items, books, toys, and stuffies the room was filled with and became overwhelmed with joy and excitement that soon enough I will be holding my little baby in this chair. I made it a morning routine with a tea and a journal! https://amzn.to/3RWbXZj
- No sleep for no reason: If you are in your last couple weeks of pregnancy and is feeling eager to meet your little one, sleepless nights are sometimes a given for no reason. Yes there is the physical discomfort that is pretty much unavoidable by this point. During my last couple weeks I found myself taking up around 4:00 / 5:00 A.M. on demand! I was pretty frustrated for the first few nights this occurred but by day 3 or 4 I came to terms with my new routine. I decided to get up from bed and walk over to the nursery where I sat in the rocking chair, opened the blinds and watched the sunrise. I took in all the little items, books, toys, and stuffies the room was filled with and became overwhelmed with joy and excitement that soon enough I will be holding my little baby in this chair. I made it a morning routine with a tea and a journal! https://amzn.to/3RWbXZj