Being pregnant can sure make you tired! By the time the end of the day arrives, you’re ready to hit that pillow and fall asleep, and yet, you’re likely to toss and turn instead.
Being pregnant brings many nighttime challenges that can prevent you from getting sleep, no matter how tired you are. Aside from following general nighttime tips, like avoiding screen time an hour before bed, there are some specific things you can do while you’re pregnant to make the nighttime hours more comfortable and rejuvenating.
Eat a Snack
It’s true that you shouldn’t eat an entire meal right before bed. Eating too much can increase your body temperature and ramp up your digestion, which can make sleep difficult. However, it’s just as difficult to sleep if your stomach is growling!
Before you hit the hay, grab a small snack to settle your stomach so you can relax. A few pieces of fruit, a handful of nuts, and a small piece of cheese can help tide you over so you aren’t getting up for a midnight snack.
There’s another reason to eat a snack before bedit’s a great time to take your prenatal vitamin or supplements. Most need to be taken with food, so grabbing a snack before you head to bed can be the perfect time to grab your vitamin too.
Take a Bath or Shower
You can’t do things the way you used to when you’re pregnant. At some point, you’re going to need help tying your shoes, you should no longer eat lunch meat that isn’t warmed up first, and you can’t take hot baths.
That doesn’t mean you can’t relax in a warm bath at all. It can be a great way to ease tired muscles before bed!
Pregnant women can take baths, just as long as the water isn’t too hot. You will want to keep the water temperature low enough that your body doesn’t reach 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 10 minutes as it can drop your blood pressure and deprive your growing baby of oxygen.
Worried about the temperature of your water? Consider a hot shower instead. Just avoid overly long, steamy showers.
Do Some Stretches
Heavy exercise isn’t a good idea right before bed, but light exercise can be just the thing you need to get your body ready for bed, especially while you’re expecting a baby.
Yoga is a great way to calm the mind and body before you’re ready to sleep, but your nighttime exercise routine doesn’t have to be so formal. There are many pregnancy stretches you can do before bed that will relax your muscles and help prevent pain while you’re sleeping.
Focus on exercises that relax the hips, engage the lower back, and stretch the glutes. Play some relaxing music to help you get in the right headspace for sleep while you stretch.
Get Your Nightstand Ready
You may have slept through the night easily before you were pregnant, but you’re likely to face a few challenges when you’re expecting a baby. Instead of going on a hunt through the house to find what you’re looking for every time you wake up in the middle of the night, you should keep what you might need next to the bed.
Excessive thirst is a common pregnancy symptom that can be eased with a cool glass of water on the nightstand, but there are other things you should put next to the bed too. They include:
- A light snack, like nuts or dried fruit
- Books, for if you aren’t tired
- Nightlight
- Anti-nausea balm
Grab Another Pillow
Getting comfortable is a huge change as your body changes. You might have a favorite pillow that you’ve had for years, but you may find that pillow isn’t enough while you’re pregnant. You can do a lot to improve your sleep if you give some new pillows a try.
There are tons of pregnancy pillows to choose from! Full-body pregnancy pillows are among the most popular with expectant moms because they can support the back, the stomach, and be placed between the legs. Pregnancy wedges can make sleeping more comfortable with a growing belly, while others may do well simply by adding a few additional pillows to the bed.
Don’t let pregnancy make you lose sleep. You should look forward to crashing in your bed at the end of a long day! With these tips, you can take back your nighttime routine and make your bedroom the pregnancy sanctuary it should be.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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