Prenatal Vitamins

Pregnancy Survival Guide: Sleep 101

Let’s just face it, a good night’s sleep is pretty much ancient history the day you find out you are pregnant! Whether the cause is heartburn, bladder related, a hungry baby, night terrors, or the anxiety of having a teenager, our peaceful night are OVER!  That me be a slight exaggeration, but there are some things you can do to help  reclaim your “night-life”.

Reduce your Caffeine intake

My mother always told me if I drank soda when I was pregnant by baby be “wired” and wouldn’t be a good sleeper. I’m not sure how much of that is true but I know if I drink my Dr. Pepper after 3 I am up all night, so I can only imagine how that caffeine effects a tiny baby! If you are having a hard time sleeping at night try cutting out coffee, soda or even eat chocolate by 4 pm.  If possible avoid coffee and soda entirely, it isn’t healthy for you or your baby. Plus,  coffee will make you have to pee more than normal, do you really want to be running to the bathroom every 5 minutes? I didn’t think so.

Limit your liquids before bedtime

It is very important that you drink plenty of water when you are pregnant but rather than getting your last 24 ounces in for the day right before bedtime, try drinking more in the morning and afternoon. This should help limit your bathroom trips at night-time. Although, the 3 or 4  late night bathroom trips will help prepare you for the restless nights that are in your near future.

Just say No

It’s 2010, we should know better than to be drinking and smoking while pregnant, but for those who can’t say no, this may be a trigger for your restlessness.  If you can’t kick the habit while you are pregnant be prepared for a rough road ahead. Restlessness will be the least of your problems. Nicotine and alcohol  are detrimental to your babies development and can cause pre-mature birth, low birth weight, abnormal lung development, autism, asthma, fetal alcohol syndrome among dozens of other birth defects and abnormalities.

Eat Light Meals

Eating a big meal right before bedtime may cause heartburn and indigestion- which will make for an unpleasant night for you and your bed-mate. Rather than eating large meals try smaller more frequent meals throughout the day. Give yourself 2 hours to digest your food before hitting the mattress. You may also want to eliminate spicy foods, that too will also trigger heartburn.

Snack

If you are in your first trimester and nausea is keeping you up at night make sure you snack on crackers, toast or whatever bland food sounds appealing right before bedtime. This should keep you full and ward off any nausea and help you “sleep it off”.

Make Time for Nap Time

An excess production of progesterone is what’s causing you to feel tired and fatigued. Not only will progesterone make you feel tired but it is also be the cause of restlessness and sleep disturbances, talk about a double-edged sword! The only thing you can do to help is to listen to your body, and when you are tired take naps or sit down, close your eyes and relax. If you have kids, take a nap during their nap time or take a nap while they are at school. As mom’s we tend to want to get things done around the house or run errands while the kids are away, but those things can wait. It is much easier to clean with rambunctious kids running around than it is to take a nap! In a nutshell, make nap time a priority for you and your growing baby.

Relax

It is much easier said than done but relaxation is key for a good nights rest. Here are a few tips to help you de-stress and wind down before bed time:

1. Make your bedroom a sanctuary, not a place where you watch TV, exercise, pay bills, etc… It should be a place where you go to escape your day-to-day stresses and to wind down. Once you enter your bedroom stop thinking about to-do lists, and don’t stress about the things you did not get accomplished that day. Instead create a relaxing routine, whether it be reading a book, soaking in the tub, a foot massage or meditation.

2. Stay Cool. Set the temperature a little cooler in your bedroom

3. Kill the lights. Block out any light or disturbing noises that may cause you to wake you up. Unless the “light and noise” is about 2 1/2 half feet tall disguised as your perfect child who wouldn’t dream of waking you up!

If all else fails…

You still can’t sleep? Refrain from turning on the TV that may make it worse, instead try reading a book (boring ones always knock me out!) and don’t stress out, it is totally normal to lose some sleep while pregnant. Don’t give up, keep working on a sleep routine and you will be sleeping like a baby in no time! A baby that sleeps through the night, of course!