Being pregnant is one of the most incredible experiences in a woman’s life.
The knowledge that you are growing a new life inside of you is near indescribable with words. And the anticipation of becoming a life-long mother to your baby is an emotion that exudes excitement, happiness and joy.
But that actual experience with pregnancy can vary from person to person. While some women barely notice any differences during the trimesters, other women go through raging hormones, crazy food cravings, swollen ankles and restless nights.
While there are so many wonderful aspects of being pregnant, we also recognize that there are many challenges women face and that it is not as easy as the movies make it out to be sometimes.
If you are someone who is struggling to get comfortable in bed and wondering how to sleep while pregnant then know that it is much easier to fix than you may have initially thought.
You don’t have to suffer through being uncomfortable and sleep-deprived any longer with our simple hacks. Nor should you risk it, as experts say that one of the most important things a pregnant woman can do to ensure their child is born as healthy as possible is to get at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep per day.
Here are the best hacks to try so that sleeping while pregnant is a breeze.
Table of Contents
1. Be active every single day
Working out and living an active lifestyle is always important and directly linked to your quality of sleep. But when you are pregnant, making time to exercise and be active can sometimes get challenging for women. And we totally understand, as who wants to try to go for a walk when your ankles are swollen? But the good news is that there are plenty of low impact workouts that women can do to help get them moving. From swimming or a water aerobics class to pregnant yoga classes, you can feel both calm and active at the same time without feeling any impact whatsoever on your hardworking body. And as a result, your blood circulation will improve, your mental state will clear and you will find it much easier to hop into bed and go to sleep at the end of the day.
2. Enhance your bedroom’s environment
The environment we sleep in has a direct impact on how easy it is to drift off to sleep—especially while pregnant. Evaluate your bedroom and make sure that you can create a pitch-black room with no noise and a cool temperature. These three factors will help ensure that you have no discomfort drifting off to sleep. Also, try upgrading your bed sheets and room décor to make the room feel as calm and relaxing as possible.
3. Get lots and lots of pillows
While pregnant, your body will be going through many physical changes. In fact, with extra weight and a growing belly, it is not uncommon for your body to get out of alignment. Luckily, there is a range of pregnancy pillows for your knees, neck and entire body that are designed to support pregnant women get a great night sleep. You will notice a direct improvement in your ability to get comfortable when you surround yourself with the right pillows at night.
4. Avoid social media before bed
We get it, looking at other pregnant women or new moms on social media is extremely tempting. But doing so right before bed is one of the worst things you can do to promote a mindset of relaxation. Comparing your own journey to others can create worry and stress, along with the damage that blue light in general causes. So try ditching the social media during the bedtime routine and instead read a book or journal. We promise you will notice a direct correlation with how much easier it is to fall asleep when you do so.
5. Don’t drink water right before bed
While it is super important to stay hydrated while pregnant, drinking a ton of water before bed is not going to help you get a good night sleep. Most bladders are weaker in pregnant women, so it is likely that if you don’t go to the restroom before you go to bed you will be waking up in the middle of the night to do so. So be conscious of when your last sip of water is and try to get into the routine of going to the bathroom before you hop into bed.
These five simple hacks have been tried and tested with other pregnant women—with a great night sleep often being the result. So why not give one of these hacks a try yourself?