Pregnancy comes with many difficulties, and one of the main ones is sleeping. As the belly grows and your hormones change almost every day, it becomes difficult to sleep. But, there is still hope for restful and restorative sleep if you make a few adjustments to your lifestyle and sleep pattern. The changes may include simple things like taking a warm shower before bed to other ones like changing your dinner menu completely.

Here are some ways to get better sleep during pregnancy as your belly grows big.

1. Come Up With A Routine

sleeping during pregnancy

The body has a biological clock that it follows, and this is what tells it when to sleep and or wake up and so it is vital to have a regular sleep routine. A sleep routine is even more important during pregnancy than other times because you are likely to have a hard time sleeping during this period. Come up with a schedule that will ensure that you are in bed early enough so that you can have sufficient time to rest. Sleeping between 8 and 10 pm is an excellent idea as you can almost be sure that you will sleep for more than eight hours.

2. Watch What You Eat

Food is one of the main reasons why pregnant women and also other people are unable to get good sleep. You have to be keen with what you take during the day and at dinner time if you have any hope of sleeping. Avoid alcohol and anything with caffeine as it will keep you awake for many hours. Fluids are vital to the body, but you should limit them to the early part of the day and avoid them in the afternoon so that you will not have to wake up numerous times at night to go to the washroom. Remember that your bladder cannot hold a lot of urine during pregnancy and so the more the fluids you take, the more the times that you will have to wake up at night. Also, avoid heavy meals and spicy foods at night because they will give your heartburns and indigestion.

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3. Support Your Body

sleep well during pregnancy

One can never overemphasize the importance of sleeping in a comfortable bed when you are pregnant. Most mothers know this, and so they will buy expensive and comfortable mattresses or some toppers. But, even with the best mattress, you will still need to have a pregnancy pillow to support your body. Pillows are essential for a pregnant woman that wants to sleep well and for long, and she should have pregnancy pillow to support both the back and stomach.

4. Skip Daytime Naps

You will hardly find any woman that does not have intense sleepiness during pregnancy, and this is more so during the first trimester. Although most ladies think that it is okay to take naps during the day, it is not always a good idea. And this is because it will make it even harder for you to sleep at night. Skip the naps or avoid them as much as possible but if you must have one make it short and sweet instead of having a very long one.

5. Keep Stress And Anxiety In Check

Stress and anxiety are some of the things that keep a pregnant woman awake at night. There are endless things to agonize about when you are pregnant but if you do not control the thinking, you will not only fail to sleep well but will also be putting your unborn child in unnecessary danger. Find things that will make you relax and get rid of anxiety, and for this, you can try something like yoga or just talk to those close to you about things that keep you awake at night. Taking a warm shower before bed or listening to a soothing and relaxing music before you go to sleep can also be very helpful.

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6. Switch Off The Lights

The body’s internal mechanism uses light as one of the factors that determine when to sleep or wake up. And so you should keep your bedroom dark by switching off the lights if you want to rest well. Also, cover anything with a bright light like an alarm clock or phone because even a small light can have a huge effect. It is also vital to keep the room as quiet as possible because noise also affects sleep.

Sleep is vital for the health and development of an unborn child, and so it is your responsibility as a mother to ensure that you get enough of it every night. There are many ways to get better sleep during pregnancy, but the six above are very helpful, and you only need to follow them.