The first three months you’ll likely be feeling super tired during the day and tucking into bed earlier than usual. Sleeping, however, may not be so easy. Eating lighter meals at least two hours before bedtime can help reduce discomfort, heartburn and indigestion. And as always, not drinking too much tea or water in the evening will help you avoid unnecessary trips to the toilet.
From the second trimester onwards, the weight of the growing baby begins to affect your blood circulation. So no more sleeping on your back. The best position to promote circulation and optimize oxygen flow to the baby is to sleep on your left side. Placing a pillow between your legs can reduce pressure on the hips and knees. A breastfeeding pillow provides more support and can help you sleep more comfortably.
Moderate sport or regular exercise such as walking and light stretching exercises can improve your sleep quality. Yoga for pregnant women is designed to relieve pain and relax the body and mind. Yoga nidra is done lying down and promotes physical and emotional relaxation while maintaining an alert mind. Although not scientifically proven, some yogis say that half an hour of yoga nidra is equivalent to about three hours of sleep. Sounds nice.
One more thing: are you wondering why your baby seems super active at night when you’re trying to sleep? When you are less active and distracted, you simply become more aware of your baby’s kicks. Plus, in utero babies are likely to sleep for longer periods during the day when they are being gently rocked. So when the rocking stops…the lively dance of life begins.
