Pregnancy, And Finding Your Beauty Sleep

Given the wide-ranging chemical and physical effects that pregnancy has on the body, it’s little surprise that Healthline reports insomnia being one of the most common negative side effects of pregnancy. Disturbed sleep can be especially harmful to pregnant women given the negative impacts it has on an unborn baby, and so it’s crucial to try and nip it in the bud.

Sleep disturbance

Sleep disturbance is often caused by specific problems. One of the most common causes is gestational diabetes, which a 2018 study published in the Journal of Neurobiology of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms suggests is the most common cause of short sleep. While nutrition helps, it’s not necessarily influential in preventing it. To help address gestational diabetes, health advisers suggest using diabetic socks and using a pillow to help you sleep on your left side, avoiding the likes of heartburn and easing the burden on your back.

Aches and pains

The back and legs are often affected by pregnancy due to the extra weight carried throughout term. While the body has its own natural hormone – relaxin – that is released to ease the strain on joints, muscles and bones, it can still add up and make sleeping uncomfortable. One tip to combat this is through having short naps during the day – this will help your body to recover in short, sharp bursts, and make the evening sleep easier. A good quality mattress at home can help with this, as can good quality pillows.

Taking long term change

Although the burden of a pregnancy can make exercise and nutrition seem like the last thing on your list, it’s important that you try and cater for them. Light exercise and yoga can help to permanently improve posture, and this will make life much easier when trying to get to sleep at night – a supportive mattress will maintain your hard work and make it much more comfortable when trying to get some rest. Do light, non-strenuous exercise that focuses on getting your bones and ligaments working.

Pregnancy is a health condition that will often impact sleep. Sometimes, it’s simply due to aches, and other times due to conditions. The effect can be painful, and unhealthy, with you and your unborn baby needing every last minute you can get. Adapting is straightforward, but requires effort; having the right sleeping arrangements will make it that much easier