Sure, you expected sleep deprivation to come with having a baby — but chances are you didn't expect it to come until you'dhad the baby. But now you know: It's almost as hard to get a good night's sleep during pregnancy as it is when you're a new parent. And maybe harder, since there's no sweet-smelling, cooing infant in your arms to make up for the dark, puffy circles under your eyes.
Sleep Problems in the First Trimester
Sleep problems during pregnancy start in the first trimester, when frequent trips to the bathroom during the night (to pee, to puke, and then to ponder) dash your sweet dreams. Then, your beauty rest starts facing a whole other cast of sleep-interrupting characters, who parade out nightly just as your spouse starts snoring: heartburn, hunger, vivid dreams and nightmares, leg cramps, restless leg syndrome, anxieties.
Sleep Problems in the Third Trimester
And in your third trimester, just when you need sleep the most (if only to rest up for new-parent sleep deprivation, which is right around the corner), slumber becomes even more elusive. Adding insult to injury, you can't even toss and turn comfortably (without a helping hand or a crane). Instead, you'll be hosting a repeat nocturnal guest as pregnancy draws to a close: urinary frequency. As your uterus flattens your bladder, storing an entire night's worth of urine becomes mission impossible. To make matters (and the bathroom runs) worse, your kidneys — which have to filter up to 50 percent more blood than usual — are putting out more urine than they ever did before (you're also peeing for two, if you didn't know).
Finding the Right Sleep Position
You may be lacking sleep during pregnancy for another reason as well — position. For instance, inveterate stomach sleepers soon find that their favorite sleeping position is about as comfortable as balancing on a basketball during pregnancy; while back sleepers also have to search for a new path to slumber (back sleeping isn't advised after the first trimester, since being flat on your back can put unnecessary pressure on your most important and overworked blood vessels). Sleeping on your side — your left side, if possible — makes things just that much easier on your circulatory system, though if you're not used to the position, it can also make things just that much harder when it comes to falling asleep.
To read more of this article and see tips for getting a good nights sleep please click on the link: http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/pregnancy-health/sleeping-like-a-baby.aspx
Sleep Problems in the First Trimester
Sleep problems during pregnancy start in the first trimester, when frequent trips to the bathroom during the night (to pee, to puke, and then to ponder) dash your sweet dreams. Then, your beauty rest starts facing a whole other cast of sleep-interrupting characters, who parade out nightly just as your spouse starts snoring: heartburn, hunger, vivid dreams and nightmares, leg cramps, restless leg syndrome, anxieties.
Sleep Problems in the Third Trimester
And in your third trimester, just when you need sleep the most (if only to rest up for new-parent sleep deprivation, which is right around the corner), slumber becomes even more elusive. Adding insult to injury, you can't even toss and turn comfortably (without a helping hand or a crane). Instead, you'll be hosting a repeat nocturnal guest as pregnancy draws to a close: urinary frequency. As your uterus flattens your bladder, storing an entire night's worth of urine becomes mission impossible. To make matters (and the bathroom runs) worse, your kidneys — which have to filter up to 50 percent more blood than usual — are putting out more urine than they ever did before (you're also peeing for two, if you didn't know).
Finding the Right Sleep Position
You may be lacking sleep during pregnancy for another reason as well — position. For instance, inveterate stomach sleepers soon find that their favorite sleeping position is about as comfortable as balancing on a basketball during pregnancy; while back sleepers also have to search for a new path to slumber (back sleeping isn't advised after the first trimester, since being flat on your back can put unnecessary pressure on your most important and overworked blood vessels). Sleeping on your side — your left side, if possible — makes things just that much easier on your circulatory system, though if you're not used to the position, it can also make things just that much harder when it comes to falling asleep.
To read more of this article and see tips for getting a good nights sleep please click on the link: http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/pregnancy-health/sleeping-like-a-baby.aspx
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