Safe and Easy Remedies to Get more Sleep in Pregnancy
Sleeplessness, restlessness and insomnia can come in many shapes and sizes in pregnancy. The best place to start when getting more zzzs in pregnancy is to first identify the cause and then treat it at the source.
Anxiety
Anxiety is a common source of sleepless nights in pregnancy. See our blog post about perinatal mood changes to help treat anxiety in pregnancy. If anxiety is the cause, use thing these tips and tricks to reduce anxiety may help along with the safe remedies listed at the bottom.
Restless Leg
This is a common disorder in pregnancy, especially as the pregnancy progresses into the third trimester. Enhanced blood flow, utilizing heat an exercise can be a great way to calm restless leg. Heat in the from of a warm bath or shower before bed or warm compresses on your lower extremes at night before sleep and be useful. Also calcium and magnesium supplementation are used to calm restless leg as well. In extreme cases, there are pharmacological treatments as well.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea and positional apnea may be due to the increased weight from the pregnancy. This can often be difficult to diagnose, but if your partner reports new bouts of snoring or you find yourself jerking awake, this can be related to sleep apnea. Often those who experience sleep apnea with also wake in the morning with a sore throat. Often in pregnancy pillows and portion changes are the most utilized remedy for this condition, yet some patients will find a lot of benefit from a CPAP machine.
Unknown causes
These can be the most common reasons why patients experience insomnia. Here are some safe remedies to be utilized
- Excess pillows and body pillows
- Blue light blocker glasses
- Avoiding bright lights from phones and TVs late at night
- Chamomile Tea
- Magnesium and Calcium Supplementation
- Benadryl or Antihistamine Use
- Apple Cider Vinegar combined with Heated Honey
- Acupuncture
- Exercise
- Meditation
- Avoid eating 2-3 hours Before Bedtime
- Practice Good Sleep Hygiene (meaning going to bed every-night around the same time)
Also don’t forget to check out our latest True Birth Podcast Epidote about Insomnia Season 1 Episode 95 https://www.truebirthpodcast.com/insomnia-in-pregnancy-episode-95/
