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Insomnia During Pregnancy and Will It Harm Your Baby? If you\u2019re pregnant and having difficulty getting a good night\u2019s sleep, you\u2019re not alone. \u00a0By Jackie Edwards<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The National Sleep Foundation\u2019s Women and Sleep Poll reveals that\u00a084% of pregnant women<\/a>\u00a0are more likely to have sleep problems at least a few nights a week. Fortunately, there are several ways to get better sleep, and it doesn\u2019t involve taking pills, which may harm your baby.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Apart from feeling lethargic, irritable, and tired throughout the day, not having enough sleep may also pose health risks for you and your baby. A research has shown that\u00a0low birth weight and preterm births<\/a>\u00a0are linked to a pregnant woman\u2019s lack of sleep. Moreover, another study has shown that first-time moms who got less than six hours a day of sleep at night were 4.5 times\u00a0more likely to have a C-section<\/a>, and the average length of labor was 10 hours more or longer compared with first-time mothers who slept seven hours or more. Expecting mothers are advised to sleep for more than eight hours to ensure a healthy pregnancy. Here\u2019s how you can get better sleep the natural way.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n Studies have shown that a diet rich in\u00a0magnesium can promote better sleep<\/a>. It acts as a natural muscle relaxant so you drift off to sleep easily. Magnesium-rich foods include nuts, beans, whole grains, avocados, yogurt, and milk. Try including these foods in your daily diet and have a glass of warm milk at night as part of your bedtime routine.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n Your pregnancy may have encouraged you to give up your daily cup of coffee, but other beverages that you consume may still contain large amounts of caffeine which can make it difficult to fall asleep<\/a>. Avoid caffeinated teas, sodas, and chocolate drinks especially in the late afternoon or in the evening. Consider making the switch to beverages without caffeine<\/a>, such as peppermint or ginger tea, or water flavored with slices of cucumber, lemon, or strawberries.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n Most pregnant women need to unwind with a relaxing bedtime routine<\/a> to be able to sleep better. Take a warm shower or a bath, wear comfortable sleepwear, and read a book or write in your journal before turning in for the night. If you feel a bit hungry, have a light snack such as a banana or a piece of toast with a glass of milk. Make your bed as comfortable and inviting as possible with soft and clean sheets, supportive pillows, and a warm blanket. Do your bedtime routine<\/a> at a reasonable hour every night to help you sleep better.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n Women who don\u2019t have a high-risk pregnancy are often advised to have some form of physical activity while expecting<\/a>. Getting some exercise\u00a0can help improve quality of sleep<\/a>, and it can also help you feel rested when you wake up. Opt to do exercises that can raise your heart rate and get your muscles engaged, such as jogging, walking, Pilates, pregnancy yoga, aerobics, or swimming. Try to workout in the morning or in the afternoon as exercising in the evening can make you feel too energized and unable to fall sleep sooner.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n Unplug at least two hours before going to sleep<\/strong><\/span><\/u><\/u><\/p>\n Light can interfere with your sleep cycle<\/a>, so it\u2019s advisable to dim the lights in your bedroom before going to sleep. You should also avoid using your computer <\/a>or watching the news before you go to bed because you\u2019ll want to avoid seeing any upsetting news or images that can stress you out before bedtime. Don\u2019t keep your phone by your bedside – you\u2019ll only be tempted to check your text messages, social media feeds, and the like, which will disrupt your bedtime routine.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n Lack of sleep can be one of the issues that most pregnant women will have to deal with, but it\u2019s one thing that can be easily remedied the natural way.<\/span><\/p>\n Follow any of these tips to help you sleep better and have a healthy and happy pregnancy.\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Insomnia During Pregnancy and Will It Harm Your Baby? If you\u2019re pregnant and having difficulty getting a good night\u2019s sleep, you\u2019re not alone. \u00a0By Jackie Edwards The National Sleep Foundation\u2019s Women and Sleep Poll reveals that\u00a084% of pregnant women\u00a0are more likely to have sleep problems at least a few nights a week. Fortunately, there […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8298,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[195,203],"tags":[405,417,418,419,420,421,422,423,424,425,426,427],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthymamabrand.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8817"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthymamabrand.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthymamabrand.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthymamabrand.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthymamabrand.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8817"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/healthymamabrand.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8817\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28204,"href":"https:\/\/healthymamabrand.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8817\/revisions\/28204"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthymamabrand.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8298"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthymamabrand.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthymamabrand.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthymamabrand.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What happens when pregnant women don\u2019t get enough sleep?<\/strong><\/span><\/u><\/u><\/h3>\n
Add more magnesium to your diet<\/strong><\/span><\/u><\/u><\/h3>\n
Watch your caffeine intake<\/strong><\/span><\/u><\/u><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/healthymamabrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/cup-779284_960_720.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHave a relaxing bedtime routine<\/strong><\/span><\/u><\/u><\/h3>\n
Get some exercise<\/strong><\/span><\/u><\/u><\/h3>\n