As soon as you are pregnant, relaxation, a lot of rest and more sleep are important. But, it’s not always that easy to get enough of these things. At first, constantly thinking about the baby makes falling asleep more difficult or the baby belly prevents from finding the proper resp. the comfortable sleeping position. Furthermore, physical complaints like cramps in the calf, bladder weakness resp. a more frequent urge to urinate and back pain interfere with sleep.
Which sleeping position is the best?
As long as you are feeling comfortable you are allowed to sleep in your usual sleeping position. But, as soon as your belly grows, sleeping on your stomach will not be as comfortable any more. Then it is advisable to sleep on your back or on your side. The further advanced the pregnancy is the more the weight of the baby presses on the large blood vessels (inferior vena cava, for example) as well as on the inner organs. Especially when you belong to stomach- and back-sleepers it pays to early acquire a new lying position. Try to sleep on your left side in future. This relieves your body and you will find it more easily to rest. And, this will take the pressure from the inferior vena cava as well. This vein transports the blood from the lower body parts to the heart and supports the kidneys in their work of filtering harmful substances out of the body. The consequence: no more swollen legs in the morning.
Using a nursing pillow is supporting to find a comfortable lateral position in spite of the huge belly.
But during the last weeks before birth, sleeping problems often can’t be compensated with these little hints. Try to make as many breaks during the day. A short nap of 15 to 20 minutes is enough to fill up your energy again.
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