I am now in week 29 of my pregnancy and there I am again trying to figure out why I am having such a hard time sleeping at night…. I know this is nature’s way of preparing me for sleepless night but still, I have to find some relief here. It seems 78% of women have insomnia and sleep problems during pregnancy…. anything from anxiety, leg cramps, not being able to find a comfortable spot, frequent trips to the bathroom, it all seems to be in a night’s work… And it certainly doesn’t help if you have other children who are waking up in the night.

Everyone seems to tell you first of all to “NOT PANIC,” but for most of us who are geting up early in the morning, going to work, and taking care of family and children, those essential hours of sleep cannot be missed. So here are some ways to address the problems of sleep:

Anxiety

Sometimes I feel as if I am completely out of control…. it’s as if my body’s emotional response to just about everything is heightened. There are actual physiological reasons for your seemingly “irrational” responses to problems that perhaps prior to pregnancy you would have handled differently.

Frequent Trips to the Bathroom

Try to drink lost of fluids in the day (anything 8-12 cups a day) and limit intake at night. The baby center also recommends you avoid all caffeinated drinks (which obviously are a no-no if you are trying to get some sleep) but also act as a diuretic and will send you off to the bathroom even more frequently. Another interesting tip from the babycenter is to lean forward to help completely empty your bladder.

Email This Post - Subscribe to this feed - Save to del.icio.us -
November 13th, 2006 | Permalink