Insomnia during pregnancy

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All pregnant women suffer from insomnia at some stage of their pregnancy. Part of it is down to the pressure of the baby on the bladder which means you have to go to the toilet frequently at night. Part of it is down to backache, again from carrying the weight of the baby. And part of it is down to stress, anxiety and simply because your bed isn't really built to accomodate a person with your pregnant shape.

Pregnant women can't really take any medication to help with the insomnia, so what can you do if you have trouble sleeping during pregnancy?

1. Make sure the room temperature in your bedroom is conducive to sleep. We tend to sleep better when the room is cool, so if you are pregnant during high summer, you may have particular difficult. It might be an idea to get a portable air conditioning unit for your bedroom, or install a ceiling fan to help cool the room.

2. Try to ensure you are relaxed as you approach bedtime. Take a bath or shower to relax the muscles. Get your husband to rub your back and tummy gently. It should soothe both you and the baby.

3. Milky drinks usually help people sleep - try hot chocolate, horlicks, ovaltine or a malt type nighttime drink.

4. Change your sheets frequently so that you are sleeping on fresh clean linen. Make sure the mattress is turned regularly so that it hasn't developed any depressions or dips and can support your body properly.

5. Try getting a total body pillow (or maternity pillow). They come in various shapes and sizes. The best ones seem to be the curved pillows that go around your body, allowing you to place the end of the pillow between your legs. This moves the hips apart slightly relieving pressure on the hips and pelvis.

Above all don't panic if you are not sleeping a full night through. As long as you manage to get short naps throughout the day, you should get sufficient rest so that you are not doing yourself harm.