Pregnancy / 28 April, 2017 / My Baba
Good quality sleep is essential if we’re to stay healthy but during pregnancy getting a full night’s sleep becomes almost impossible. So this Sleep Awareness Week, we have some fantastic advice for all you mums-to-be out there from sleep expert, Dave Gibson.
Dave has been practising as a Naturopath and Osteopath for over 15 years and he is also a qualified hypnotherapist, providing naturopathic advice across a wide range of conditions to promote good sleep patterns and quality sleep. Dave is the resident sleep expert for Warren Evans bed makers, and is founder of thesleepsite.co.uk.
According to the National Sleep Foundation’s 1998 Women and Sleep poll, almost 4 out of 5 women report more disturbed sleep during pregnancy than at other times.
What’s more, poor sleep can have an effect on labour and delivery. Researchers from the University of California at San Francisco found that women who slept fewer than 6 hours per night during pregnancy had longer labours and were 4.5 times more likely to have caesarean deliveries.
It is essential therefore for pregnant women to prioritise sleep and to develop strategies for managing their sleep problems as early as possible.
Ten sleep tips for pregnancy
Conditions and tips for common sleep disorders
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) and leg cramps
About ¼ of women report RLS getting worse in pregnancy and about 15 % of pregnant women develop RLS in the third trimester. Moving your legs can stop these symptoms temporarily, but the irritation returns when the limb is still.
Tips
Heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Somewhere between a third and one half of pregnant women experience GERD almost constantly during pregnancy. However, night time symptoms of GERD can damage the oesophagus and disrupt sleep during pregnancy.
Tips
Sleep apnoea
Sleep apnoea is when you temporarily stop breathing during sleep – it can become a serious problem if it is severe. Overweight or obese women who become pregnant, women who gain excessive weight, and women who report snoring should be evaluated for sleep if they experience sleep apnoea. Sleep apnoea needs to be fully discussed and checked out with your GP.
Tip
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a safe and effective treatment for sleep apnoea during pregnancy.
General insomnia
General symptoms of insomnia include difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early or feeling unrefreshed.
Tip
Napping is ok, but shorter is better – around 20 minutes in the siesta period is best, if your nap is too long or too close to bedtime, it could interfere with night time sleep.
Increased night time urination
Many women will get up more than once during the night to relieve themselves, and this interrupts valuable sleep time.
Tips
Warren Evans bed makers and sleep expert, Dave Gibson, have created a free sleep guide for all adults called The Art of Falling Asleep, giving you simple, easy to follow advice and techniques to help you fall asleep and stay asleep. Find out more at: Warren Evans. Warren Evans currently has up to 50% off some of their best beds and mattresses so it’s worth checking out.