EACH TRIMESTER, SLEEP CHANGES
Sleeping is not a waste of time. It is even an essential activity to protect yourself from mood and alertness disorders, maintain good respiratory and muscular efficiency, relieve fatigue, tension and minor worries. Sleep therefore allows us to recover well and optimize all the functions of the body. During pregnancy, it is therefore more important than ever to ensure its quality trimester by trimester, because it continues to evolve.
In the 1st trimester: The sudden influx of progesterone, a naturally sedative hormone, leads to irrepressible desires to sleep throughout the day. Nothing more normal. Ideally, you shouldn't struggle... When you're working, the solution is to schedule a flash nap of 10 to 20 minutes depending on your schedule: the energy boost is equal to 10 or even 15 times the duration of the nap .
In the 2nd trimester: The anxiety and nausea of the 1st trimester are over, the new hormonal situation stabilizes, sleep returns to normal. It's time to make the most of your days without sacrificing restorative sleep time. Everyone has their quota, but overall, it is equivalent to one hour less than the natural sleeping time during the holidays.
In the 3rd trimester: The closer we get to the term, the more sleep becomes disrupted. In addition to the increasingly rounded belly and its increasingly toned little inhabitant, other factors favor nighttime awakenings: itchy skin, nocturnal cramps, lower back pain... This is where we will have to be the most vigilant and multiply the tips to arrive in great shape on the day of delivery.
10 TIPS TO (RE)FIND GOOD SLEEP
Sleeping on your stomach is neither prohibited nor dangerous. But the more the pregnancy progresses, the more uncomfortable the position becomes. For this reason but also to facilitate your breathing and optimize baby's oxygenation, it is recommended in the last months to sleep on the left side. And acquire the right reflexes to ensure dreamy nights:
1/ Respect the biological rhythm: Be sure to expose yourself to light during the day and sleep in the dark because these light contrasts are at the origin of wake and sleep cycles. Otherwise, the secretion of melatonin which gives the body the signal to sleep is disrupted. So remove screens from the bedroom that flash in standby mode!
2/ Be active during the day: To achieve deep sleep, the most restorative, you must be active during the day. Exercise your mind (reading, creative hobby) and your body (30 minutes of walking, swimming or yoga per day) by knowing how to decelerate and stop at the right time: minimum 3 hours before going to bed.
3/ Light dinner…but not too much: By increasing body temperature, meals that are too heavy disrupt sleep. But a meal that is too light risks waking up due to cravings. The ideal plate: vegetables, proteins (egg, ham, fish, etc.), slow sugars (rice, bread, cereals), dairy products and fruit, two to three hours before bedtime.
4/ Banish alcohol and nicotine: Two bad habits that are also harmful to sleep. Alcohol disrupts its quality and nicotine, like coffee, is a stimulant which causes many awakenings.
5/ Avoid sources of stress: Before bed, no distressing films or novels, online discussions, etc. which increase alertness and body temperature. Exactly the opposite of what the body needs to fall asleep.
6/ Opt for good bedding: Too firm, the weight of the body rests too much on the shoulders and hips; too soft, neck, kidneys and spine are not well supported. Remember to raise the bottom feet of the bed base to facilitate venous return. And use a nursing pillow, which, placed between the thighs and going up along the stomach, helps relieve tension and allows you to sit comfortably on your side.
7/ Relax the skin: A lukewarm shower (no more than 37°C) has no equal in the evening to relax the mind and prepare the body for sleep. And, when you get out of the shower, the anti-heavy legs and anti-stretch mark treatments will be even more effective. As well as the moisturizing and soothing treatments, guaranteeing a night without tightness and itching for ultra-sensitive skin.
8/ Establish a ritual: At the first signs (yawning, itchy eyes), start a propitious ritual which always makes it easier to fall asleep. Drink some herbal tea or a glass of milk, ventilate your room and turn down the heating (18°C) to lower your body temperature.
9 / Breathe deeply: Practicing abdominal breathing and visualization helps you better understand sleep. Lie down with your eyes closed, breathe deeply and slowly through your stomach about ten times, trying to relax all the muscles in your body. Then visualize all the details of a calming place.
10/ Stabilize waking up: Waking up regularly at the same time, including on weekends and on vacation, facilitates sleep/wake synchronization. But if you are very tired, don't hesitate to treat yourself to a lie-in. Or a compensatory nap.
A BOOST FROM ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
Faced with repeated nights without sleep or troubled by multiple awakenings, you should not hesitate to speak to your doctor who, based on your medical file, will be able to direct you towards the most suitable solution. There is obviously no question of relying on self-medication which risks having side effects! Especially since the range of alternative medicines is vast.
Behavioral therapy: it consists of stopping maintaining insomnia by learning, among other things, how and when to return to bed.
Phytotherapy: Certain plants promote sleep. Herbal teas are therefore often welcome, particularly chamomile and verbena.
Homeopathy: During pregnancy, many allopathic medications are prohibited. This is not the case with homeopathy which, depending on your personality and the type of insomnia, can be of great help.
Acupuncture: For Chinese medicine, sleep disorders come from poor circulation of energy (ki) which can be rebalanced by acting on different points of the body.
Relaxation: Yoga, meditation, sophrology can help find the calm necessary to fall asleep.