We all know that a good night’s sleep makes everything seem so much better; it improves your mood, helps you recover from illness, boosts your immunity and helps you perform better cognitively. Even during ‘normal’ times, a good night’s sleep can feel like The Holy Grail but during a Pandemic sleep is more elusive than ever. Being pregnant can of course make sleep sometimes impossible. As mums-to-be progress through pregnancy, sleep can seem like a distant memory….and don’t even get us started on lying awake watching your partner sleep like…well, a baby!

There are lots of things that you can incorporate into your daily routine to help induce a more restful night.

Gentle exercise during the day can help if you tend to feel restless in bed, tiring your muscles and mind. There are lots of safe exercise programmes you can follow through every trimester and we have a blog post on antenatal exercise coming very soon.

If you have ever gone to bed after a heavy meal pre-pregnancy and struggled to fall asleep, having a full tummy when going to bed while pregnant can be so uncomfortable. Aim to eat your evening meal early and if you do feel hungry before bed eat a light snack or have a warm mug of milk.

Set the bedroom scene – Gosh no not that! We mean – prepping your bed for you and baby!

Invest in a pregnancy pillow like Dreamgenii to help you get into and maintain a left-side sleep position. Ideal for your circulation and providing your baby with optimum nutrients and oxygen, sleeping with the Dreamgenii from the second trimester onwards will help you and baby get the most from sleep. You may like to sleep on your back or front but these positions will become at first uncomfortable and in terms of front sleeping impossible, however, the Dreamgenii’s unique shape allows you to turn to each side comfortably. It’s that comfortable we have heard stories of partners stealing the Dreamgenii and of mums-to-be even taking their trusty pillow to beauty appointments where they have to lie down – don’t blame us if you fall asleep mid-facial!

You can also spray a diluted lavender spritzer on your pillow (always check with your midwife first) for the ultimate in relaxation and download a sleep app to help you drift off. If you still are struggling to sleep and it’s because your mind keeps racing or you feel it’s more than fatigue associated with pregnancy, we would always advise seeing your GP or midwife to help you to find solutions that are right for you and baby.

If all else fails, don’t stress about losing sleep. Get up and read, listen to music or do anything to relax you. You will often find that you will eventually feel tired enough to go back to bed. We cannot recommend enough keeping all devices away (even if it’s tempting to google baby names at 3.27am) and turning the clock away from you so you don’t clockwatch. In our next sleep post, we will be recommending some more tips to help send you off to the Land of Nod but until then Goodnight!