The hormonal and physical changes that occur when you are pregnant can affect much of your daily routine and sleep is one of them.
Why Sleep is Difficult During Pregnancy
Relaxation of your ligaments and soft tissues (fascia) happens so your body has room for baby to grow but also causes a loosening effect on all of your joints, particularly your pelvic joints, to ease the birth of your baby.
Change in shape and increase in body weight, especially from 26 weeks onwards, causes postural stress when you are sitting, standing and lying.
Add to that nausea and indigestion, urinary frequency and cramp - getting a good sleep during pregnancy is about as difficult as when you have a new born baby!
Why You Can't Get Comfortable
Because your ligaments are stretchier than usual, and because of your change in shape and increased abdominal weight, there is reduced stability and increased strain on your joints - meaning comfortable positions become uncomfortable when you have been in them for any length of time.
As your tummy grows the rotation and pull becomes stronger, stretching and straining sacro-iliac, symphysis pubic and low lumbar joints as well as your ribs and abdominal muscles.
Rolling Over When Pregnant Can Be So Painful
The ligament controlling the pubic joint (at the front of the pelvis) is normally very strong, but it softens and can gap quite significantly during pregnancy and birth, and it is certainly stressed when you roll over. If you have any symphysis pubic dysfunction ( SPD ) you will know how painful this can be.
Because all of your core stability muscles - the abdominals, pelvic floor and deep back muscles - are compromised during pregnancy, there is a lot less control as you roll over.
How To Get Better Sleep During Pregnancy
Before you go to bed:
1. Does your bed pass the Goldilocks test - not too soft, not too hard, not too old?
2. Allow 2-3 hours sitting upright after a meal to minimise heartburn. Small snacks are ok.
3. Gently stretch your hamstring and calf muscles, your low back muscles and also rotate your upper spinal muscles to release muscle tension. Specifically stretch hamstring and calf muscles to reduce the possibility of leg cramp.
4. Use a hot pack on your upper or lower back, depending on where your 'stressed' area is.
Pregnancy Supports In Bed
5. Use a pillow or a special pregnancy pillow between your bent legs when you are lying on your side, and later on in your pregnancy, place one under your tummy.
With or without your pillow, to roll over, straighten your legs a little and then roll like a log, keeping your legs together throughout the movement.
6. Wear a comfortable pelvic support belt to 'hold' your pelvis together in a good position when you are rolling over or getting in and out of bed to reduce joint strain and pain. Wearing a support belt may also help painful hips.
7. Cramp in your calf muscle is best dealt with by pulling your toes and foot towards you. Get someone to do this for you or get out of bed and stand on affected leg, then slowly bend your knee so you slowly stretch out your calf muscle. Get plenty of magnesium into your diet - it may help with cramp. Bananas are a good food because they have a balance of magnesium, calcium and potassium. While experiencing the cramp breathe deeply, focus on your out breath and practice keeping 'calm' while pain is happening. Good practice for labour!
What You Do During the Day Will Affect Your Sleep
8. Moderate your lifestyle if you can. Over-tiredness both physically and mentally will impede your ability to relax, and get much needed sleep. Restless legs can be caused by over-tiredness. Wearing highheel shoes will stress your low back causing fatigue in many muscle groups. Towards the end of pregnancy put your feet up in the evening to assist fluid being pumped around your body and most of all try not to slouch on the couch.
9. Look after your body during the daytime. If you have a job that requires prolonged standing, walking or bending, use a pregnancy support belt to reduce the stress on your joints by keeping better alignment and facilitating good patterns of muscle coordination, which will reduce pain and fatigue.
10. Drink fluids throughout the day, rather than lots at the end of the day to help reduce the number of times you go to the toilet at night.
Get Out of Bed Safely During Pregnancy
And finally, when you go to get out of bed, think about how your Nana does it!
Never sit straight up - doing this puts huge strain on your tummy muscles, back joints and pelvic floor muscles. You may notice your abdominal muscles separate and a bulge appear between the two rectus muscles. This is underlying abdominal muscle breaking through your fascia, called abdominal diastasis.
Always roll onto your side, push with your lower arm into sitting and then swing both legs over the side of the bed, pause and then stand. Just like your Nana.
