An average adult needs between seven to nine hours of sleep per night. A pregnant women may need a few more hours of beauty rest or a couple short naps throughout the day. We agree that it is important to get a good night’s sleep during your surrogate pregnancy. During pregnancy, women may encounter issues that can affect sleep. These include heartburn, bladder discomfort, nausea, anxiety, leg cramps, snoring, among other things.
Women may experience severe heartburn throughout their pregnancy, while others may not at all. If you find that heartburn causes sleep disturbances, then try to avoid foods that are spicy, acidic or greasy. This means try to avoid pizza and fries late in the day. Yes, we know…cravings! Even eating heavy meals, especially before bedtime, could be a heartburn culprit. Try eating lighter meals earlier in the evening so that your body has time to digest the food before you go to bed. If all else fails, antacids will be your best friend.
You may find that sleeping with extra pillows to prop yourself up may help reduce heartburn and help you sleep better at night. Sleeping slightly propped up makes digestion flow better. Take it from us, extra pillows are a must for pregnant woman. The more pillows, the better. You can also use them to place between your knees, or on either side of you to make turning over more comfortable.
Another common issue that pregnant women say is a major player in sleep disturbances — your bladder. So you’re finally sleeping comfortably in bed and then you realize you need to go to the bathroom. But didn’t you just go 45 minutes ago? The baby in your belly is sitting right on your bladder making it very difficult to ignore the urge to go to the bathroom, especially in the middle of the night. The worst part then is trying to reposition yourself to get in that comfortable space again so you can fall back asleep. As the pregnancy moves along, you will notice that you will be frequenting the bathroom a lot. Perhaps try to drink less in the early evening to reduce the need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
When you’re trying to fall asleep, anxiety or thinking too much about the pregnancy can make you go stir crazy. The more you want to relax, the more your mind won’t stop! Our advice? Make some ginger tea, which also is helpful with nausea, listen to some relaxing music, take a warm shower, or try some meditation exercises.
By following some of these simple tips, you can start sleeping more soundly at night. A lot of surrogates suffer fatigue during the day. Much of this is associated with not getting a good night’s sleep. Take care of your body by trying to nap during the day to catch up on needed sleep.