Sleep and Pregnancy

Getting a good nights sleep during pregnancy lets you renew your stores of energy for the next day, so setting sleep patterns and finding comfortable positions is key.

There is a growing body of evidence that sleep quality affects our hormones, impacting upon our mood, our body's ability to restore itself from the days activities and how this can in turn impact upon control of stress and our weight over time. Sleep debt can build up for mums to be when discomfort sets in, so it is important to find good support by using the right pillows both for you and your baby, to help your sleep to be as restorative as possible during your pregnancy. With a heightened awareness of your need for sleep during pregnancy, the key to consider is 'maintaining good alignment'.

Pregnancy likes symmetry, and during pregnancy when your baby grows (or your babies if you are having more than one), your abdominal muscles stretch and the weight inside can pull your pelvis forwards. This can then cause discomfort, pulling or tension in your back, hips or pelvis. Using a pillow or pillows between your thighs, and lower legs can help to keep the alignment. So many women already use one pillow, but adding another one so that your thighs and lower legs are kept in alignment can relieve any minor discomforts that just the position which you lie in can cause.

Pregnancy pillows are available which also support your baby or babies, and these can help to keep you more comfortable and maintain your alignment at the same time.

For more information on sleep and alignment during pregnancy read the information at Ultimate Sleep.

The Importance of Sleep during Pregnancy - click here to read Sleep During Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide