Last evening in the prenatal yoga class, the topic of sleeping, or should I say, sleeplessness during pregnancy came up, as it does, often. Many women experience sleep challenges during pregnancy...and the solutions are as varied as the reasons are that contribute to the problem.
Some find help by simply drinking a glass of warm milk and retiring to the sofa with a book relaxes them enough to return to bed to fall asleep. Others find that an herbal tea with Camomille, Passion Flower and Skullcap to be a useful remedy. (Check with Susan Weeds Herbal Guide For Pregnancy for proper use or consult with a qualified herbalist).
If you are finding that your bed is not comfortable you may need to come up with an alternative mattress or place to sleep in your home. Sometime using pillows as props can assist you into comfort and thus falling back to sleep.
Sometimes the sleeplessness is related to anxiety related to becoming a mother and/or the upcoming birth experience itself. If this is true for a woman there are many approaches to release the anxious feelings. Sometimes simply vocalizing the fears to a person who listens well can be enough to move you through the feelings that are disrupting sleep. Other women find journalling or some form of art to be helpful.
I found that during my pregnancy that accepting the wakefulness and moving with it to be a way to approach my fears of "not getting enough sleep". I practiced yoga asanas that were calming in nature as well as breathing meditations. These would often be enough to relax me back to sleep.
Pregnancy is a time of great demand and change in our body and we have been designed, if you will, to bear children. I encourage all the women who come through my yoga classes to seek their own inner wisdom and guides as well as call upon the support of those they love and trust.