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How to feel rested while pregnant

How to feel rested while pregnant
During the nine months that a mother carries her child, her body undergoes a lot of changes. When we mean a lot, we’re referring to not only physical changes, but hormonal, emotional, and mental as well. While most pregnant women will experience similar symptoms, fatigue and tiredness are among the common. Playing house to a growing baby (or maybe multiple) for nine months takes a toll on the body and you’re sure to feel it where your energy levels are concerned. But don’t panic — we have some tips to help keep your energy levels up during this tough, yet incredibly exciting, nine-month journey.
 

1. Get up and get outside

Starting your morning with a walk is a great way to get the body mobile and ready for the day. The bright light early in the morning signals your body to release cortisol and suppress melatonin production, which is what wakes you up. Sunlight has also been shown to stimulate the release of serotonin, the hormone that regulates mood, and also plays an important role in the production of melatonin.
Sun is also a great way to get in adequate amounts of vitamin D, which plays a critical role in calcium absorption and maintenance of bones, but also cell growth, neuromuscular and immune function, and control of inflammation.
 

2. Get prepared for sleep

We all know that sleep is essential for the body, but many of us — especially when pregnant — don’t get the ‘restful’ sleep we need. Besides having a tiny human inside us that can keep us awake at night, there are also other factors that play into sleep. Thus, establishing a sleep routine it critical to getting the body ready. Here are a few ways to help get yourself ready for bed:
 
1. Turn your mobile devices onto flight mode to avoid nightly disruptions
2. Avoid blue light one-hour before bed as it disrupts melatonin production — This comes from anything with a screen
3. Sleep in complete darkness — Use a sleep mask or blackout curtains
4. Meditation and breathing — Relaxes the body and prevents overstimulation
5. Bedroom temperature — A slightly cooler room has been shown to improve sleep quality
6. Exercise regularly
 
Exercise during pregnancy can be challenging, especially as you close in on your due date, but just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t exercise. Modification and caution will be necessary to adapt to your changing body and abilities.
Exercise not only keeps your body in shape during a period of many changes, but it also helps to trigger the release of many hormones. Studies have shown that exercise increases serum concentrations of endogenous opioids, namely beta-endorphin. This increase is linked to a number of psychological and physiological changes such as mood state changes, altered pain perception, the release of a specific hormones (growth hormone, ACTH, prolactin, catecholamines, and cortisol), as well as the ‘exercise-induced euphoria’ we often feel when doing activity. It’s also suggested that fatigue perception is modulated by an increase of endogenous opioids released during exercise.
So not only does exercise increase energy and mood, but regular activity also helps to keep the body limber and reduce the likelihood of experiencing hip and back pain — two things that are common during pregnancy.
 

4. Watch your caffeine consumption

Caffeine is one of the biggest killers of sleep. If drank too late in the day, you’re awake the entire night tossing and turning or staring at the ceiling. Caffeine works on the same pathway as adenosine, the molecule responsible for inducing drowsiness. However, when caffeine is present, it takes the place of adenosine in receptor sites and elicits the opposite response, causing us to become more alert. To avoid these effects, limit caffeine consumption during the day and avoid consuming it after 2pm to remove any stimuli that may disrupt sleep patterns. Alternatively, substitute decaf or no-caf coffee if you love the taste but don’t want any of the effects.
 

5. Enjoy a nap

Enjoying a nap is one of the best ways to overcome those feelings of tiredness and give your body the energy bump it just might need. Studies have tested a wide variety of nap durations and found that 10-20 minutes seems to be ideal. This length doesn’t let you reach a deep sleep state and allows you to stay in the lighter stages of NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep, leaving you bright and alert upon rising.
 

6. Eat healthy

Not only is eating healthy important for you, but it’s critical for the health of your baby. Ensure you’re eating quality sources of protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and lots of vegetables to obtain a full spectrum of nutrients.
It’s also important that you’re consuming enough calories to support growth of your baby and your energy levels. Adding in nutrient dense foods like salmon, sardines, kale, seaweed, garlic, organ meats, eggs, and dark chocolate provide a bang for your buck in terms of vitamins and minerals, which translates directly into energy for your body.
We know that pregnancy can be hard, but putting these six tips into practice will help you to wake up feeling rested and keep your energy levels high throughout an incredibly challenging nine months of your life! But remember, these six tips don’t just apply during your pregnancy, but will be useful once your little one arrives.

Why your baby won't sleep!

Why your baby won't sleep!
This is a question you might be asking yourself when you are up multiple times at night and maybe you are feeling a little desperate to help your baby sleep better. Know that you aren’t alone if you are feeling drained from waking up several times every night and having to soothe your baby back to sleep.
 
When our babies don’t sleep well, we tend to look for an explanation. We think it might be teething or gas. We worry that she’s too small and she needs to eat in the night, or he’s too big and he needs to eat more or he won’t feel full. The list goes on and on.
Sometimes these are the things waking up your baby along with those times when your child has a burning fever or a new tooth coming in, the real reason most babies won’t sleep or stay asleep is that they just haven’t learned how.
 
Even if you don’t think about it as a process for sleep, we all have strategies that help us get ready for sleep each night. We have bedtime routines that we tend to do without really thinking about, and we do these things because they help us transition from the busyness of our day to a restful sleep.
 
Maybe this was before baby was born, but think back to how you like to get ready for bed. Maybe you sleep on your side or cuddle up to your partner. Some of us need a glass of water beside the bed, some need white noise or music, others can’t sleep without the window open. Some need a cup of herbal tea, and some have to read for ten minutes. Whatever your process might be, these are all sleep strategies, and without them we’d have trouble drifting off.
 

Night waking with babies

The same goes for babies! Babies also need a signal to help them fall asleep. Many parents who haven’t developed a sleeping strategy for their babies will complain that their child can only fall asleep with the bottle, or while breastfeeding, or while being rocked or patted. While this might be true, the trouble is, by offering this help, parents are creating a situation where their babies are dependent on something external to help them sleep. And that’s why they don’t sleep well.
Night waking is very common in babies who have not learned to fall asleep on their own skills and are relying on a help from a parent. Now keep in mind, providing some help to fall asleep for a baby under four months old is fine! For babies over five months, if they have only been put to sleep then when they wake up and the help isn’t there to put them back to sleep, they have to wake up fully and cry in order to be soothed back to sleep. It’s not personal and they aren’t out to get you; they just have no idea how to go to sleep without your help.
 
Luckily there is hope. There are lots of ways to give your child the tools she needs to be able to sleep independently, even from a very young age. Babies are capable of sleeping through the night, and learning those skills young will help make bedtimes and night times relatively hassle-free.

Consistent bedtime routine 

Begin by starting a simple and consistent routine every time your child sleeps for either bedtime or naps. A bedtime routine can be about 30 minutes long (naps routine about 15 to 20 minutes) and it helps calm the brain and body to be ready for sleep. A routine may look like as simple as feeding, PJ’s, brush teeth, a book or two, lights out, then get in bed. Keep it consistent and your child will start to know what this process means!
 
A well-rested child is a happier, healthier child. And a well-rested parent is healthier and happier too! Happy sleeping!

Why babies cry in their sleep?

Why babies cry in their sleep?
One challenge that parents face is managing their sleep schedules. This is because babies can often wake up crying at night or in their sleep. If you ever wonder why babies do so, it can actually have a variety of reasons. Let us take a look at some of them.