5 Foods That Help You Sleep During Pregnancy
Getting a good night’s sleep during pregnancy is essential. Rest guarantees the correct development of the fetus, as well as the physiological and hormonal balance in the mother’s body. If you don’t get enough sleep each day, you could experience serious health problems.
However, not all women are able to fall asleep easily in pregnancy. There are many factors that can influence. One of them is stress. To avoid reaching such a situation, some dietary strategies that have shown good results can be implemented.
Foods that help you sleep during pregnancy
The consumption of the following foods during pregnancy will help to improve sleep and rest at night, to prevent the appearance of health problems in the mother or the fetus.
Nuts and whole grains
Both nuts and whole grains are characterized by their tryptophan content. This amino acid is essential for the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that modulates states of rest and relaxation. This is evidenced by research published in the journal Nutrients .
Consuming these products in the hours prior to sleep will improve sleep quality. However, certain precautions must be taken. In the case of cereals, not all women have to consume them. Those who developed gestational diabetes should moderate their consumption a lot.
Likewise, it must be taken into account that nuts are products with high energy density. Although they contain high-quality nutrients, it is optimal to regulate their intake to prevent excessive weight gains during pregnancy. A handful a day is usually enough.
Fish
The fish have in their interior a mineral that improves rest: magnesium, capable of promoting a state of relaxation, promoting a restful and higher quality sleep. In fact, its supplements are used to treat some insomnia problems, according to a study also published in Nutrients .
However, not only can magnesium be found in fish, but also nuts and some whole grains contain it. For this reason, the aforementioned products have great power when it comes to improving the ability to rest thanks to the contribution of the mineral and the amino acid at the same time.
Rice and tubers
In addition to all the foods discussed, it is possible to improve the quality of sleep during pregnancy by introducing complex carbohydrates in the diet. These nutrients are capable of enhancing the absorption of tryptophan, optimizing its function.
However, it is important to ensure that these sugars are always low on the glycemic index. Otherwise, it could increase the risk of the woman developing gestational diabetes, as well as worsen the control of the disease if it has already manifested. In this case, a reduction of carbohydrates in the diet is effective to avoid complications.
Other habits to improve rest
It is important to introduce foods that help sleep during pregnancy into the diet, but it is also important to promote good lifestyle habits related to sleep hygiene. Among them are going to bed early, avoiding blue light in the moments before going to sleep, reducing stressful situations …
Likewise, the practice of light physical activity may be very indicated in these contexts. Exercise always helps to improve your night’s rest, even when it is done with little intensity. Of course, the movement must be adapted to the circumstances and possibilities of the pregnant woman.
Introduce foods that help you sleep during pregnancy into your diet
With the foods that we have shown you, you will get a better rest during pregnancy. In this way, the correct development of the fetus will be ensured and health problems that may increase the incidence of certain complex pathologies will also be avoided.
Keep in mind that rest is one of the most important healthy habits that are known. Thus, it is necessary to supplement it with proper nutrition and regular physical exercise to keep diseases away for many years.
Finally, if even with these tips you can not improve sleep, do not rule out going to the specialist. It may be necessary to assess whether there is any underlying problem, as well as to prescribe a treatment for it.
