Waking through the night to use the toilet is a well-known symptom of pregnancy. This starts earlier than you might expect; many people expect it because of baby pushing on the bladder, but it can be hormonal.
Stay hydrated
You may be tempted to stop drinking before bed, but hydration is essential during pregnancy. Don’t skip drinks completely before bed – hydration is essential during pregnancy, and dehydration can lead to leg cramps, so little and often is better.
Getting back to sleep
If you find you are struggling to get to sleep or waking through the night and then find yourself lying awake, this can become very frustrating and mean you start to associate your bed with not sleeping.
Finding a relaxation or distraction technique to help avoid intrusive thoughts and help you drift off again. Just remember that it won’t be forever, and ignore those people who tell you unhelpful things like, “just wait until you have a newborn” – you are entitled to feel tired, and even when baby arrives, the sleep you do get is likely to be a better quality as you will be less uncomfortable.
Distraction techniques
Picture yourself in a lift
…watching the numbers of the floors moving slowly in front of your eyes.
Imagine painting a picture
Visualise each element, one after another, and imagine how you’ll paint them.
Go on a road trip
Imagine being in the back of a car on a long journey at night-time. Think about feeling comfy and safe in your seat, and looking out into the dark and passing hills and road-signs.
Explore the alphabet
Go through the alphabet in your head and try to think of a country, or a name, starting with each letter. This works with lots of things – you could try food or animals, too.
