Dr. Christopher addresses sleep-related questions asked by local moms.
In a recent Denver Metro Moms Blog post about sleeping during pregnancy (and beyond), Dr. Diane Christopher talks about natural sleep rhythms.
“We sleep in 90-minute sleep cycles when our level of sleep varies from light sleep to deep sleep,” she explains. “When we connect those 90-minute cycles, we sleep through the night. When your sleep is disrupted, take care of your immediate needs (take a Tums, drink water, empty your bladder) and then try to go back to sleep. Recognize that this is just a normal break in your sleep cycle and get settled back in to resume your next REM cycle.”
She discusses the challenges of sleeping during pregnancy, including finding a comfortable and safe position, managing heartburn, getting up repeatedly to use the restroom and anxious thoughts about labor and delivery, all of which can all affect quality of sleep.
Dr. Christopher also offers useful tips on postpartum snoozing, such as asking others for help, taking naps with the baby and setting realistic sleep expectations.