Pregnant women are generally more sensitive both mentally and psychologically during pregnancy, so their tolerance for stress is reduced, and they often experience mood swings, depression, and insomnia.
It is generally believed that the change in mood during pregnancy is caused by hormonal changes. In addition, changes in the pregnant woman's dietary habits can also affect the quality of sleep during pregnancy. Therefore, a balanced diet is important. Some pregnant women experience significant changes in taste during pregnancy, but they should try to avoid foods that can cause stress, such as coffee, tea, and fried foods.
Here are four tips for pregnant women to relax and avoid insomnia:
1. Avoid foods that cause bloating
Some foods produce a lot of gas during digestion, which can cause bloating and interfere with normal sleep. These foods include beans, cabbage, onions, broccoli, bell peppers, eggplants, potatoes, sweet potatoes, taro, corn, bananas, bread, citrus fruits, and drinks and desserts with xylitol (sweetener).
2. Avoid eating greasy foods before bed
Having a heavy and greasy dinner, or eating a lot of high-fat foods, can put a burden on the intestines, stomach, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas, stimulate the central nervous system, and keep it working, which can lead to insomnia. The smartest approach is to have the most abundant meal for breakfast or lunch, and have a lighter dinner, such as celery and lily stir-fry, which can help with sleep.
3. Avoid eating spicy and salty foods before bed
Spicy foods like chili peppers, garlic, and raw onions can cause gastric burning and indigestion in some people, thus disturbing sleep. In addition, high-salt foods can cause excessive intake of sodium ions, leading to blood vessel constriction, elevated blood pressure, and tense emotions, resulting in insomnia. If there is already a history of hypertension, eating high-salt foods can likely trigger hypertension headaches and stroke.
4. Be mindful of the fiber content of vegetables
Vegetables with coarse fibers like leeks, garlic sprouts, and mustard greens are not easy to digest. If you're going to eat them, they should be cooked until soft and not seasoned with too much oil and salt. It is advisable to eat more boiled, stewed, and steamed foods and less fried and grilled foods. In addition, the food should be soft rather than hard, especially when cooking rice, it should be cooked to a softer texture.
Lastly, here's a little tip for pregnant women to avoid insomnia: put fresh pear peel, orange peel, and banana peel (50-100 grams) in an open bag and place it next to the pillow. The fragrance from the fruit peels can help pregnant women sleep better.
