Health Tip: Sleeping During Pregnancy

(HealthDay News) -- While it's important to get plenty of sleep during a pregnancy, that's often easier said than done. Difficulty getting comfortable, the need to urinate frequently, leg cramps and backaches often make it difficult for pregnant women to get a good night's rest.

Here are some suggestions, courtesy of the Nemours Foundation:

• Cut out caffeinated drinks. If you have to have them, limit them to the morning or early afternoon.
• Limit all food and drink in the hours before bed. Have bigger meals and drink more fluids earlier in the day.
• Put yourself on a sleep schedule, where you wake up and go to bed at the same time each day.
• Avoid exercise right before bed, but relax yourself with a warm bath.
• Get plenty of calcium to help prevent leg cramps.
• Try taking yoga (with your doctor's permission) or a similar class to help you unwind. Enroll in a childbirth class if you are anxious about becoming a parent.