Pregnancy has extra demands for women. It entails body changes that can impose stress on the mom-to-be. This makes sleep a very essential part of a woman’s day. This takes her away from the day to day strain of being pregnant, and boosts her energy to get on what’s left of the day.
Not all mattresses will provide the essentials of a woman with body transitions from time to time. In line with this, here’s a mattress guide for pregnant moms and the baby, so they can restore the optimal energy fit for them.
Sleeping in Pregnancy
As the woman goes through pregnancy, the demands change depending on which trimester she is on. The sleeping habits and the energy levels also vary with every trimester.
For the first trimester, most women feel the need to sleep more. This is because of the rise in progesterone levels, which usually results in daytime sleepiness. They also feel nauseated and experience breast tenderness, among other bodily changes.
The second trimester can be a different story as they feel more confident and energetic. But some women experience nightmares and heartburns at this part of pregnancy.
Third trimester is the part that brings the most drastic change in the sleeping habit of the woman. The baby can cause back pain, and women experience sleep disturbances at night. The best mattresses for pregnancy will aid the pregnant woman to get the best sleep in all trimesters.
Types of Mattresses for Pregnant Women and Babies
Hybrid mattresses
According to sleep enthusiasts at SleepMatters, this kind of mattress provides sleepers with the right amount of relaxation with its significant comfort layer and another layer of innerspring support core. This makes a very balanced feeling of comfort and support in one mattress
Innerspring
This is the most common mattress type as most have grown with it. It has metal coils as support with a layer of poly foam or cotton on top. This kind of mattress offers a great layer of edge support and heat dissipation.
Latex
Latex mattresses have latex as their comfort layer and core, whether it is natural or synthetic. Latex is a material that is durable, breathable and is responsive to body weight quickly.
Foam
Polyurethane foam is a kind of material that is designed to provide a variety of features for a mattress. This mattress tends to have a high-density support, and a plush comfort layer on top that provides pressure relief with minimal motion transfer.
Airbed
This fun bed has air as its support core. This enables the sleeper to adjust the firmness level as it can be deflated and inflated to the user’s preference.
Mattress Features to Consider
Thickness – the perfect mattress thickness boils down to the personal preference of the mother. Pregnant women like thick mattresses with a higher profile because it is easier for them to get up and sit down. Babies are also easily placed down the bed with thick mattresses.
Support – mattresses that offer the best support are those that have the ability to remain flat and even surface for the sleeper. This makes sure that the spine is well-aligned. Adequate support is also needed to relieve muscle and joint aches like those of the neck, shoulder, hips, and back.
Conforming – the ability of the mattress to conform to the sleeper’s body refers to how closely it contours to the body profile of the sleeper. This feature ensures to provide the right support and pressure relief at the same time.
Firmness – how soft and firm the mattress is depends on its firmness level. Pregnant women whose weight falls in 150 lbs or less usually prefer the softer mattress. Those who weigh beyond 250 lbs may like the firm mattresses so they don’t sink deep. Those with average weight like to get the medium firm mattress. At the end of the day, it still boils down to personal preference when it comes to mattress firmness.
Motion Isolation – pregnant women’s sleep is precious because it is necessary for a mattress to have motion isolation feature for an undisturbed sleep. As most women sleep with their partners, it is necessary for motion transfer to occur less. All-foam and hybrid mattresses usually have this feature.
Noise – the internal components of the mattress can sometimes be noisy. This usually comes from the spring core or the air chambers. Pregnant women who find the noise obnoxious may prefer latex or all-foam mattresses.
Baby Mattresses
The ideal baby mattress for crib use will depend on parenting style as some like to sleep with the baby in co-sleepers or on separate cribs and cot beds. Here are a few features you should consider when buying the right baby mattress.
- Size of the crib – mattresses can cost much for new parents, the size of the crib and how long the baby will stay there are a few considerations to be pondered on.
- Firmness and support – babies cannot express how they like the bed or not, but having the right support makes them more comfortable, as they don’t spend the night crying in bed. Although it can be a guessing game on which firmness level is best for them, it is up to the parents to decide which is best for their child.
- Waterproof and washable – baby poop and pee can be all over the crib and mattress at the earlier stages. It is best to get a waterproof and washable mattress so it is easy to clean from time to time. Other parents like to get a waterproof and washable mattress topper to save.
- Breathable and hypoallergenic – the baby’s skin is precious. It is best to get a hypoallergenic mattress so they won’t have rashes as they grow. Breathable mattresses are also more favourable for a continuous sleep and to limit the moist around the baby’s joints and pressure points.
Sleep is essential for everyone. As the sleep demands of a pregnant mother increases, finding the right mattress for her can be a bit tricky. Mattresses don’t come in cheap, especially if you want to get the ones with the best features. The same thing goes for baby mattresses. These mattresses should be reliable as it aids in the comfort, growth and energy restoration of both pregnant moms and babies.
About the Author
Charles is the editor-in-chief at TheSleepMatters.com. He manages a team of sleep experts who provide researched insights, guides, and reviews on the best mattresses online. Follow SleepMatters on Facebook here.
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