August 24, 2009
I am currently taking 3 mg of Melatonin at night to help me sleep. Is this safe if I am pregnant? I don't know if I am yet or not but I'd like to know if it's safe.
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Is taking Melatonin 3 mg safe during pregnancy?
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- Posted 11 months ago
- Last active 11 months ago
- 9 comments
Everything I have read advises against it. Natural does not always mean safe and in the early weeks of pregnancy the fetus is especially vulnerable. If you have trouble sleeping, I would ask your OB for something that is considered safe. I am 19 weeks and sometimes have trouble sleeping and my OB said I could take small amounts of Benadryl.
Here is what helped me.
Some of these are pretty basic.
1) Cut out all caffeine and stimulants. Period. If you are addicted to coffee, try to switch to tea.
2) Establish a reg sleep pattern. Go to bed around the same time and get up around the same time, even on weekends. It helps to get your body on a clock. Even if I go out late on a weekend, I am almost always up at my regular time on a Sat or Sunday, maybe an hour later occasionally. Errands are so much better at 8am on a weekend than later one anyway!
3) Try not to watch tv before bed. Read instead.
4) Try not to eat too late or too much in the evenings. Make lunch the biggest meal, with a light dinner. Its healthier for us anyway. When I eat a ton before bed I never sleep well. But don't go to bed hungry. I like to eat a plain greek yogurt or cottage cheese before bed. Low in sugar and high in protein.
5) Don't toss and turn for hours. If you can't sleep after 30 min, turn on a soft light and read a book. I sometimes move to the couch and then sleep great there.
6) Exercise each day for at least 30 min. A 30 min walk is perfect. But dont exercise too close to bed time. I like to exercise in the morning as it gets me going.
7) Some people find a meditation or relaxation cd helpful to relax. I have my husband rub my feet or scratch my back for 10 min each night. That helps a lot.
8) I also find taking a warm bath before bed makes me drowsy. I keep the bathroom lights low and soak for a few min.
I am sure you have heard a lot of these tips before, but hopefully one of them can help.
Some of these are pretty basic.
1) Cut out all caffeine and stimulants. Period. If you are addicted to coffee, try to switch to tea.
2) Establish a reg sleep pattern. Go to bed around the same time and get up around the same time, even on weekends. It helps to get your body on a clock. Even if I go out late on a weekend, I am almost always up at my regular time on a Sat or Sunday, maybe an hour later occasionally. Errands are so much better at 8am on a weekend than later one anyway!
3) Try not to watch tv before bed. Read instead.
4) Try not to eat too late or too much in the evenings. Make lunch the biggest meal, with a light dinner. Its healthier for us anyway. When I eat a ton before bed I never sleep well. But don't go to bed hungry. I like to eat a plain greek yogurt or cottage cheese before bed. Low in sugar and high in protein.
5) Don't toss and turn for hours. If you can't sleep after 30 min, turn on a soft light and read a book. I sometimes move to the couch and then sleep great there.
6) Exercise each day for at least 30 min. A 30 min walk is perfect. But dont exercise too close to bed time. I like to exercise in the morning as it gets me going.
7) Some people find a meditation or relaxation cd helpful to relax. I have my husband rub my feet or scratch my back for 10 min each night. That helps a lot.
8) I also find taking a warm bath before bed makes me drowsy. I keep the bathroom lights low and soak for a few min.
I am sure you have heard a lot of these tips before, but hopefully one of them can help.
August 24, 2009