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How many hours of sleep are you getting each night? Five hours, six hours, or seven? If you’re trying to get pregnant, you’ll want to rethink your sleeping routine, and ensure that you get a minimum of seven to nine hours of sleep per night… here’s why!
How your fertility is affected when you get more sleep
A study was recently conducted by Kobe City Medical Centre (in Osaka, Japan!), and this found that women undergoing IVF were more likely to experience positive results when they get more sleep. This study, which involved 208 women who had undergone IVF, segmented its participants into three categories – those who had no difficulty sleeping, those who had mild difficulty sleeping, and those who had severe difficulty sleeping.
One of Kobe City Medical Centre’s findings was that the eggs of women who had no difficulty sleeping were 20% more likely to be fertilised than those of women who had severe problems sleeping. This was attributed to the fact that sleeping fewer than six hours per night results in a significant decrease in the production of hormones which are critical for conception.
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Echoing the study’s findings is sleep consultant and therapist Lucy Wolfe, who says that pregnant women should make committing to between seven and nine hours of sleep each night “non-negotiable”. Wolfe says that studies consistently highlight that sleep needs to be at the top of the health conversation as both a preventive tactic and a remedy to illnesses, and that sleep is all the more important for women who are hoping to conceive.
On top of concluding that women’s eggs were more likely to be fertilized if they had more sleep, Kobe City Medical Centre’s study also showed that growth rates of fertilised eggs was 14% faster among women who had no difficulty sleeping. According to experts, this is likely to be attributed to the lower stress levels and cortisol present in the systems of women who were not short of sleep.
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How to get more sleep
For women who are keen to get more sleep, here are a few tips:
Limit exposure to laptops, mobile devices, and other electronics an hour before sleeping. If you must use your laptop or other electronic devices, wear glasses that filter out the blue light which these devices emit. The blue light results in your body limiting its production of melatonin, making it hard for you to fall asleep!
Don’t consume any caffeine in the evening or at night. There’s no exact cut-off point to follow; depending on how sensitive your body is to caffeine, you might need to stop your consumption at 4pm, 5pm, or 6pm – see what works for you, and then stick to it.
Get into the habit of wearing pyjamas to bed. These should only be put on immediately before you go to bed, so that your brain associates the act of wearing your pyjamas with sleep.
Fertility consultation with BeNatural’s fertility coach, Marie Otsuka
If you and your partner would like to learn more about conceiving, come down for a 45-minute consultation with Marie Otsuka, BeNatural’s fertility coach. In this session, Marie will seek to understand the couple’s situation, and offer insights she’s gained through her 10 years of experience in working with infertile Singaporeans. Slots are limited and on a first come first serve basis; contact us here to schedule an appointment!
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