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Posted by u/chaosandcalories路

Anyone else struggling with sleep tracking as pregnancy progresses?

TL;DR: Struggling with sleep tracking as my wife's pregnancy progresses. Any tips from other dads?

So I'm a 26M working dad and I thought I had it rough before, but now my wife is pregnant and my sleep is really taking a hit. Each week feels worse than the last! I'm tracking my sleep with an Oura ring, and it's showing I'm getting less deep sleep and more restless nights.

I'm trying to figure out how to cope, and what I can do to improve the situation. Should I adjust my caffeine cut-off? I feel like I'm already at a loss when it comes to getting restful sleep, and I'm not even the one carrying the baby! Any tips from other dads or parents dealing with this? What worked for you as the pregnancy progressed?

And yes, I'm already having the classic dad struggles of trying to balance work, lifting for stress relief, and all the baby prep. Just want to survive this rollercoaster and stay sane. Any advice would be appreciated!

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u/grumpy_gains路

You wanna talk about struggles? I had a phase where I could barely sleep without dreaming of deadlifting! 馃槀 Seriously tho, make sure you're getting enough magnesium. It can help with sleep quality, and it's pretty easy to add to your diet

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u/chaosandcalories路

I feel you man, my sleep got wrecked too when my wife was pregnant. I started wearing earplugs and sleeping masks, which helped a bit. It's wild how little things like that can make a difference, right? Just hang in there, it gets easier once the baby arrives!

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u/mostly_lifting路

Honestly, your sleep is probably taking a hit because of the stress. i used to stress about hitting my PRs while balancing life, and my sleep suffered too. Just keep it light, try not to obsess over those Oura stats too much. At the end of the day, your sleep will be irregular anyway, especially with a baby on the way!

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u/spoonie_lifter路

Honestly, tracking sleep can feel daunting, especially with all the other stressors. I remember feeling the same way when I was prepping for my surgery. Keeping a consistent sleep schedule helped me a lot, plus some light stretching or yoga before bed can help you relax. Just take it one day at a time.

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u/running_on_empty路

You're entering a new phase of life where sleep becomes a rare commodity. I recommend not just adjusting your caffeine cut-off but also your whole evening routine. Reducing blue light exposure from screens and establishing a wind-down routine might help signal your body that it's time to sleep. Pregnancy can create so much uncertainty, and focusing on sleep hygiene can give you a bit of control.

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u/caffeine_and_curls路

Ngl, caffeine can be a double-edged sword. I love my coffee too, but I started cutting back after 2 PM. It's surprising how much that helped me chill out at night. Also, try some chamomile tea before bed, it's like a hug in a cup

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u/keto_lifter98路

This is facts. You gotta cut back on caffeine earlier than you think. Too much coffee can mess with your REM sleep and trust me, you need that as a dad. Try swapping in herbal tea or something for a bit if you haven't yet.

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u/6footdadbod路

Being a dad is like a never-ending workout, right? 馃槀 But for real, maybe get a white noise machine. It helped my buddy a ton when his little one arrived. Can't promise miracles, but every bit helps.

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