Insomnia during pregnancy (usually insomnia - difficulty falling asleep and maintaining continuous, deep sleep) occurs with a frequency of 60-90% of cases. Sleep disorders are often accompanied by a syndrome manifested by restless legs and sleep apnea (short-term stops in breathing). Such manifestations complicate the pregnancy process and can negatively affect the outcome.
Causes of insomnia during pregnancy
Before selecting methods to get rid of the disease, you should understand the reasons that could cause it. They vary at different stages of pregnancy.
- In the first months, hormonal changes in the body occur. The level of progesterone in the blood increases significantly. And this component is responsible for the safety of pregnancy. However, its processed products have an unusual effect on mommy’s condition. They can simultaneously be excellent antidepressants and become the root cause of insomnia.
- Psychological aspects are associated with the ladies’ concerns about their new status and upcoming changes in the family. Overwhelming thoughts about the upcoming birth and the expected baby do not allow you to sleep peacefully. Often, depression and sleep disturbances can be observed in women who are faced with financial difficulties or a pregnancy that they did not plan.
- Insomnia in the first trimester may occur due to somatic disorders. The appearance of toxicosis, frequent awakenings at night due to the need to visit the toilet interfere with proper rest.
After some time, after the body gets used to the new status, the condition of the expectant mother returns to normal.
In the later stages of pregnancy, insomnia makes itself felt again. Only now the reasons lie in physiological discomfort. Sometimes a woman cannot fall asleep simply because she cannot choose a position that is comfortable for herself. Painful sensations in the lower back, heartburn, worsening in a horizontal position, and shortness of breath interfere with proper rest.
When faced with such problems, you should not fall into despair. There are many effective and safe ways to cope with insomnia.
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Causes of sleep disturbances during pregnancy
• Difficulty breathing in a pregnant woman. Sleep promotes the release of hormones in greater quantities than during the day, and this in turn leads to rapid breathing. A pregnant woman wakes up due to lack of air.
• The growing fetus increases the load on the lower back. Finding a comfortable position while sleeping becomes difficult for a pregnant woman. The corpus luteum of the ovary secretes the substance relaxin, which softens the bones and muscles of the pelvis, thereby preparing the body for future childbirth. This can also cause lower back pain and cause calf muscle cramps during sleep.
• During pregnancy, the functions of the digestive system slow down. Food stays in the stomach for a longer time, which leads to heartburn or bloating.
• Mild sinus tachycardia without obvious causes is a common symptom in pregnant women. Increased heart rate (90 or more beats per minute) can be explained by the stress of working for two.
• As the size of the abdomen increases, the need for frequent urination increases. The uterus puts pressure on the bladder, both day and night.
How can you solve the problem of insomnia?
Following simple recommendations will help return a woman expecting a child to sound and healthy sleep.
- For those who have problems with night rest, it is better to refuse daytime sleep altogether. It’s enough to just lie down for 1-1.5 hours at lunch, disconnecting from any thoughts.
- In order to sleep well at night, you need to give your body the opportunity to get tired during the day, but not too much. Any physical activity is suitable (walking, sets of simple exercises), the main thing is that it occurs in the first part of the day. The body, excited before bed, will take a long time to calm down and will not be able to fall asleep quickly.
- In the evening, you should exclude the manifestation of any emotions. Try to solve pressing problems during the day or put them off until tomorrow. Under no circumstances should you arrange a showdown with your loved ones before a night's rest, because adrenaline is the enemy of a restful sleep.
- You should not engage in intense mental activity before bed. Avoid reading serious literature and solving complex problems. It is better to enjoy quiet, calm music.
- Often the cause of insomnia or restless sleep can be overeating at night. The last meal should be taken three hours before rest. If you cannot cope with the feeling of hunger, then you can snack on food that is easily digestible (eat a fruit, drink a glass of kefir or milk).
- Frequent visits to the toilet at night are often the cause of poor sleep. To avoid this, it is recommended to drink less after 16-17 hours.
- Taking a walk in the fresh air is a great way to relax. In addition, a warm shower has an excellent calming effect on the body; it should be taken 20 minutes before bedtime.
- Perhaps the reason for the violations lies in the characteristics of the bed. Therefore, you should carefully consider whether it meets the necessary requirements, whether the pillow is too soft or hard, or whether the blanket is warm enough.
- Aromatherapy is an excellent way to improve your night's sleep. It is enough to place at the head of a small cloth bag with hops, lemon balm, thyme, pine needles, geranium grass, etc. sewn into it.
- Before going to bed, you can do breathing exercises. Thanks to her, there is a chance to get rid of shortness of breath, which interferes with sleep.
For a pregnant woman to have a good night's rest, the bedroom environment is especially important. There should be no equipment in the room. It is necessary to ensure that the air temperature is comfortable, not too low and not too high. It is recommended to ventilate the room before going to bed. It is better to go to bed in pajamas made of natural fabric. This also applies to bed linen. To find a comfortable position, pregnant women need at least three pillows.
Many people have the habit of sleeping on their stomachs. During pregnancy, this method will have to be abandoned. The expectant mother should rest on her back, but the best option is on her side.
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Insomnia during pregnancy: what causes sleep disturbance and tips on how to get rid of it
It is quite possible to return to healthy and full sleep if you adhere to certain rules.
Avoid physical and mental fatigue
It is important to maintain a balance between work and rest during the day, as overtiredness can prevent you from falling asleep quickly. This also applies to emotional overstrain, stressful situations, the consideration of which is better to postpone until the morning and try to relax the night before bed.
It is necessary to maintain communication with loved ones, friends and colleagues, but in everything you should adhere to moderation. It is useful to share your positivity, discuss your own fears, for example, about nightmares, but in no case should you worry too much about the problems of others.
Walk in the fresh air before bed
If, for medical reasons, a pregnant woman is not prohibited from light exercise and walking, she can take a breath of fresh air before bed. Ideally, it is better to walk along quiet streets, in a park or by a river; noisy places should be avoided.
Control of consumed products
In the evening, you need to forget about tonic drinks, including black tea, and also remove heavy foods from your diet. A light sandwich with boiled chicken breast and a glass of milk or chamomile tea will help you fall asleep faster and not concentrate all your thoughts on food.
If in the evening the expectant mother feels unwell due to low blood sugar, it is useful to drink a cup of sweet herbal tea.
However, it should be remembered that it is not recommended for a pregnant woman to drink too much liquid before going to bed, since the urge to urinate will become more frequent and it will be possible to forget about a restful sleep.
Light relaxing massage before bed
Massage in the simplest sense of the word will help relieve lower back pain and leg cramps. There is no need to apply any superpowers; it is enough for the husband to lightly stroke the area of the lower back and calves to relieve tension in the muscles. Additionally, you can use massage oil, and for a relaxing effect, an aroma lamp with the addition of a drop of lavender or any other soothing oil will be useful.
Comfort in the bedroom
First of all, the place to sleep should be as comfortable as possible in every sense. This applies to loose clothing, a comfortable mattress, as well as a modern sleeping attribute - a pillow for pregnant women. The choice of such pillows is large, it is important to choose one that will help you fall asleep in a comfortable position and will prevent any kind of discomfort.
The humidity and temperature in the bedroom should be optimal. You should forget about TV and loud music while in bed, as excess overstimulation for the nervous system will negatively affect the quality of sleep.
Traditional methods of getting rid of insomnia
If all the recommendations are followed exactly, and insomnia does not go away, then it makes sense to turn to traditional methods. But before using them, you should definitely consult a doctor.
- While carrying a child, a remedy made from radish, turnip or beet juice with honey will help correct sleep disturbances. A small recess is made in the vegetable, into which a small spoon of honey is placed. After a few hours, the juice that forms there should be drunk.
- Herbal tea made from mint, lemon balm, chamomile, licorice, and thyme will help solve the problem of insomnia. But you will have to stop taking hop-based products, since this plant is harmful to pregnant women.
- If you drink warm milk with honey before going to bed, you may not have to toss and turn for a long time, trying to fall asleep to no avail.
It is important to remember that all substances that enter the body of a pregnant woman will definitely end up in the baby through the umbilical cord.
Causes of insomnia during pregnancy
Changes in sleep duration and quality associated with pregnancy can be due to many factors. These include hormonal, physiological, metabolic, psychological and postural changes.
For example, in the first trimester, increased progesterone levels can cause excessive daytime sleepiness, decreased muscle tone, and an increased risk of apnea, snoring, and interrupted sleep. Frequent trips to the bathroom, nausea and vomiting, pregnancy-related discomfort caused by back pain, fetal movements and heartburn can also impair sleep quality and cause insomnia. Anxiety during pregnancy may gradually be further exacerbated by worries about childbirth and caring for the newborn.1
Sleep disturbances affect health and quality of life, and can also negatively affect the favorable outcome of childbirth. A 2004 study by American researchers found that women who slept less than 6 hours a night were more likely to have longer labor and were 4.5 times more likely to require a caesarean section.
Both medications (drugs) and alternative methods can help relieve sleep problems.1
Sleeping pills for insomnia in pregnant women
Important!
No sleeping pills should be taken without the consent of the doctor, especially in the first trimester, when the formation of tissues and organs of the embryo occurs. And in the later stages, without good reason, you shouldn’t do this. The fact is that such drugs can have a negative impact on the developing baby. In addition, accumulating in the body, they can provoke kidney and liver dysfunction.
Insomnia that accompanies pregnancy in the early and late stages is a kind of training for future childbirth. As soon as the long-awaited baby is born, you will have to forget about problems with sleep disorders for a long time.
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How many hours of sleep does a pregnant woman need?
An adult should sleep 7 - 9 hours. During pregnancy, you may need a few more hours of sleep each night or short naps during the day. This is especially important when the expectant mother feels tired and exhausted. During pregnancy, a woman's body undergoes many changes. Some organs, such as the heart, kidneys, etc., do much more work, so the body as a whole will benefit from additional hours of rest and recovery.2
WHAT IS THE DANGER?
Depending on the composition of the drug, sleeping pills can cause the following complications of the body and fetus:
- headache;
- increased heart rate;
- vomiting;
- drowsiness
- allergic rash, itchy skin;
- miscarriage;
- fetal hypoxia;
- underweight of the fetus;
- various anomalies in the development of the baby.
In the mid-20th century, Thalomid was considered a very popular drug for sleep disorders among pregnant women. In animal tests, this drug did not cause any signs of toxicity. In 1956, the product went on sale for free.
Thalomid was sold under various brand names around the world, for example as a treatment for morning sickness in pregnancy.
By the end of the 50s, doctors noted frequent cases of the birth of children with various developmental disorders. This fact has been associated with Thalidomide.
The drug turned out to be toxic, and as a result of its exposure, from 8 to 12,000 children were born with developmental anomalies (atrophied limbs, problems with eyeball mobility, etc.). Many pregnancies ended in miscarriage. In 1962, the sleeping pill was discontinued.
Even if sleeping pills were recommended to a pregnant woman by a doctor, the woman should understand that she acts at her own peril and risk.
There are no contraindications to taking most sleeping pills and sedatives. But only because appropriate studies were not conducted on pregnant women.
