Insomnia is a phenomenon that is familiar to many. Some suffer from this disease rarely, say, in a period of extreme fatigue, after experiencing stress, and some literally suffer from insomnia. And pregnant women are no exception. It is necessary to recognize that the disorder of sleep worries them very much, both at the very beginning of pregnancy and in the last trimester.
What are some reasons for insomnia? What to do when insomnia in early pregnancy? Is insomnia during early pregnancy dangerous? Can pregnancy cause abnormal fetal development? How to get rid of this problem? These questions worry all future moms. Someone tries to deal with the problem on their own, but only a few go to the doctor. In fact, it is an appeal to the doctor can be called a responsible approach. And all future mothers should be aware of this.
It is important to understand that pregnancy is a really difficult, very important period in the life of any woman. When the restructuring of the body occurs, the work of the internal organs increases significantly – literally Nature herself prepares a place in the woman for the comfortable and full development of the child. Therefore, all doctors advise more walking in the fresh air, more closely monitor the daily routine, learn to eat right . A healthy lifestyle is the key to the full development of the fetus. Sometimes such a radical restructuring of the female body leads to the fact that expectant mothers have trouble sleeping. Alas, in fact, many pregnant women suffer from insomnia at different times.
Insomnia during pregnancy: causes of sleep disorders
Do not deal with the problem if you do not know what are the causes of its occurrence. There are a number of serious causes that cause insomnia. Most often the reason lies in the active hormonal changes. During pregnancy in the female body significantly increases the content of progesterone. It is a hormone that is produced by the placenta, the ovaries. He is responsible for the safety of pregnancy. Interestingly, progesterone can act as an antidepressant. Its production begins in the 2nd trimester. And it is then that most often pregnant women begin to feel sleep disturbance.
Any experienced doctor can say that hormonal storms are not the only factor that can cause insomnia. Alas, sleep is often disturbed due to other factors:
- Somatic causes – heartburn, shortness of breath, frequent urge to urinate, back pain, skin itch, shortness of breath, stop breathing during sleep.
- Psychological causes – unrest for the baby, fear of the upcoming birth, anxiety due to some unpleasant life situations. Sometimes, future mothers are very worried about the fact that they have to radically change their lifestyle. Practice shows that it is emotional stress that causes insomnia in the first or last trimester.
- Other features that have to “worry” pregnant: active fetal movements, uncomfortable posture during sleep, a big belly and much more.
Different future mothers have their reasons, their problems. But it should be understood that such a disease as insomnia in the early stages or later, is often a natural phenomenon. If the reason is not hidden in the hormonal changes in the body, then it makes sense to carry out preventive work.
Insomnia in early pregnancy
Many young mothers find out that they are in an interesting position precisely when insomnia begins to bother them. That is, it is a sleep disorder and is the first sign of pregnancy.
Why does insomnia occur at the beginning of pregnancy? As noted earlier, the reason may be hiding in hormonal changes: when a girl begins to feel sick in the first weeks after fertilization of the egg, the expectant mother has to wake up at night because of the frequent urge to urinate. In this case, you can try to drink less liquid at night and adjust your diet.
In some cases, insomnia in the early stages can be caused by stress and anxiety. Here with these moments the girl can already fight. It is necessary to tune in as it should, begin to think positively, learn to manage thoughts and think about the upcoming changes in life exclusively in a positive way. That is, if the cause of insomnia lies, after all, in psychology, you can get rid of the “obsessive friend”. With the rest of the moments will have to accept.
Insomnia during late pregnancy
The sleep disorder haunts the expectant mothers and in 3 trimester. Some women can not fall asleep for a long time, others note a poor quality of sleep (short duration and frequent waking up). It is clear that the quality of life is changing due to lack of sleep. But so eager to make a healthy baby. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to studying the causes of insomnia that occurs in late pregnancy.
There are several key reasons for which sleep disturbance occurs in the 3rd trimester:
- Hormonal leap. In some future moms, insomnia in the last weeks (35-39 weeks ) of pregnancy is triggered by another hormonal imbalance: when ever-growing progesterone begins to fall before childbirth.
- A growing uterus. It increases in size, which creates discomfort for all other organs. Due to its severity, the urge to urinate becomes much more frequent – going to the toilet at night is becoming more frequent.
- Physical discomfort. And because of the large weight of the child is the pressure on the back. Plus, normal sleep is hampered by leg cramps. Yes, and the skin is significantly stretched, which is accompanied by unpleasant itching. Many pregnant girls say that heartburn develops in the third trimester, and for some reason it is at night that the expectant mother is lying, she is getting stronger. And of course, no less important point is that in the last months of pregnancy the baby moves especially actively. He does not know that at night mom wants to sleep, so he can easily wake her with his shots, with his stirring.
- Fights-precursors. Somewhere in a week or two for childbirth, women feel when their stomachs turn to stone. This is how the body trains for the upcoming delivery. When there are fights, harbingers, they are difficult not to feel. And they can occur not only during the day, but also at night, thereby causing difficulties with falling asleep.
- Temporary respiratory arrest (we are talking about obstructive sleep apnea). If a pregnant woman snores heavily or does not breathe for 10 seconds or more, you should immediately seek help from a doctor- somnologist.
- Fear of the upcoming birth. It is especially strong if the woman became pregnant for the first time, or if her first delivery was not very successful. This psychological barrier always forms the basis for insomnia. No wonder why future mothers so often have terrible dreams, real nightmares. Often, because of the reluctance to see the continuation of the night horror, the girl cannot sleep anymore. Of course, at such a late period, insomnia does not have a direct effect on the life of the child, but nevertheless the extra excitement of the mother will not benefit him. Therefore, it is extremely important to learn to cope with your fears. In this case, it may be useful with the help of an experienced psychologist. A knowledgeable specialist will help to tune in for future genera and for the upcoming changes in life.
As you can see, there are a lot of reasons for sleep disorders. Because of insomnia that occurs in the last stages of pregnancy, a woman feels overwhelmed, tired, angry.
What can be done to make the dream complete again? First you do not have to get upset. Unnecessary unrest will do more harm than good. You just need to collect your thoughts and find your way with which you can correct the sleep disorder. Fortunately, there are various effective methods for getting rid of insomnia, which are absolutely safe for both the expectant mother and her baby.
Insomnia during pregnancy: key ways to fight
If you suffer from insomnia in early pregnancy, if you are tired of insomnia during late pregnancy, the best thing you can do is to prevent it.
As soon as you know that you will become a mother, begin to “restore order” in your life:
- observe the daily regimen;
- Eat well – dinner should be light and tasty, and not in the form of fried fatty meat, but you can eat dairy products, cereal, fish, stewed or raw vegetables;
- refuse in the evening tea, coffee, chocolate, cocoa;
- If you suffer from heartburn, it is recommended to create an elevated position for the head;
- try to carry out all the complex and responsible affairs in the morning;
- Avoid daytime sleep if you find it difficult to sleep in the evening;
- form the habit of lying down and getting up at the same time;
- think up a ritual of going to bed (maybe you like to take a bath, read books before going to bed);
- exclude from the room all the items that can distract you – radio, TV, strongly ticking clocks;
- make sure that the place to sleep was comfortable – the orthopedic mattress, a soft and really comfortable pillow, cotton bed linen would be an ideal solution;
- Do not forget to air the room in which you sleep.
The best thing you can do before bedtime is to walk for at least half an hour in the fresh air. It is quite enough 30-40 minutes to properly saturate the body with oxygen. This is advised by gynecologists, and general practitioners, and many other specialists. Plus, all the walks help to get rid of stress, in the process of walking it is easier to put thoughts in order. A certain order and good mood will certainly help the body easier and easier to adapt to the new role and the upcoming loads.
Should I take any medications when suffering from insomnia during early pregnancy? The answer is obvious: of course not. Much better to brew a good herbal tea, as an option, you can make a relaxing bath, if there are no contraindications for this. Those who tolerate odors can please themselves with pleasant aromas in the form of incense. If you can not relieve stress, about 30 minutes before bedtime, ask your spouse to have a nice massage in the lumbar region, legs. You can still listen to relaxing music. You should only go to sleep if you feel the first signs of drowsiness. As for the ritual, it can be as follows: stroke the tummy, talk to the baby, sing him a lullaby, remember some pleasant moments, smile and fall asleep.
All sedatives should be taken only after permission from the doctor. Of course, instead of medicine, it is better to drink a glass of milk with honey or, for example, mint tea, tea with leaves of melissa, chamomile. And remember that drugs can affect the course of pregnancy, the development of the fetus. If it is very difficult to calm down, you can drink valerian extract in the recommended dose.
If you understand that the cause of sleep disorders lies in the experiences that are associated with the fear of future birth, it is better to seek help from a good therapist, a psychologist.
In the case when insomnia does not go away after seven to ten days or more, you need to consult a doctor- somnologist . A specialist will help identify the causes of insomnia, will give recommendations. And together with an expert, you will definitely cope with sleep disorders without harming your health and the health of the child.