Why not sleep during pregnancy and what to do about it. What bad dreams mean during pregnancy If a pregnant woman has bad dreams

Pregnancy proceeds in different ways, during this period women expect difficulties. Many complain that they have unreasonable insomnia during pregnancy, because of this weakness, drowsiness, lethargy, and generally poor health.

Bearing a fetus causes a restructuring of the hormonal background, a full sleep at such moments is simply necessary. If you do not get enough sleep periodically, do not rest during the night, irritability, nervousness, exhaustion of the body will appear over time, which negatively affects the development of the baby. Such a condition is dangerous, capable of provoking psychological and physical problems, so insomnia must be fought.

Types of insomnia during pregnancy

Depending on what particular night time poor sleep, or its complete absence, insomnia is conditionally divided into three types:

• Evening (starting). Sleep does not come, the woman tosses and turns in the evening, turning from her back to her side. For hours he lies without closing his eyes, scrolling in his head what happened during the day, what will happen tomorrow. Usually a woman at such moments immediately feels that she will not be able to fall asleep, sleep will not come.
• Loss of sleep state. In the evening, as if nothing had happened, the pregnant woman falls asleep. She sleeps calmly, it would seem that nothing worries her, does not bother her, but after a certain time, she wakes up. She just opens her eyes and it's like she hasn't slept at all before. It’s impossible to sleep until the morning, someone manages to sleep for two hours, for someone a little more - 5, 6 hours during the night.
• The final phase of morning insomnia. It's dawn, the night ends, it was not possible to fall asleep, in the morning drowsiness does not occur. There is a feeling of weakness, lethargy, weakness. Sometimes, on the contrary, in the morning there comes a strong drowsiness, which is very difficult to fight.

When carrying a fetus, expectant mothers most often complain of evening insomnia. They complain that the very state of pregnancy, discomfort, and a big belly prevent them from falling asleep. Sensation of fetal movements. Regardless of which type of insomnia progresses, the unpleasant phenomenon must be dealt with, properly and adequately rested. It is believed that during the day you need to sleep at least 10 hours, so "lack of sleep" must be compensated for at other times, for example, in the morning or afternoon.

Causes of insomnia during pregnancy

The anxiety caused at night, first of all, is of the nature of the internal state of a woman. No matter how it looks from the outside, the future mother, somewhere inside herself, deeply worries in her soul, constantly thinks about the future. Many cannot get used to their position at all, hence the nightly torment. Analyzing the general condition of women at a particular stage of development of the gestating fetus, there are several reasons that cause sleep disturbance during pregnancy:

• hormonal failure caused by ongoing slow changes in the body;
• emotional overstrain, nervousness;
• physical discomfort associated with the development of certain diseases (heart, digestion);
• mental disorder;
• severe pregnancy;
• development of chronic pathologies;
• discomfort provoked by an uncomfortable bed, coming sounds, noise, from the included light;
• the room is stuffy, hot, cold, too humid air, dampness, dust;
• at night a lot is eaten, tonic drinks are drunk;
• a woman has been taking some medications that affect sleep for a long time;
• frequent urge to go to the toilet;
• sleeps a lot during the day;
• the sides hurt from what is constantly lying in front of the TV, lying down reading.

Along with this, other single factors can be noted that can excite the nervous system and cause insomnia, for example, frequent viewing of horror films. Restless work activity, unsettled family life.

Poor sleep during pregnancy in the first trimester

Most women sleep poorly during pregnancy due to hormonal changes in the body. Usually, this is noted in the early stages, attributed to the first signs of an "interesting" situation.

This phenomenon provokes anxiety, discomfort of night rest. There is heartburn, shortness of breath. The frequency of changing the position of the body causes lumbar pain, cramps of the limbs. All this leads to chronic fatigue, lethargy. Terrible thoughts come to mind, fear of the upcoming birth. At such moments, women are irritable, prone to nervousness, prone to stress. Some people aren't happy with what's going on.

In the second trimester

Closer to the second trimester, the main cause of insomnia remains the emotional imbalance of a woman. Anxiety increases, and with it irritation. Women, while contemplating the upcoming events of motherhood, still remain restless. It is not possible to rest properly at night, household issues capture the excitement.

The bulk of women complain of superficial sleep, too sensitive state in a dream, a clear perception of what is happening around. The stomach, as a rule, does not interfere with sleep yet, but the tension is growing. Given the characteristics of pregnancy, sleep disorders may be associated with them.

In the third trimester

Bad sleep in the third semester provokes nightmares. Some are tormented by dreams about the upcoming birth, obstetricians. Restless sleep provokes profuse sweating, a woman in a dream seems to be experiencing a parallel reality, waking up in sweat, complaining of chills and discomfort. This happens as a result of the mental state of the pregnant woman at this stage, fears, fear of the upcoming birth. Constantly thinking about the future, many do not fall asleep under such emotional influence, especially during pregnancy, because there are other unpleasant factors in family life.

Physiological causes of poor sleep are beginning to emerge. The uterus in the third trimester is already significantly enlarged, the stomach becomes quite large. Difficulties arise with how to lie down comfortably, especially on the 8th, 9th month. Lying on your back is uncomfortable, and in some cases generally undesirable. The fetus puts more and more pressure on the bladder, provoking frequent urination. It becomes difficult to breathe, as the fetus squeezes the respiratory organs. There is increased sweating, fever.

The child increasingly begins to move, the movement is more and more painfully reflected by discomfort, even pain in some organs. In addition, if the fetus becomes very active during sleep, you need to change the position of the body, since, most likely, the woman lay down uncomfortably and the child is uncomfortable, something is squeezing him.

What to do

Understanding that it has not been possible to fall asleep as it should be for a long time, the state of sleep deprivation is chronic, you need to learn how to control your sleep. It is important to understand that it is impossible to treat the phenomenon in this position, take some drugs (sleeping pills) too, even if you constantly took them before pregnancy.

First you need to visit your doctor, consult, tell how the phenomenon manifests itself, which worries you. Together with a specialist, try to find out the cause of the phenomenon, and only after that he will tell you what to do. Sometimes, in extreme cases, it is permissible to prescribe a certain number of drugs in order to improve the condition of the body, to return the lost sleep.

• In such cases, it is recommended to drink soothing decoctions prepared on the basis of medicinal herbs: valerian, mint, chamomile, thyme, motherwort, licorice. Dry components must be steamed, brewed strictly following the manufacturer's recommendations. With a bad reaction to decoctions, stop taking it.
• It is necessary to eat little in the evening, trying not to overload the stomach, which provokes poor sleep during pregnancy. Include fresh salads, radishes, black currants, asparagus, beets, melons in the menu, it is believed that these products contribute to sound sleep. In general, reconsider your daily diet.
• Eliminate the use of tonic drinks, especially at night. In general, drink less liquid so as not to increase the urge to go to the toilet at night.
• During the day, and especially in the evening, do not worry, do not get annoyed, avoid stressful situations. In general, a person “torn apart” by the evening will rarely be able to sleep peacefully, and even more so in this state.
• If in the late afternoon the heartbeat begins to increase, shortness of breath appears, it is enough to drink a mug of sweet tea, but warn the doctor about such symptoms, especially if they are constant. Most likely there is a lack of sugar in the body, hence the reasons.
• It is useful to eat a spoonful of natural turnip juice shortly before bedtime. They cook it simply, squeeze the turnip into pulp, add an equal amount of honey there. Insist a couple of days before taking, store in the refrigerator.
• Take a contrast shower shortly before rest. Warm up your feet in warm water.
• In the morning you need to get up earlier, walk more in the fresh air, move, do not lead a passive lifestyle.

Faced with restless sleep, insomnia, you need to think about whether the pregnant woman has the right lifestyle in general. Perhaps a woman sleeps a lot during the day, gets up late in the morning. Perhaps, in general, throughout the day, a woman is inactive, passive, practically does not spend energy during the day, so sleep does not go.

Creating a favorable atmosphere

Only in the most favorable conditions, a night's rest will be useful and comfortable. Therefore, before going to bed, you need to:

• ventilate the room;
• put on appropriate pajamas so that it is not hot or vice versa not to freeze;
• it is convenient to put pastel accessories, purchase a special orthopedic pillow for pregnant women;
• It is better to turn off the light, the room should be calm and quiet.

Lying down in bed, you need to emotionally tune in that today's sleep will be good, try to fall asleep.

In general, when a woman, deciding to give birth to a child, is emotionally correct, she doesn’t worry about anything, she doesn’t have problems with sleep, but if the expectant mother increasingly complains about poor sleep, then you need to tell the observing specialist about it. Why a pregnant woman can’t sleep at night, no one will immediately say, sometimes even a series of tests may be required to understand.

Often, a specialist who observes pregnancy advises to seek help from a psychologist, neurologist, somnologist and other doctors, who, after finding out the cause of anxiety, can establish a normal, full-fledged night's sleep. However, the problem becomes more serious when other symptoms of a slowly developing pathology appear along with nocturnal insomnia. That is why such a phenomenon cannot be delayed. You should not deal with it yourself, in any case, you must first consult a doctor.

” №12/2014 17.08.16

Any of the unpleasant dreams ends with a happy ending - awakening. But why, after a nightly horror film, do we wake up in a bad mood and cannot recover for a long time? The sleep of a pregnant woman should be calm and happy! No nightmares! Learning to order good dreams.

People who manage to realize during a nightmare that it is a dream prefer to wake up. And it’s completely in vain: it’s hard to imagine a better moment to settle scores with your fears. The plots of nightmares lend themselves to your will, they can be remade into no less exciting, but quite prosperous, and then nothing will prevent you from sleeping the sleep of the righteous. Remember, a pregnant woman's sleep should be strong and calm. But first, about ... the benefits of nightmares.

What does science say about nightmares?

Nightmares, according to psychologists, are actually not so bad: they help a person cope with the stress experienced. A frightening dream performs a protective function: our nerve cells process the trouble, after watching a nightmare, an emotional discharge occurs, and a person subconsciously gets used to the event. Specialists from the Department of Nervous Diseases of the Sechenov Moscow Medical University assessed the condition of people who had experienced emotional stress, taking into account whether they later had terrible dreams. It turned out that those who had nightmares were significantly better adapted to stress.

But when unpleasant visions constantly haunt you, prevailing over other dreams, there is reason to sound the alarm: it means that a psychological problem has arisen that the body cannot cope with. And here our advice will help you.

Sleep during pregnancy: ordering a plot

To master this technique, one must write down dreams daily, try to remember them, keep pleasant dreams and prolong interrupted ones, changing an unpleasant plot to a prosperous one.

You will be surprised, but no matter how sophisticated and amazing your dream may seem to you, it repeats the stories that most people in the world dream of. Find out among these examples your nightmare and try to attach the most joyful ending to it.

The fall. This terrible dream is familiar to many: you are flying from a great height and are about to break into a cake. Try to relax, and then, grouped up like a cat, land in some interesting place - for example, in a beautiful garden. After you master a successful landing, try to translate the fall into a flight. In this way, negative feelings can be turned into positive ones.

An exam you can't pass, or a performance on a big stage. Each of us is afraid of something, and these hidden fears are often revealed at night. Try to come up with a happy ending for the nightmare. For example, you brilliantly pass an exam to a ruthless professor and get an "excellent". Or on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater you masterfully perform the pas de deux. And to the applause of the enthusiastic audience, you, all so slender and airy, leave with a huge bouquet of roses backstage.

Why do pregnant women see the same dream?

Believe it or not, many pregnant women have the same dreams. Mysticism is not here. Everything has a perfectly rational explanation. By what scares you in a dream, you can determine which organ is hurting or what problems are tormenting you lately.

For example, such a plot. An ugly creature sits on your chest - it's hard and difficult for you to breathe. Either you are drowning, or you are crawling through a narrow hole in the tunnel. Familiar? These nightmares may signal shortness of breath, which usually occurs in a pregnant woman in the last trimester. Sleep under a warm blanket, but with the window open. Take a walk before bed. These measures will improve breathing and nightmares may disappear.

A frequent nightmare - you walk through dirty streets, puddles or roads are covered with snow everywhere, and you have torn shoes on your feet, socks with holes, or you are generally barefoot. Varicose veins and cramps are a common problem in pregnant women. The body is probably giving you a clue: the circulation in the legs is impaired.

You dream that you are hiding from someone, the pursuers are about to catch up, you have to run to save yourself, and you have a completely naked baby in your arms. This is exactly the case when sleep during pregnancy helps to cope with the burden of responsibility that you experience, carefully carrying the unborn baby under your heart. You are acutely experiencing a nightmare - and awakening in the morning should reassure you: this is just a bad dream, everything will be fine with the child. If such thoughts do not help, follow the scheme that we have already suggested: try to go to the store in a dream and buy the necessary things for the baby. Swaddle the baby carefully and hold it to your chest. Tell your dream to your husband or girlfriend, or write it down on paper, on a computer. After such actions, if a nightmare haunts you, it will be easier to order a happy ending of events for the next viewing.

Pregnancy Sleep: 4 Good Habits

Somnologists, as sleep specialists are called, know how to make a dream sweet and pleasant. Pregnant women should listen to their recommendations especially carefully.

1. Follow the usual rituals.

One of the worst and most common mistakes is going to bed at a different time every day. Our body is a true slave of its habits. It is important for a pregnant woman not to get out of her own rhythm and go to bed at the same time.

Come up with little rituals that you can perform every evening without stress, almost without thinking, as if on "autopilot". They act on the body relaxing - like sleeping pills.

Walk for half an hour before bed. Take a warm bath. To make the water more likely to lull you to sleep, add an infusion of linden or lavender to it. Remove makeup with calm, gentle strokes. Stand in front of a mirror and apply the cream on your face, rubbing it in with massage movements. Take at least three minutes to brush your teeth.

Remember how you dragged your favorite bear with you to the crib, without which you simply could not fall asleep? He helped the child to plunge into the world of dreams without fear. In fact, a similar talisman is also needed for an adult. Any normal item will do. For example, your favorite nightgown, a dumka stuffed with hop cones that evoke sleep. Make it a habit to listen to relaxing music at night.

2. Do not watch TV at night, do not sit in social networks at the computer, tablet, phone in the evenings.

There shouldn't be a TV in the bedroom. Get carried away by the film - and fall asleep in a terribly uncomfortable position well after midnight. And if the last thing you watched was a psychologically difficult film, then the dream of a pregnant woman will definitely be full of nightmares.

Nothing also causes heavy dreams, does not “turn on” the body, like working at the monitor. So there is no place for a laptop and gadgets in bed. Two hours on the Internet before going to bed - consider the same number of hours or a bad dream.

By the way, everything is forbidden in bed except sleep and. You can’t work in it (the bed should be associated with relaxation, and not with tension); have dinner (then the whole sheet is in crumbs). Mom can make an exception for reading a good book or a useful magazine - for 20-30 minutes.

And before going to bed, change the pillow - it is worse to sleep on a heated one. There is even such a funny trick - put a pillow stuffed in a plastic bag in the freezer for a few minutes. On a cool headboard, dreams are the sweetest.

3. Try to avoid exchanging barbs with friends and family at all costs before going to bed.

Postpone the quarrel for the morning - you will fall asleep with a clear conscience, you will not have nightmares, and with the dawn, you see, the reason for the conflict will disappear.

4. Auto-training, yoga, meditation - the perfect pastime before bed.

It is very useful for a pregnant woman to immerse herself in her "I" for the coming dream. If you do not own the appropriate techniques, try the simplest option. For example, before going to bed, sit comfortably in a chair, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. Then, slowly, slowly try to imagine your muscles relaxing, one by one, starting at your feet and working your way up to your head. After such practice, horror films are unlikely to be seen.

A good way to get rid of any nightmare is to draw it with paints, colored pencils or felt-tip pens, with details, using all the power of imagination. And then tear up the drawing and throw it away.

A lot of women with the onset of pregnancy begin to have strange dreams. Someone does not pay much attention to them, while someone tries to understand this moment in more detail. Should I think about dreams during pregnancy? What can they say to the expectant mother?

First of all, you should figure out whether a woman knows about her “interesting” position. If not, then such cases are characterized by unusual dreams, the interpretation of which will immediately put everything in its place. Most often, expectant mothers dream of:

• fish. It does not matter whether it is a pond or an aquarium, what will be the number of fish - such a dream is interpreted as an approaching or already occurring pregnancy. At the same time, if the fish is bright in color - most likely, a girl will be born, if gray - a boy,
• pigeons - to see pigeons in a dream is also a clear harbinger of a happy situation,
• baking bread - such dreams are less common, but also indicate a high probability or fact of pregnancy.

When the expectant mother already knows that she is carrying a child, she may have quite disturbing dreams at night. In most cases, they are associated with the experiences that a woman experiences, some kind of discomfort. Each period has its own reasons:

• terrible dreams at the very beginning of pregnancy are often associated with excitement about its onset and further course. Of course, the expectant mother worries about her baby, wants his bearing to pass without any complications,
• bad dreams in the second trimester are additionally associated with an enlarging belly, toxicosis and other inconveniences characteristic of this period. The body needs rest, but cannot fully get it,
• third trimester - here strange dreams show anxiety about the upcoming birth. In addition, discomfort persists due to the growing belly, which does not allow you to take your favorite position during rest.

Many women complain of insomnia and poor sleep during pregnancy. For some, the biorhythm goes astray: I want to sleep at lunchtime or after eating, and at night, sleep, as luck would have it, does not work. On the one hand, the reason for such changes is clear: the body is being rebuilt, and the expectant mother lives according to the baby's regimen. But, on the other hand, constant insomnia, poor sleep, drowsiness and night cramps exhaust a pregnant woman, undermining her nervous system. As a result, irritability, aggressiveness, apathy towards everything that happens appears.

So, it happens in different ways, some complain about, others, on the contrary, about poor sleep.

Is it possible to do something to normalize the regimen during pregnancy and give the body the opportunity to get enough sleep, because proper sleep is necessary for the health of both the mother and the unborn child.

Physical exercise. Good sleep must be earned. The body must burn a certain number of calories per day, and the body must receive the necessary load. A special set of regular exercises will help you spend your extra energy to good use and give you a healthy restful sleep. However, it should be remembered that physical activity before going to bed is contraindicated.

Do not eat at night. A full stomach can give you a feeling of heaviness, you will roll over from one side to the other, in a vain attempt to sleep. Another possible nuisance due to a hearty dinner is heartburn. Because of her, you will definitely fall asleep soon.
, which can be placed under the head, knees, hips and for back support.

Don't watch TV late. The optimal time for going to bed is 22:00. At this time, the body is ready for complete relaxation and rest.

Relaxation before bed. Calm music, a favorite book and a warm bath with thick foam - is it really possible not to fall asleep after all this? Do not wait until sleep comes if you suddenly wake up in the middle of the night. Read something, do some things that do not require much effort (take up knitting, wash the dishes).

Avoid stress and negative emotions th, do not watch horror films and thrillers, skip reports about military operations and natural disasters, do not scroll through your head the negative information you have ever heard or seen. Surround yourself with everything beautiful: put flowers in a vase, change the curtains in the bedroom for more colorful ones, buy yourself a cheerful sarafan and a cup with funny drawings, watch children's programs and cartoons.

Dreams during the period of expectation of the child become much brighter and richer. It is good when they are positive and beautiful, but sometimes a pregnant woman begins to dream of catastrophes, blood, death or loneliness. Naturally, such nightmares can only cause horror and fear for the child and future birth. A woman in such situations is increasingly starting to think about whether everything will be all right with the baby, and should we expect problems during childbirth?

Why do you have such dreams?

Negative dreams in pregnant women are caused by great changes in the woman's body and preparation for childbirth, it is quite natural that such internal processes of the body have a great influence on the woman's psyche and physiology. While carrying a baby, a woman rejoices at his forthcoming birth, but at the same time understands that for some time she will have to sacrifice something - work, sleep, personal time, hobbies. Regularly reflecting on this, the expectant mother loses control over negative emotions at night and as a result they manifest themselves in a dream in the form of horrors and nightmares.

Dreams that a child is born sick or ugly, or that it is taken from a woman, are most often a projection of the fears of a pregnant woman who is afraid of not coping with the upcoming difficulties. In most cases, pregnant women worry about whether they will make good mothers, whether their baby will be healthy, how he will behave and who he will look like. It is worth remembering that a mother needs her child emotionally even before birth, so do not convey your feelings to the baby.

In some cases, a woman may have dreams about fantasy worlds, where a huge stream of water rages, primeval forests with birds, animals and people. Such dreams reflect in the subconscious of a woman a picture of the primitive world. Considering that pregnancy and the birth of a child unites all women on the planet, it is not surprising that pictures from the past can appear in a dream.

The reaction to such dreams is expressed by horror and feelings, and this is quite logical. Sleeping and seeing how your baby is taken away by strangers, or he gets into a disaster - isn't it horror? According to experts, "bad dreams" are the main sign of conscious preparation for the birth and upbringing of a child, as they perfectly relieve a woman of all negative emotions.

In a dream, a pregnant woman manages to survive and get rid of disappointments, anger, aggressive mood and self-doubt - all those emotions that you constantly suppress in yourself during the day and hide from others. That is why psychologists strongly recommend not to worry about the dream in the morning, but to try to understand what he is talking about.

What can dream

First trimester. During the first three months of pregnancy, a woman's body gets used to its new state - as changes occur not only in physical, but also in lifestyle. Consequently, situations can often be dreamed of in which a woman is abandoned by everyone, or is dependent on someone. A pregnant woman may find herself in a hostile environment, get into a catastrophe and be seriously injured (we are talking about a dream).

Second trimester. From the middle of the term, a woman begins to rethink her own relationship with her mother. In a dream, a fight or rivalry with someone can take place, and it does not matter at all what kind of relationship was with the mother - good or bad. In any case, the fight will take place either openly or in a veiled form - with spiders, monsters and other things.

Third trimester. In recent months, there has already been a complete preparation for childbirth and raising a child, so dreams are dedicated specifically to the baby, or childbirth. Most often, in a dream, a pregnant woman can drown, fall into a swift stream of water, as this is a projection of childbirth on a subconscious level. A woman will often dream about how she is literally swallowed up by waves, under which labor pains are veiled. However, despite all these terrible and sometimes inexplicable dreams, you should not be afraid, because all the negative will disappear with awakening.