Insomnia in pregnant women in early and late periods. Insomnia in the first trimester of pregnancy: causes of insomnia in the early stages, what to do

Very often, a pregnant woman can hear advice that during these wonderful nine months of waiting, she should sleep for several years in advance, since then she will not be able to do this. Perhaps she would be happy to follow these tips and sleep heartily, but she is prevented by insomnia, which, unfortunately, very often becomes a faithful companion of pregnancy.

Everyone has insomnia at different times, there are those women whom she haunts from the first weeks of pregnancy, and there are lucky women who have never experienced this and do not even know what it is. Most often, this feature is due to the fact that the body is subconsciously preparing for the upcoming sleepless nights. But there are other good reasons as well.

Causes of insomnia during pregnancy

One of these reasons is severe discomfort in the stomach area. This is due to the fact that the uterus is intensively increasing in size and other organs in the abdominal cavity become very crowded. Discomfort is aggravated even if a woman eats a tight dinner before bedtime. In such tightness, the stomach is twice as difficult to digest what has been eaten, hence painful sensations arise, and subsequently insomnia.

Poor posture can also lead to sleepless nights. When a woman has a tummy, it becomes more and more difficult to find a sleeping position. It is no longer possible to sleep on the stomach, it is also inconvenient to do it on the back. Therefore, doctors recommend accustoming yourself to sleep on your side, this is the optimal position for sleeping, in which both the expectant mother and the child are comfortable.

As the uterus grows, it begins to put a lot of pressure on the bladder, which makes the urge to urinate more frequent, and this greatly disturbs sleep.

Leg cramps, which often appear during pregnancy, bring severe discomfort and, as a rule, are intensely manifested precisely at night, which prevents the expectant mother from sleeping normally.

Oddly enough, but overwork can also have a bad effect on sleep. On the one hand, it seems that the more a person gets tired during the day, the faster he will fall asleep and the more soundly he will sleep. But very often this rule does not apply to pregnant women. The expectant mother should not take too much on her shoulders, the waiting period for the baby should be as calm as possible.

A pregnant girl may be disturbed by her own baby at night. When the period of wakefulness of the child and mother does not coincide, this causes certain problems for the mother, including the inability to sleep when the baby is pushing.

Since the stomach grows very quickly, the skin on it stretches, as a result of which there is a strong itch, which becomes even stronger at night and does not allow you to sleep peacefully.

How to deal with insomnia?

How can you still normalize sleep during pregnancy?

First of all, you need to learn how to relax, this is what will help you fall asleep as quickly as possible. Try a warm bubble bath just before going to bed, reading a good book, etc.
Avoid daytime naps so you can fall asleep more easily in the evening.
If you're too passive, try walking more often or sign up for some activities that will take you a certain amount of time and after which you will be a little tired.
Skip a heavy meal a couple of hours before bed.
Ask your husband or someone close to give you a foot massage before bed, it's great to help you relax.
Be sure to ventilate the room in which you are going to sleep. Fresh air is great for good sleep.

All of these ways can really help get rid of insomnia.

Every person needs proper sleep, pregnancy greatly increases the need for rest, so it is especially important for expectant mothers. But the physiological changes that occur after conception, accompanied by soreness of the chest, growth of the abdomen, pain in the back and limbs, do not always allow you to get enough sleep.

In a new position, a woman often encounters insomnia, and the choice of a suitable sleeping position turns into a real problem. Consider the features of a pregnant woman's rest in each of the trimesters, as well as the problems associated with it and ways to solve them.

Pregnancy and sleep are inextricably linked, because without proper rest, the normal intrauterine development of the baby and the well-being of the mother are impossible. French scientists came to the conclusion that women who suffered from insomnia during the period of bearing a child are more likely to experience complications during childbirth (protracted straining period, slow opening of the cervix). In addition, the lack of normal sleep increases the risk of diseases of the cardiovascular system.

A healthy long sleep allows the expectant mother to get rid of the accumulated experiences associated with the expectation of a child and the upcoming birth. Therefore, in order not to experience constant stress and nervousness, you need to rest whenever such a desire appears.

Sleep during pregnancy is especially important, because the female body begins to expend more energy than in the normal state. Also, the decline in strength is explained by a natural decrease in immunity and blood pressure in the expectant mother. This causes apathy and weakness. The best and only way to get rid of them is to give the body time to rest.

How much sleep do you need?

To meet the new needs of the body, sleep should become longer. In a normal period, the optimal duration of a night's rest is 8-9 hours. But a woman "in position" needs more time to recover - an average of 9 to 11 hours.

In the first trimester, the expectant mother experiences severe drowsiness associated with increased production of progesterone, the onset of toxicosis, and other physiological changes. In this regard, sleep during early pregnancy also includes additional time for daytime rest. If you wish, it is recommended to devote at least 1.5 hours to it.

In the second trimester, the woman's condition stabilizes and weakness recedes. The need for daytime sleep may disappear, but nighttime rest should remain sufficiently long - 9 hours or more. It is also important to observe the daily routine - go to bed and get up at about the same time. The best time to go to bed is 11 pm, and to get up - 8-9 am.

What are the best positions to sleep in?

In thinking about how to combine sleep and pregnancy, the stomach, which is increasing day by day, makes its own adjustments. Due to the rapid growth of the child and, accordingly, the uterus, the problem is the choice of a comfortable position for the woman and a safe position for the baby to rest.

Many expectant mothers have a question: is sleeping on the stomach during pregnancy allowed or not? Let's try to figure out how long this is acceptable and what sleeping positions are more suitable for pregnant women.

In the early stages

Properly chosen position guarantees sound sleep and good health. In the first trimester, the choice of positions is practically unlimited. The uterus has not yet had time to increase greatly and is reliably protected by the pubic bones, so sleeping on the stomach during pregnancy is allowed during this period.

But often women have to choose a different position for sleeping in the very early stages. The reason for this is the increase and soreness of the mammary glands. In such a situation, you can sleep on your back or on your side, the main thing is that the position is comfortable.

At a later date

Starting from the second trimester, the choice of acceptable positions is reduced. In order not to cause discomfort to the baby and save the pregnancy, sleeping on the stomach will have to be canceled. It is better to rest during this period lying on your side, as if curled up around the baby.

Since the weight of the baby and the size of the uterus are still small, sleeping on your back during pregnancy is allowed at this time. But after the 27th week, this pose should also be abandoned. If the pregnancy is multiple, the fetus is large, or oligohydramnios is diagnosed, then this will have to be done earlier.

In the third trimester, the most suitable sleeping position is lying on your left side. If the baby is inside the uterus in a transverse presentation, then it is better to lie down on the side on which its head is located. This encourages the child to take the correct position.

To make sleep more comfortable, lying on your left side, you need to bend your right leg at the knee and put a pillow under it. You can use a regular pillow of a suitable size or specially designed for pregnant women.

In this position, blood circulation in the placenta improves, optimal conditions are created for the work of the mother's cardiovascular system. In addition, the excessive load on the spine, kidneys and other internal organs is removed.

Sleeping on one side all night is difficult, so if discomfort appears, doctors recommend changing your position by lying on the opposite side. It is advisable to do this 3-5 times a night.

Sleeping on your back during pregnancy in the third trimester is undesirable. At this time, this creates an excessive load on the spine, intestines, and, most importantly, leads to clamping of the vena cava.

As a result, the health of the expectant mother worsens, the following symptoms may appear:

labored breathing;
tachycardia;
drop in blood pressure;
dizziness, sometimes fainting.

At the same time, the child experiences intrauterine oxygen starvation, which negatively affects its development. Often, if a woman rolls over on her back in a dream, the baby begins to push hard, giving signals that he is uncomfortable. But as soon as the expectant mother turns on her side, the situation returns to normal.

Sleeping on your stomach in the later stages is also strictly prohibited. Although the baby is protected by amniotic fluid, there is still a risk of injuring him.

What to do with a sleep disorder?

Drowsiness is a natural state for a pregnant woman, but there are exceptions to any rule. Some women experience insomnia during pregnancy. There are many reasons for this - difficulties in choosing a comfortable position for relaxation, back pain, spasms and cramps in the legs, anxiety for the unborn baby or fear of the upcoming birth.

Poor sleep during pregnancy is not normal. Lack of proper rest depletes the body of the expectant mother, leading to a breakdown, headaches and exacerbation of chronic diseases. You can cope with sleep disorders by following a few simple rules.

First of all, you need to pay attention to the state of your body and daily routine. Falling asleep will be easier if:

Go to bed at the same time every day. It is advisable to do this no later than 23:00. The rise should also not be too late; 9-10 hours are enough for a pregnant woman to have a good rest.
When practicing daytime sleep, do not make it too long. If you rest during the day for more than 2 hours, the regime will be disturbed and it will be problematic to fall asleep at night.
Do not drink a lot of liquid at night, otherwise the urge to urinate, already more frequent due to the pressure of the uterus on the bladder, will not allow you to rest properly.
During the day, provide yourself with a reasonable physical activity. If there are no contraindications, it is necessary to walk in the fresh air for at least 2 hours daily, attend yoga or water aerobics for pregnant women. It is better if physical activity occurs in the first half of the day.
Do not overeat at night. If the dinner is too dense, everything eaten will cause an unpleasant heaviness in the stomach and make it difficult to breathe, which does not contribute to a healthy and sound sleep.
Ventilate the room before going to bed. The air in the bedroom should be fresh, but not too cold and dry.
Wear comfortable underwear made from natural fabrics. Sleepwear should not be tight or hot. If the house is cool, it is better to cover yourself with a warm blanket, but be lightly dressed.
Take a warm shower before bed. This will relax your muscles and make you fall asleep faster.
Use aromatherapy. Essential oils (ylang-ylang, sandalwood, lavender, neroli) help to calm down, relieve nervous tension and tune in to sleep. They can be applied to fabric, placed in a special pendant or evaporated using an aroma lamp. But you need to remember that oils can provoke allergies.
Convert a place to sleep by purchasing body-friendly bed linen, a comfortable pillow for pregnant women, and, if necessary, an orthopedic mattress.

If these tips do not help get rid of insomnia, you should consult your doctor. With persistent sleep disturbances, pregnant women may be recommended herbal teas or light sedative preparations made from natural ingredients - valerian, motherwort, etc. Any sleeping pills for expectant mothers are contraindicated, since they adversely affect the development of the baby, cause malfunctions in the woman's liver and kidneys.

Electrosleep during pregnancy

Electrosleep during pregnancy is one of the few approved medical treatments for insomnia. This procedure is carried out in a physiotherapy room and consists in applying low-frequency pulsed currents to the brain using a special apparatus.

Such an effect restores cerebral circulation, normalizes nervous activity, and facilitates falling asleep. In addition, electrosleep improves metabolism and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, reduces pressure, relieves spasms and reduces pain. The procedure is indicated for pregnant women not only with nervousness and sleep disorders, but also with severe toxicosis in the second trimester.

The treatment has contraindications (epilepsy, dermatitis of the skin of the face, eye diseases, oncological processes) and is carried out only as directed by a doctor.

A good rest while waiting for a child is possible. A stable daily routine and the creation of favorable conditions for falling asleep will allow you to forget about bad sleep during pregnancy forever. But, if, despite this, you continue to experience difficulties and discomfort, do not hesitate. Timely seeking medical help will help get rid of insomnia and begin to receive only pleasure from your position.

Useful video about sleep during pregnancy

Why does insomnia occur during pregnancy? Does it threaten the development of the fetus? And what about pregnant women who sleep very badly?

Why insomnia occurs in late pregnancy

This is the name of a sleep disorder that is characterized by poor falling asleep, short duration and quality of sleep. At first glance, a small problem, but in fact it significantly affects the quality of human life, and what can we say about expectant mothers!

Their sleep disorder is more common in the last months of pregnancy. But in the early stages, many complain that they do not get enough sleep for 7-8 hours of sleep at night and constantly experience drowsiness.

There are several reasons for insomnia in the third trimester. And, above all, it is a growing uterus, which creates heaviness and discomfort for all internal organs. Night trips to the toilet become more frequent, because the bladder is constantly under pressure, night cramps of the calf muscles and heartburn also interfere.

The weight of the baby also increases the load on the skeleton, which leads to pain and a feeling of heaviness that does not go away even at night. And stretching skin causes itching, and this prevents a woman from sleeping normally. Fear of childbirth is another significant factor, especially if the pregnancy is the first. Therefore, many expectant mothers have nightmares. Fearing their repetition, they cannot sleep.

By and large, insomnia does not affect the baby at this time. But given that the fetus and mother are one, then her sleep disorder and the child in the womb makes her restless.

How to deal with insomnia during pregnancy

The best way is to prevent it. Already in the early stages of bearing a baby, a woman must bring a certain order into her life, observe a regimen so that the body can more easily adapt to stress and a new role. You have to go to bed at the same time. This helps the female body form the habit of going to bed easier and faster. The most important things must be planned for the first half of the day.

If a woman on maternity leave allows herself to sleep for an hour or two during the day, then perhaps this is precisely what prevents her from falling asleep in the evening. In this case, you should try to give up daytime sleep. It can be replaced by reading, a slow walk in the park, or other activities that allow the body to rest and bring pleasure.

Of great importance is the quality of food, especially dinner. No tea, coffee, chocolate, cocoa, fatty meat, fried meat can not be consumed! Three hours before bedtime, only light food should enter the stomach of the expectant mother. For dinner, it is recommended to eat vegetables, fish, cereals, dairy products.

The room in which the expectant mother sleeps should not contain objects that distract her. This is a ticking clock, TV, radio. Yes, and the attributes for sleep should be appropriate: an orthopedic mattress, a bed made of natural fabric, a comfortable pillow.

Both therapists and gynecologists recommend that women take walks in the evening in any weather. Let them be at least half an hour after dinner. This will allow the woman to enrich the supply of oxygen, relieve stress. If a pregnant woman is accompanied by an interlocutor dear to her on a walk, then the benefits from it will be even higher.

You can ask your husband to do a relaxing back and leg massage.

If the pregnant woman cannot fall asleep within 30 minutes, then it is better to get up, leave the bedroom, listen to calm music, read, and go to bed again only when drowsiness appears. Stroke your tummy, sing a lullaby to your baby, remember the pleasant moments of childhood.

A woman should not take any sedative drugs on her own without consulting a doctor. The only thing you can try to drink is a glass of warm milk with honey, infusion of mint, lemon balm. They are recommended to be consumed a minute before going to bed.

If a woman knows that the cause of her insomnia lies in the fear of childbirth, then it is worth visiting a psychotherapist, consulting a psychologist.

Poor sleep during pregnancy

Pregnancy is accompanied by many difficulties - difficulties in digestion, jumps in blood pressure and frequent insomnia. But such manifestations can and should be fought so as not to overshadow the joys of pregnancy and facilitate the course of childbirth.

Causes of poor sleep in pregnant women

There are several reasons for poor sleep during pregnancy, and they depend on the period at which the woman is. Normal sleep is the absence of wakefulness between 23:00 and 07:00. If there are problems falling asleep at this time, the woman sleeps lightly and constantly wakes up, she has insomnia

First trimester

As a rule, the first three months of pregnancy usually overcomes drowsiness - the body is rebuilt. But if it's hard to fall asleep, most likely, emotions are to blame. We may be unnecessarily happy or worried about the baby.

And again, emotional richness, increased anxiety should be blamed for a bad dream. Many pregnant women have very superficial sleep due to hormonal changes and some tense anticipation of events. A woman may worry before the next ultrasound or hear about difficult painful childbirth. As a rule, the stomach is not yet large enough to interfere with sleep. In this case, we recommend reading the article: how not to be nervous during pregnancy, you may find some useful tips for yourself.

On the border between the 6th and 7th months, already physiological causes lead to sleep disturbances. The uterus increases, the stomach becomes larger - you can’t just sleep on your back. The fetus puts pressure on both the bladder and the lungs, because the pregnant woman constantly wants to go to the toilet, and it can be hard to breathe. Many women also complain of excessive sweating, and it is difficult to sleep in a feeling of heat. Another reason can be that the future baby often does not sleep at night and pushes.

How can a mom-to-be deal with bad sleep?

There are several ways to beat bad sleep and “learn” how to sleep at night again. It would be better to combine them.

1. Try to go to bed no later than 23 hours, and it is better if it is about 22 hours. Remember that the recommended sleep period is no more than 9 hours, otherwise drowsiness will haunt you all day.

2. You need to sleep a little during the day, you can just lie down for half an hour. But it is undesirable to sleep during the day for too long, otherwise the rested body will simply refuse to fall asleep at night.

3. Do not drink a lot at night, otherwise the urge to urinate will "exhaust" all night.

4. Clothing should be made from natural materials, light and seasonal. It is better to be lightly dressed, but covered with a warm blanket.

5. Do not overeat before going to bed, otherwise everything eaten together with an already grown up baby will put pressure on the stomach. Because of this, difficulty in breathing is likely.

6. Be sure to give yourself physical activity - yoga, Pilates, swimming in special groups. This, firstly, will help you get tired for a good sleep, and secondly, it normalizes blood pressure and strengthens your muscles. But do it in the morning.

7. Pay attention to auto-training and aromatherapy, especially since aromatherapy treatment for pregnant women is becoming increasingly popular. They will help relieve stress and cope with bad thoughts, and at the same time help get rid of bad sleep. Tell yourself that you and your baby are healthy, talk to him, assure both of you that the birth will go well. And volatile essential oils will help normalize blood pressure, thermoregulation, cardiac activity, and relieve pain.

8. Make your place to sleep as comfortable as possible: a comfortable pillow, a supportive mattress and, of course, the baby's beloved future father is nearby. Sleep on your side, but not the side of your heart.

9. Take a warm shower before bed to relax your muscles.

Have a good pregnancy!

There are a number of conclusions about the dangers of washing cosmetics. Unfortunately, not all new mothers listen to them. 97% of shampoos use the hazardous substance Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) or its equivalents. Many articles have been written about the impact of this chemistry on the health of both children and adults. At the request of our readers, we tested the most popular brands.

The results were disappointing - the most advertised companies showed the presence of those very dangerous components in the composition. In order not to violate the legal rights of manufacturers, we cannot name specific brands. Mulsan Cosmetic, the only company that passed all the tests, successfully received 10 points out of 10 (read). Each product is made from natural ingredients, completely safe and hypoallergenic.

If you doubt the naturalness of your cosmetics, check the expiration date, it should not exceed 10 months. Approach carefully to the choice of cosmetics, it is important for you and your child.

Insomnia in early pregnancy: causes, consequences and methods of struggle

A planned or accidental pregnancy is always an important event in a woman's life. When conception occurs, life inevitably becomes different due to changes in the hormonal background and other work of all body systems. These changes are not always pleasant: insomnia in early pregnancy often negatively affects the standard of living of women.

Most pregnant women complain in the early stages of severe drowsiness. During the day, the eyes literally stick together, there is not enough strength for anything, and it seems to the woman that she is ready to sleep for days on end.

But the opposite situation is also quite common: for some reason, at the beginning of pregnancy, sleep becomes an inaccessible luxury. Despite a strong desire to sleep, she can’t fall asleep, and the woman lies in bed for hours, counting sheep, or tries to put herself to sleep in some other way. Doctors call the cause of insomnia in early pregnancy hormonal changes in the body. For example, this symptom may be caused by elevated progesterone levels.

Other reasons are possible. For example, back pain or calf cramps, heartburn, or frequent urination caused by pressure from the uterus on the bladder can interfere with sleep. As the uterus increases, all these phenomena can increase.

Often the causes of insomnia are not physiological, but psychological. After learning about their pregnancy, many experience joyful excitement, which does not contribute to restful sleep. Someone is afraid for the baby - this is especially true for those women who have had experience of miscarriage or for very impressionable persons. For some, pregnancy was a surprise, and such women cannot sleep because of constant thoughts about their future. In a word, pregnant women have enough reasons for unrest, and unrest, even the most pleasant ones, often cause insomnia.

Sometimes the hormonal restructuring of the body becomes so stressful that a woman is very overtired during the day, and as a result, she cannot close her eyes at night. And sometimes a combination of several causes of insomnia does not give sleep.

What threatens lack of sleep?

Sleep deficiency is a fairly serious problem that society tends to underestimate. More than half of modern people do not sleep enough, and sooner or later this affects their health. First of all, the nervous system suffers from lack of sleep. This can manifest itself in different ways: it becomes difficult to concentrate, memory deteriorates, absent-mindedness appears, a person becomes irritable and does not always adequately respond to what is happening. The lack of sleep also affects the appearance: the condition of the skin worsens, the hair becomes naughty, bruises appear under the eyes. Even excess weight can appear due to lack of sleep: in an attempt to replenish energy reserves, a person begins to eat more than necessary.

Pregnancy is a difficult time. Although this condition is completely natural for a woman, pregnant women should be especially careful about their health. For nine months, you need to avoid stress, thus taking care of your baby. And insomnia in itself is a stress, so it cannot benefit a pregnant woman in any way.

Obviously, pregnant women should not use sleeping pills in most cases. Caution is especially important in the choice of drugs precisely in the early stages, when all the organs of the fetus are laid. The consequences of taking inappropriate drugs that have a teratogenic effect can be tragic. So, for example, it was due to the use of sleeping pills that many women at one time gave birth to children with severe injuries.

Therefore, you should not experiment with sleeping pills or take pills that were used before pregnancy. Only a doctor should prescribe drugs, and doctors should be warned about pregnancy even at the earliest possible date.

On your own, you can try to change the mode first. That is, go to bed early, at the same time, regardless of the day of the week. It is also advisable to get up at the same time. It is better not to sleep during the day, even if you really want to, so as not to bring down the “internal clock”.

You should not go to bed hungry, but it will be difficult to fall asleep after a hearty dinner. It is best to eat no later than three to four hours before bedtime. At the same time, dinner should be light. Meat dishes are best eaten for lunch, vegetables, dairy products, fruits, and sometimes cereals are suitable for dinner. From spices, tea and coffee must be abandoned. Better if the portions are very small. A glass of milk or yogurt an hour or two before bedtime is a centuries-old method to relax and fall asleep.

Another proven method is a walk in the fresh air shortly before bedtime. You can walk for a long time, you can limit yourself to a half-hour walk, the main thing is that its pace is calm enough. Some yoga exercises also help to relax (of course, you need to choose those that are not contraindicated for pregnant women). But it is better to avoid active sports activities in the evening, as well as any activity that interferes with relaxation.

Very good for relaxation and water treatments. Bathing in the bathroom is not recommended for pregnant women, but a warm shower with fragrant gel helps to pacify and calm down. And if you have the opportunity to go to the pool in the evening - very good. Swimming causes pleasant fatigue and promotes good sleep.

Soothing teas and herbal infusions can be used to combat insomnia only after consulting a doctor. Valerian and motherwort are safe for pregnant women, while other herbs require careful use.

Why pregnant women do not sleep well

Causes of insomnia during pregnancy

As the uterus grows, it begins to put a lot of pressure on the bladder, which makes the urge to urinate more frequent, and this greatly disturbs sleep.

Leg cramps, which often appear during pregnancy, bring severe discomfort and, as a rule, are intensely manifested precisely at night, which prevents the expectant mother from sleeping normally.

Since the stomach grows very quickly, the skin on it stretches, as a result of which there is a strong itch, which becomes even stronger at night and does not allow you to sleep peacefully.

How to deal with insomnia?

How can you still normalize sleep during pregnancy?

First of all, you need to learn how to relax, this is what will help you fall asleep as quickly as possible. Try a warm bubble bath just before going to bed, reading a good book, etc.
Avoid daytime naps so you can fall asleep more easily in the evening.
If you're too passive, try walking more often or sign up for some activities that will take you a certain amount of time and after which you will be a little tired.
Skip a heavy meal a couple of hours before bed.
Ask your husband or someone close to give you a foot massage before bed, it's great to help you relax.
Be sure to ventilate the room in which you are going to sleep. Fresh air is great for good sleep.

All of these ways can really help get rid of insomnia.

I can't sleep well at night, please help.

try to take a walk in the air before going to bed and drink tea, with mint or chamomile

drugs are definitely not worth taking

even more fun somehow

1. Before going to bed, drink liquids as little as possible, preferably after 6 quite a bit.

2. There is a special pillow for pregnant and lactating, the thing is super, any position will be comfortable (then the baby will come in handy)

3. As a sedative - motherwort, safe, soothing, and sleep better

4. And less nonsense in the head, only positive

On the pages of the Children of Mail.Ru project, comments that violate the laws of the Russian Federation, as well as propaganda and anti-scientific statements, advertising, insults to the authors of publications, other participants in the discussion and moderators, are not allowed. All messages with hyperlinks are also deleted.

Accounts of users who systematically violate the rules will be blocked, and all messages left will be deleted.

You can contact the editors of the project through the feedback form.

Insomnia during pregnancy

Causes of sleep disorders in pregnant women and methods of dealing with them

You again, again with me, insomnia! I recognize your motionless face. What, beauty, what, lawless woman, Am I bad at singing to you? Anna Akhmatova

Evgeniya Karpova

You are exhausted, exhausted, but still you cannot sleep. Nightfall becomes torture. A cozy bed, a soft pillow... Previously, you only had to get to the bedroom, put your head on the pillow - and... it seems that in a second, an impudent alarm clock pulled you out of the arms of Morpheus, announcing the onset of a new day. And now the bedroom has turned into a torture chamber, and the treacherous god of sleep has completely forgotten about you - he probably flew off to beauties who were not burdened by a grown belly. But normal sleep is now doubly necessary for you: you are responsible for that tiny person whose existence so far depends entirely on you - on how you feel, what you eat and, of course, how you sleep; your insomnia probably won't do him any good. Growing anxiety, fear of insomnia increases nervous tension, and it becomes even more difficult to fall asleep - a vicious circle is obtained, and you are in despair: what can be done to break it?

Loneliness (those who are nearby are now with their dreams, and not with you) and fear of an endless sleepless night - is this situation familiar to you? Let's talk about how to overcome it. First of all, about loneliness: I must say that in fact you ended up in a rather crowded company - millions of women are with you: according to statistics, 78% of pregnant women experience sleep problems. How to get rid of fear? Do not worry, calm down - all these standard recommendations of doctors are not so easy to implement. It seems to me that knowledge of the causes of insomnia and an understanding of the processes that are happening now in your body will help you here. And from considering the causes of insomnia, our conversation will naturally move on to the most diverse ways to overcome it - there are a whole lot of them in the arsenal of mankind, it cannot be that nothing suits you.

Causes of sleep disorders in pregnant women

For many women, insomnia begins already in the first trimester of pregnancy, some doctors even tend to consider sleep disturbances as one of the signs of pregnancy. In the second trimester, sleep usually returns to normal, but in the last three months before childbirth, insomnia is one of the most frequent and serious complications of pregnancy. Doctors, talking about the nature of sleep, usually say that insomnia is not a disease, but a symptom, an external manifestation of some processes taking place in our body. To defeat insomnia, you need to try to find out what these processes are and how you can neutralize their inevitable side effects.

Hormonal changes in a woman's body can lead to insomnia at the very early stages: for example, during pregnancy, the level of progesterone and a number of other hormones rises. Mobilizing forces for carrying a pregnancy, they also bring the body into a state of "combat readiness" and sometimes simply do not allow to relax.

As the pregnancy progresses, there are more and more reasons for insomnia. The causes of sleep disorders in pregnant women can be physiological:

Why pregnant women do not sleep well

Many expectant mothers dream of relaxing and getting a good night's sleep during pregnancy. But the trouble is that right now it’s impossible to relax properly. There are many reasons: back pain, constantly full bladder, big belly, fears and anxiety for the baby. We will tell you about the causes of poor sleep and how to improve the situation.

Constant desire to go to the toilet

Due to the growing uterus, the volume of your bladder is significantly reduced. If you drink as little as possible an hour or two before bedtime, you will be less likely to get up to go to the toilet at night.

Nausea

Since you often feel sick on an empty stomach, eat some light carb before bed and don't forget to put a plate of crackers or nuts next to the bed so that you can have a snack in the morning without getting up.

Indigestion or heartburn

Instead of filling your stomach thoroughly three times a day, eat little and often. The last meal of the day should be at least three to four hours before bedtime. It is better not to go to bed immediately after eating, but to sit for a while. Avoid citrus fruits, spices, fried foods, and chocolate as they can irritate the esophagus. If all else fails, you can take an acid-neutralizing tablet after meals.

Leg cramps

Many pregnant women are awakened by sudden leg cramps at night. Pull the foot towards you to stretch the calf muscle; massage your leg put a heating pad on the place cramped or get up and walk around.

Insomnia

As the due date approaches, many women feel agitated and restless and cannot sleep. Before going to bed, take a warm bath and try to relax. Some women sleep better if they exercise during the day.

Be that as it may, you should not worry too much about the fact that you are not getting enough sleep, because stress will only aggravate insomnia. Don't look at the clock (it won't help you), close your eyes and focus on your breathing. As paradoxical as it sounds, some studies claim that if you try not sleep, fall asleep instantly.

Concern for the condition of the baby

All future parents are afraid of the unknown. The more you learn about pregnancy and childbirth, the easier it will be for you to pull yourself together. Read special literature or sign up for childbirth preparation courses. Share your concerns with your partner - they may feel the same way. Open dialogue will help you overcome your fears.

It's hard for me to find a comfortable position. What to do?

Welcome to the club! The bigger your belly gets, the harder it is to find a comfortable position for it. A pregnancy pillow or a new sleeping position may help. Try also sleeping in a reclining chair or sofa.

Why not sleep during pregnancy and what to do about it

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.

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.

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.

Navigation bar

Home /
Health and Longevity /
Insomnia during pregnancy. Why do pregnant women not sleep at different times and how to deal with it?

About the most important importance of a healthy full sleep in the life of any person, it is perhaps unnecessary to speak. And of course, during pregnancy, sleep is doubly necessary: a woman who has not slept and not rested during the night feels tired, exhausted and irritable during the day, and this is harmful, even in her normal state. In addition to the fact that with insomnia, the mother's body works to wear and tear and is depleted, the fetus inside it experiences the same emotions and experiences the same sensations. Insomnia during pregnancy is dangerous for both, and at any time, and it must be fought.

Why can't pregnant women sleep?

According to statistics, 78% of pregnant women experience difficulty sleeping and 97% of women experience at least insomnia during pregnancy in the 3rd trimester. There can be many reasons for sleep disorders: both psychological and physiological.

Many have insomnia during early pregnancy. Some experts believe that insomnia in early pregnancy is one of the earliest signs of pregnancy. Its appearance is explained by hormonal changes in the body, which is more than logical. As a rule, insomnia in early pregnancy is the result of your experiences - you are always thinking about the future, weighing your options, evaluating the strengths and desires of your loved ones ...

However, insomnia in early pregnancy is a rare occurrence, in most cases its occurrence is associated with the final, third stage, and insomnia during late pregnancy is a completely natural phenomenon. It becomes more and more difficult for a woman to comfortably lie down in a bed, someone begins to suffer from heartburn, and someone has shortness of breath, many suffer from pain in the side or lower back, cramps in the legs, the skin itches terribly due to stretching, the baby is overly active or prefers to have fun on at night, and besides, I constantly want to go to the toilet.

The situation is aggravated by chronic fatigue, fear of the upcoming birth, excessive impressionability and emotionality of this period. Insomnia during pregnancy in the 3rd trimester can be caused by dreams about the hospital, the midwife, the birth process. Often in the last stages, waves, a whirlpool, a raging ocean are dreamed of, symbolizing pregnancy, childbirth, etc. Many women wake up from the horror they saw in a dream that they have lost their baby. However, experts convince not to attach much importance to such nightmares, because their appearance is fully justified - the psychological state in the third trimester of pregnancy is very difficult, because not only the body changes, but also consciousness, preparing for childbirth and parental responsibility. Remember: you should not worry, especially over trifles! If the dream still doesn’t leave your head, discuss what torments you with a loved one, and you will understand that nothing terrible has happened.

What is insomnia during pregnancy?

Insomnia during pregnancy, and in principle, there are three types. When in the evening you cannot fall asleep for a long time, tossing and turning for hours from side to side, this is the so-called starting insomnia. A person at this time, as a rule, analyzes the events experienced during the day, and reflects on the things that lie ahead. The second type of insomnia is the inability to maintain a state of sleep during the night. You fall asleep, but you constantly wake up, interrupting sleep, and in the morning you absolutely do not feel rested. The third type is insomnia of the final phase - waking up in the morning, falling asleep again, it doesn’t come out in any way.

Insomnia during pregnancy in the 3rd trimester is most often just the starting one - it becomes more and more difficult to fall asleep, having a large, heavy belly, in which life “boils” tirelessly. All sorts of "side effects" of pregnancy colorfully complement the picture. But regardless of when a pregnant woman can not sleep, you need to learn how to cope with these problems and provide the body with a good rest. After all, during sleep, he replenishes the energy reserves spent per day, normalizes the psyche, and ensures the normal development of the fetus. Experts say that a pregnant woman's need for sleep is 10 hours a day, and in order to avoid any problems, it is necessary to compensate for regular lack of sleep. This, of course, is the average norm, and each person has his own individual needs, inherited and developed throughout life.

What is sleep and how does it happen?

To learn to control your own sleep, you need to understand its nature. Sleep contains a cyclical nature, with repetitive phases of sleep at intervals of about a minute. During the night, slow and fast sleep alternate 4-6 times. The REM sleep phase lasts minutes (the closer to the morning, the longer it is, and the slow sleep phase is shorter). It is during these 10 minutes that the most important and amazing thing happens - the body is completely immobilized, and the brain becomes active, as in a state of wakefulness, that's when we dream. If you wake a person in REM sleep, then he will feel sleepy and tired all day. And if you do it constantly, you can get mental illness.

What is especially interesting: the phases of sleep alternate every night at the same intervals of time, even if you are not sleeping at that moment. The strongest desire to sleep overcomes just during the phase of REM sleep. Hence, a hint for those suffering from the second and third types of insomnia: if you woke up in the middle of the night or in the morning and cannot fall asleep, know that after 120 minutes maximum sleep will return to you. Therefore, you can not torment yourself, but, for example, read some kind of “sleeping pills” book, tie booties or listen to soothing music. One hundred percent way to wake up completely is to try to force yourself to fall asleep, by all means, warming up with thoughts that you need to get up early in the morning and you need to get enough sleep. Therefore, we recommend that you react calmly to insomnia during pregnancy and learn how to deal with it.

Insomnia during pregnancy: how to deal with insomnia

Medicines for insomnia during pregnancy. The most important thing that you must learn is that you cannot treat insomnia during pregnancy, especially on your own! Do not take any sleeping pills without a doctor's prescription. Yes, and the doctor will prescribe you a medicine only in case of urgent need, if the sleep problems are so great that they threaten life and health. But if you really suffer from insomnia, what to do? After consulting with a doctor (required!), You can try herbal remedies to calm the nervous system: chamomile, motherwort, valerian. But these natural remedies for insomnia also have side effects and limitations in terms of intake and quantities.

Insomnia, what can you do. Pay attention to the time and diet of your diet. You should not overload the stomach at night, especially during pregnancy, dinner should certainly be light and, of course, not very late. Otherwise, the body will be busy with work, and you definitely won’t be able to fall asleep. Some nutritionists claim that in the evening protein food helps to improve sleep due to the content of L-tryptophan in it, which reduces the time to fall asleep. According to others, carbohydrates contribute to falling asleep better, due to rapid digestion, and minimal intestinal peristalsis, as well as excitation of the nervous system. Opinions are different, and both have the right to exist - everyone must find out the effectiveness for themselves individually. Definitely reduce nervous excitability and improve sleep asparagus, garden salad, melon for dinner. Feeling lightheaded, weak, and palpitating before bed can indicate a lack of blood sugar. This should be reported to the doctor, but for now you can treat yourself to sweet tea.

Folk remedies for insomnia:

1. It is good to drink a glass of slightly warmed milk with honey before going to bed.
2. Herbal tea made from orange, lemon balm, lavender, chamomile, licorice or savory, mint and thyme is also suitable. Hops in decoctions during pregnancy are undesirable.
3. For insomnia, it is recommended to take beetroot, radish or turnip juice with honey: make a deepening in the root crop, and put 1 teaspoon of honey in it, after a couple of hours, drink the resulting juice.
4. An infusion of celery herb is also effective for normalizing sleep: pour 20 gr. chopped herbs 1 cup boiling water. Let it infuse for 30 minutes. Then strain and take the infusion three times a day for 1/3 cup.
5. The fruits of blackcurrant in folk medicine are used as a sedative, either in the form of natural or in the form of a decoction of dried berries (2 teaspoons per glass of water).

Do not drink tonic drinks, regular tea or coffee at night. You should not drink a lot of fluids at night and in the evening, otherwise, due to frequent urination, which already haunts you, you will turn the night into endless trips to the toilet.

Insomnia during pregnancy: how to fight without drugs?

The most important thing is to try to get rid of overstrain, stress, quarrels, any emotional stress, especially in the evening. Daily physical education, which improves blood circulation, which is important, will have a good effect on the nervous system. If you're used to daytime naps, cut them out until nighttime sleep returns to normal, or simply cut back. Try to go to bed only for sleep, and not to chat on the phone or watch TV.

To ensure a sound and restful sleep, create favorable conditions for it. Keep the room where you sleep slightly cool. Ventilate the room before going to bed. Avoid hypothermia and overheating. Pajamas should be comfortable for you, do not constrain, do not press, be made of natural fabric. Cover yourself with pillows to make it easier to take a comfortable position: put one extra between your knees, one under your back to take the load off your spine.

It is not recommended to sleep on your back during late pregnancy - the uterus squeezes the inferior vena cava, reducing blood flow to the brain and heart, because of this, dizziness and fainting are possible in the mother, and hypoxia in the fetus. If the baby suddenly shows increased activity or starts to beat hard, change the position of your body, maybe you blocked the child's oxygen supply. Sleep experts recommend on the left side. Well, if the kid just decided to play, then mommy will have to be patient and wait, as a rule, this does not take much time.

Evening walks in the fresh air have a beneficial effect on falling asleep. A relaxing light massage of the back, lower back and legs helps a lot. If there is a cramp in the calf muscle, pull your big toe towards you and massage your foot. And remember: the prevention of seizures is a sufficient intake of vitamins and trace elements, in particular magnesium and calcium.

A warm bath or just a shower will help relieve fatigue and relax. If you have insomnia, aromatherapy knows what to do - incense and herbs will put your nerves in order. You can simply put a pillow at the head of the bed, stuffed with relaxing herbs: thyme or buckwheat husks, immortelle flowers, hazel leaves (hazel) or noble laurel, hop cones, pine needles, rose petals, geranium grass.

Sex helps many to speed up the arrival of Morpheus - an excellent "sleeping pill", unless, of course, you have contraindications for this.

According to Ayurveda, to speed up the approach of sleep, you need to breathe through the left nostril, breathing slowly and deeply.

Choose one or two methods that are effective in your case and learn how to sleep calmly and soundly, a healthy sleep. Stock up on strength and energy, because very soon the two of you will have to work hard for glory. The most iridescent dreams to you!

A little more about insomnia during pregnancy, how to deal with sleep problems during pregnancy in the early and late stages:

Insomnia during pregnancy: is it normal? What should a woman do to avoid insomnia during pregnancy

Insomnia is a painful condition. The lack of proper sleep exhausts any person, but a pregnant woman suffers doubly. To bear a child, she needs a lot of physical and mental strength. But if insomnia torments, how to restore them?

After a sleepless night, a pregnant woman will feel overwhelmed, tired, irritated, which will certainly affect the well-being of the child.

Normal full-fledged sleep for a pregnant woman is of tremendous importance, because it is in a dream that her body, working for two, restores energy. That is why it is so important to understand why insomnia occurs during pregnancy and how to deal with it.

Types of insomnia during pregnancy

In the first days after conception, a complete hormonal restructuring of the woman's body occurs. Although insomnia often occurs already during this period, most women, on the contrary, experience increased drowsiness. In the first trimester of pregnancy, you can constantly pull into sleep, and this is normal: this is how the body reacts to the hormonal storm. The increased production of progesterone is designed to immerse the body in a state of rest, so as not to disrupt the process of the birth of a new life.

However, the situation is changing very soon. Drowsiness is replaced by insomnia.

There are several types of it:

With initial insomnia, a woman cannot fall asleep for a very long time, falls asleep difficultly, painfully, for two to three hours. The median, or intermittent, is capable of exhausting no less: a person falls into a dream, wakes up, falls asleep again - and so on several times a night. As a result, it is not possible to fully relax. Insomnia of the morning type, or final, is characterized by early awakening, after which it will no longer be possible to fall asleep.

Experts say that every second woman suffers from insomnia during pregnancy. For the first trimester, median or final insomnia is more characteristic. The situation is exacerbated by toxicosis.

The second trimester of pregnancy is characterized by a temporary normalization of sleep. During this period, disturbances associated with the phase of falling asleep and awakening are rarely recorded. But from the third semester, from the 26th week until the end of gestation, insomnia can return again. The baby grows, the tummy grows, so it becomes more and more uncomfortable to sleep. A woman gets more tired, but less and less gets the opportunity to fully relax at night. Finding a comfortable sleeping position can be difficult.

Most often, you can fall asleep on your side. Sleeping on the left side promotes an easier outflow of blood from the lower legs, on the right side it unloads the kidneys. It is better to sleep on the left side of the body, this does not disturb the normal blood flow. To make the pose more comfortable, you can put a roll of a towel or a thin blanket under your knees and buy a supportive pillow for your growing belly.

In late pregnancy, many begin to dream of sleeping lying on their backs. However, until the birth of the baby, this position remains unacceptable. The fact is that the heaviness of the uterus puts pressure on the bladder, spine, and diaphragm. As a result, you won’t be able to sleep: you will wake up with frequent urge to go to the toilet, back pain, and shortness of breath.

From week 39, expecting a baby to be born soon can exacerbate insomnia during pregnancy. A woman is very tired, and overwork often prevents any person from falling asleep. It is necessary to actively engage in the stabilization of the emotional state, the removal of anxiety. Being outdoors, reading your favorite books, watching soothing films with a happy ending, communicating with positive, pleasant people.

At the fortieth week, many women generally lose sleep. Waiting for childbirth, fear, excitement, frequent back pain, heaviness and swelling in the legs, unpleasant physiological manifestations - all this seriously disrupts a normal night's rest. But learning to relax, fall asleep, fully rest is a must. Not only for himself, but also for the sake of the baby, because he feels everything that his mother feels.

Causes of insomnia during pregnancy

At different stages of pregnancy, the causes of insomnia can be different.

The first trimester is characterized by the following reasons:

Strong emotions, an attempt to comprehend a new stage of life, excitement, fear - all this causes emotional insomnia;

Vomiting, nausea, intolerance to smells can haunt a woman not only in the morning, but also during the day, and even at night. In this case, the cause of insomnia is toxicosis;

Frequent urge to go to the toilet, caused by the active growth of the uterus, is another cause of sleep disturbances.

In the second semester, insomnia during pregnancy is not as disturbing as before, or stops altogether. This is due to the stabilization of the emotional state, hormonal levels. Physiology still does not interfere with enjoying sleep: there is no pain in the chest, back, lower abdomen, and the tummy itself is not too noticeable. Therefore, if insomnia does appear, it is caused by some external stimuli: stuffiness in the room, snoring, cold.

The third semester is a time of return of excitement and significant changes in the physiology of a pregnant woman. How will the birth go? How will the baby be born? Is everything okay with him? Such questions disturb the expectant mother. All this is the basis for a new stage of emotional insomnia. The physiological type of insomnia also debuts, associated with a large belly, frequent urge to urinate, and swelling of the nipples. Finding a comfortable position is extremely difficult.

The most common causes of physiological insomnia are:

Constant pressure of the uterus on the bladder;

Pressing pain in the spine;

Exacerbation of osteochondrosis of the thoracic and cervical spine;

The movements of the child, sometimes very sensitive;

Leg cramps, recurring at night. To remove the convulsive syndrome, you need to pull your thumb, massage the caviar. To prevent seizures from recurring, you need to use vitamin complexes or foods high in magnesium and calcium;

Itching of the skin of the abdomen.

Constant lack of sleep can exhaust a woman so much that she becomes agitated, irritated. If sleep comes, then in such an exhausted state it is unlikely to be easy and pleasant. That is why it is important to study all the methods and ways of treating insomnia during pregnancy.

Ways to treat insomnia during pregnancy

From medical methods of dealing with sleep disorders should be immediately abandoned. The influence of drugs on the formation of a child can be unpredictably dangerous. In any case, before you start taking any drug, you should always consult with your doctor.

Daytime sleep is contraindicated. Even a half-hour nap can disrupt the natural evening sleep: a rested body simply does not have time to get tired enough. And in general, during the day you need to lie less in bed and on the couch, it is better to relax in an armchair.

Before going to bed, you can’t eat up, and in the afternoon (after six in the evening) you need to limit the amount of fluid you drink. Before going to bed, it is better to limit yourself to a glass of kefir.

You need to find your own way to completely relax. Most popular:

Massage of the lower back, cervical-collar zone, head, feet, hands;

Aromatherapy (mint, lavender oils relax well);

Nice calm music;

Favorite book or magazine;

Warm milk with honey or chamomile infusion;

Body care after a warm shower. On the skin of the abdomen, you need to regularly, from the first days of active growth of the uterus, apply a softening cream. This will help prevent stretch marks and relieve itchy skin.

Honey is an excellent remedy for sleep disorders. If you mix a spoonful of honey with the same amount of natural apple cider vinegar, dissolve them in water, you get a wonderful soothing drink. A sip of such a sweet medicine can calm down and sleep well. But if you suffer from heartburn, you can’t take vinegar! In this case, you can dissolve honey in milk, chamomile tea, mix with crushed walnuts.

A drop of lavender oil applied to the temples can replace insomnia medication during pregnancy. Alcoholic infusion of valerian should not be taken. But a sedative effect can be achieved if you breathe in the fumes of valerian from an open bottle. Doctors are not against the tablet form of valerian, but they should be taken only after consulting with a supervising doctor! Valerian has a cumulative effect, so the result will be noticeable only after two to three days.

A special exercise will help you fall asleep. It is performed while lying in bed. It's simple: raise your legs a little and perform movements that imitate walking. Hands should lie along the body. They say that such a "walk" allows you to go completely unnoticed to the kingdom of Morpheus.

You can learn special breathing exercises. But this should be done only under the guidance of a coach.

Prevention of insomnia during pregnancy

An excellent prevention of sleep disorders is a properly distributed physical activity throughout the day. Do not think that heavy physical activity will help you fall asleep. This is a very common misconception. On the contrary, severe fatigue will certainly prevent you from falling asleep normally.

Be sure to be in the fresh air, move, give the body physical activity. Yoga, water aerobics or home exercises are ideal. The best time to practice is before lunch. In the evening, any tension, physical or psychological, is contraindicated.

An evening walk is obligatory: fresh air and light physical activity are a very effective prevention of insomnia during pregnancy at all stages of a child's development.

It is easier to fall asleep in a well-ventilated room. If possible, you can buy a special orthopedic mattress and pillow. Psychologists also recommend trying to fall asleep to relaxing sounds: recordings of the surf, the rustle of rain, the sound of the wind.

An overall positive attitude is important. All disturbing thoughts - away! There should be no scandals, quarrels, unpleasant conversations and meetings, especially before going to bed. Anxiety, which is one of the causes of insomnia, will help to remove trainings for pregnant women, seminars for future parents, individual consultations with a psychologist.

You can’t dwell on fear: it harms both mother and baby. You can take a course of study for which there was always not enough time. For example, learn how to sew tilde dolls, take professional photographs, learn Spanish - anything, as long as you like it!

It is very important to eat right. Pregnancy is a great opportunity to switch to a healthy diet. Steam and fresh vegetables, fruits, berries should be on the menu of a pregnant woman every day. A large amount of fiber is the prevention of constipation, which means that the key to a good night's sleep and the prevention of insomnia during pregnancy.

Insomnia during pregnancy: folk recipes

Herbs are traditionally used to treat insomnia during pregnancy with folk remedies. In addition to valerian, you can brew herbal teas with lemon balm, St. John's wort, thyme, lavender, licorice, orange, savory. If decoctions have a bad effect on pressure, it is better to refuse them. Decoctions on hops are prohibited.

An excellent sedative effect is given by freshly squeezed radish, beet or turnip juice mixed with a spoonful of honey. It is necessary to make a hole in the fruit with a sharp knife, put a spoonful of natural honey there and wait for the juice to be released. After two to four hours, you need to drink the liquid that has accumulated in the hole of the root crop.

An infusion of celery herb helps to normalize sleep and prevent insomnia during pregnancy. A spoonful of chopped celery should be poured with a glass of boiling water and insisted for half an hour. Strain the infusion, drink one-third of a glass three times a day.

Black currant berries have a calming effect. They can be used fresh or dried. Berries (one tablespoon) should be poured with a glass of boiling water and insisted for half an hour.

Under the pillow, you can put a linen pillow with herbs and buckwheat husks. Hazel leaves (hazel), pine needles, immortelle flowers, hop cones, thyme, rose petals, dried geranium have a relaxing effect.

Insomnia during pregnancy can pretty spoil the mood and damage the normal development of the fetus. Therefore, it must be fought, since there are effective, proven, effective methods.

Portal Editor-in-Chief: Ekaterina Danilova

Email:

Editorial phone.

Insomnia during pregnancy is a sleep disorder that accompanies the period of gestation. According to statistics, every woman faces a problem. The degree of pathology depends on the trimester and the general course of pregnancy. The recommendations of doctors allow you to normalize the quality of sleep and prevent the negative impact of insomnia on the expectant mother and fetus.

Features of sleep during pregnancy

Biological rhythms during sleep lead to the development of the most important physiological processes in the human body. Sleep restores the work of internal organs and systems, has a beneficial effect on the general condition of the mother and child.

A feature of insomnia (insomnia) in women is a direct relationship between the trimester of pregnancy and a violation of the quality and duration of sleep. So, the closer the gestation, the more often there are problems with falling asleep.

First trimester

In the first weeks and months after the conception of a child, hormonal changes in the body occur in the female body. In the first trimester, the production of the female hormone estrogen decreases, while the male progesterone increases. At the same time, during the daytime, the pregnant woman is overcome by drowsiness, at night there are problems with falling asleep.

Progesterone supports the normal course of pregnancy. The male hormone relaxes the myometrium, reduces the muscle tone of the uterus.

Under its influence, there is an effect on the muscles of the intestines, bladder. As a result, a woman has symptoms associated with pregnancy:

drowsiness (during the daytime);
increased urge to urinate;
lethargy;
bloating.

Hormonal changes can affect the quality and duration of sleep. Sleep problems occur due to swelling of the mucous membranes and sinuses. Difficulty in breathing occurs due to reduced vascular tone, increased vascular permeability of the nasopharynx.

The quality and duration of sleep is influenced by the emotional and physiological state. Increased excitement, stress, toxic state can torment a woman and lead to a violation of biological rhythms.

Second trimester

After 14 weeks of pregnancy, the most calm period begins. At this time, the hormonal background normalizes, toxicosis disappears. The emotional state of the woman is stabilized. The tummy begins to appear, which does not cause inconvenience and discomfort.

Insomnia in the second trimester worries a woman least of all. The occurrence of the disorder is associated with a complicated pregnancy, non-compliance with sleep and rest, external irritating factors.

third trimester

Many expectant mothers complain about poor sleep during pregnancy in the third trimester. The symptom accompanies the period of gestation until the very birth, while after the birth of the child, the quality of sleep is restored.

In recent months, pain in the lower back has increased, the load on the internal organs has increased, swelling in the legs occurs. Sleep problems often occur due to increased heartburn, itching of the skin, and an uncomfortable sleeping position.

Danger for mother and fetus

Problems with falling asleep in a person adversely affect the emotional and physical state, overall performance. During pregnancy, the negative impact increases. Lack of sleep leads to dysfunction of internal organs and systems. The condition is dangerous for the mother and fetus.

The main danger of insomnia during pregnancy is the following negative consequences:

Emotional instability. Sleep disorders lead to increased irritability and fatigue, frequent mood swings. Depression is a concomitant symptom of insomnia during this period.
Hormonal disbalance. Sleep problems lead to pathological changes in the hormonal background (increased uterine tone, threats of miscarriage).
Women's health problems (tachycardia, arrhythmias, hypertension).

Sleep disorders need to be treated. If in the early stages of insomnia is considered a symptom of pregnancy, then in the later stages, insomnia is neuralgic in nature. The delay in the emotional and psychophysical development of the fetus is often the result of an unresolved problem in a woman.

Types of insomnia during pregnancy

Insomnia in pregnant women is classified according to several indicators. First of all, insomnia is short-term or permanent.

By duration

According to the duration of the symptom, experts distinguish 3 forms of the pathological condition:

Acute form (up to 7 days). It is episodic. It often manifests itself against a background of stress. Therapy is not shown.
Subacute form (from 8-21 days). Has a short duration.
Chronic form (from three weeks or more). Pronounced signs of the disorder are irritability, deterioration in concentration, increased fatigue.

By nature of origin

By nature of origin (etiology), the following types of insomnia in pregnant women are distinguished:

Primary form. Occurs for unknown reasons. It is called idiopathic insomnia.
secondary form. It develops as a result of somatic adverse factors (emotional or psychophysical).

During the period of gestation, the sleep disorder is of a short-term (transistor) nature. After the birth of a child, the quality and duration of sleep is normalized.

According to clinical characteristics

Insomnia as a sign of pregnancy is also classified according to clinical characteristics. There are 3 types of disorder:

Presomnic appearance. Difficulty falling asleep for 15 minutes to several hours.
Itrasomic view. The symptom is accompanied by frequent awakenings at night caused by internal and external adverse factors - noise, stuffy air, frequent urination.
Postsomnic view. It is characterized by a violation of the quality of sleep. After waking up, the woman feels tired, weak, drowsy.

A chronic form of pathology is accompanied by any disease. In women, this form of the disease often precedes pregnancy. In order to avoid negative consequences for the health of the mother and fetus, patients are advised to consult a specialist. According to the indications, sparing drugs are prescribed.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

Insomnia is a prominent manifestation of a sleep disorder. Characterized by a sign of a violation of the quality or duration of sleep. In the first case, the condition is accompanied by frequent nocturnal awakenings, fragmentary dreams, and dissatisfaction with sleep. In the second case, there are problems with falling asleep. In practice, both symptoms often appear in pregnant women.

Symptoms of insomnia are:

superficial nature of sleep;
periodic awakenings and interruption of dreams;
sleep difficulties. It is not possible to fall asleep for 15 minutes or more;
waking up in the morning before the alarm clock.

In the morning the woman feels tired, she is irritated and broken. Decreased efficiency, there is a fear of the coming night.

If the above symptoms appear for 3 nights or more within a week, you should seek the advice of a specialist.

The patient is diagnosed on the basis of complaints and in the presence of several adverse factors. The criterion for insomnia is a long period of falling asleep, periodic awakenings at night, anxiety and depression, mood swings, fatigue and weakness during the day.

To make a diagnosis in medical practice, the method of polysomnography is used - a comprehensive study of a woman's body during sleep. The study evaluates and detects pathological changes.

Causes of poor sleep

Insomnia in pregnant women in the early stages is observed in every second woman, in the later stages - in almost all women. In the first days after conception, insomnia is considered one of the characteristic signs of pregnancy.

Experts identify the causes of poor sleep of a physiological and psychological nature.

Physiological adverse factors of insomnia are caused by:

Drawing pain in the back. By the last months of pregnancy, the center of gravity shifts in women, which leads to muscle strain and pain in the spine. The pelvic bones in the period before childbirth soften, which brings additional discomfort during the day.
Frequent urination. In the last stages, frequent urges caused by additional pressure on the bladder lead to poor quality sleep.
Contractions of a training nature. Irregular chaotic muscle contractions of the uterus are training contractions that occur mainly at night at rest. The physiological state increases anxiety in a woman, as a result of which a sleep disorder develops.
Increased acidity in the stomach (heartburn). Discomfort is aggravated after a late meal, as well as the adoption by a woman of a horizontal body position.

Insomnia is also caused by:

nausea and vomiting (especially at night);
jerky movements of the fetus (before going to bed);
shortness of breath;
leg cramps;
exacerbation of osteochondrosis (thoracic and cervical spine);
itching of the skin due to its stretching;
difficulties in choosing a suitable sleeping position (in the later stages).

Psychological factors:

nervous tension;
anxiety;
stressful situations;
bad dreams;
fear of upcoming childbirth;
concerns about the health of the child, etc.

The occurrence of insomnia is affected, as a rule, by the development of several adverse factors at once. In this case, the course of the pathological condition is aggravated.

Methods of prevention and treatment

During the period of gestation, it is recommended to eliminate problems with falling asleep in safe ways. Traditional medicine recipes, proper nutrition, adherence to sleep and rest, and relaxing physical exercises come to the aid of a woman in the fight against insomnia.

Mode

To eliminate sleep problems for a pregnant woman, it is important to establish a certain diet. Experts recommend following several important tips:

Refuse high-calorie foods before going to bed. Preference is given to easily digestible food (dairy products, vegetable salad, fruits). Overeating also exacerbates the situation and provokes the development of the disorder.
Exclude canned, smoked and fried foods from the diet. It is also not recommended to season food with hot spices.
Set the diet so that the last meal was no later than 2 hours before bedtime.
Use calming compositions before bedtime (milk with honey, herbal infusions, medicinal teas for pregnant women).

Herbal preparations help to relax and tune in to a quick fall asleep. Their reception is limited with individual intolerance to the product, as well as an increase in blood pressure.

Hygiene and sleep comfort

Experts advise expectant mothers to observe the sleep and rest regimen. It implies the creation of comfortable and optimal conditions that ensure a high-quality physiological process. These include:

Compliance with the temperature indicators in the room, as well as the level of humidity. Normally, the air temperature is from 18 degrees. However, it should not exceed 21 degrees. It is important to monitor the cleanliness and humidity of the air in the bedroom. Before going to bed, you should ventilate the room, use a humidifier as necessary.
Creating a comfortable place to sleep. A pregnant woman should pay attention to the quality of bedding, it should be made from natural materials. A simple and effective remedy for insomnia is a blanket separate from your spouse. This will prevent frequent waking up at night due to freezing. If necessary, you can move to a separate sofa or bed, stock up on a special pillow for pregnant women.
Comfortable sleeping position. A specially selected posture helps to deal with the problem. For normal blood circulation, it is recommended to sleep on the left side.

Before going to bed, it is important to create a calm and relaxing environment, while excluding physical activity, noisy events, and stressful situations.

Medical therapy

You can get rid of sleep disturbance with the help of medications at any other period, but not during gestation. Most drugs have contraindications, which include pregnancy.

Natural remedies that have a calming effect help to eliminate the problem. So, with sleep disorders, they drink valerian (brown tablets). They are considered harmless to the body. Before using the drug, it is important to consult a doctor about the advisability of taking them.

Relaxation

Relaxation methods allow a woman to relax, tune in to positive emotions, relieve fatigue, restore physical and mental strength. These include:

massage of the feet, calf muscles, lower back. The relaxing procedure should be carried out with light movements, without rubbing and patting;
warm shower (especially before bed);
aromatherapy with natural essential oils of a calming effect;
walks in the open air. They should be done daily;
sex (in the absence of contraindications).

Breathing exercises improve blood circulation, saturate the lungs with oxygen. The allowed techniques are introduced at special courses in preparation for the upcoming birth.

Folk recipes

Traditional medicine methods are traditionally used in the treatment of insomnia. They are distinguished by simplicity, ease of preparation, efficiency and availability of ingredients.

To sleep better, you can resort to self-cooking recipes:

Recipe 1. Herbal infusion. Tea with the addition of lemon balm, mint, valerian, chamomile, St. John's wort, lavender, thyme has a calming effect. Grass is brewed to your choice, taking into account individual preferences. With an increase in blood pressure, the intake of infusions should be abandoned.
Recipe 2. Beet juice with honey. If desired, it is replaced with the juice of other root crops (radishes, turnips). A hole is made in the vegetable, into which 1 tsp is placed. bee product. After extracting the juice, the composition is drunk. The recipe has a sedative effect that normalizes sleep.
Recipe 3. Celery drink. 2 tbsp. spoons of grass are crushed, poured into 250 ml. boiling water, insist and filter. The composition is taken orally in several doses throughout the day.
Recipe 4. Infusion based on blackcurrant. 2 tsp berries (fresh or dry) are poured with a glass of boiling water. After half an hour, the drink is drunk at one time. The tool has not only a calming, but also an immunomodulatory effect.

With individual intolerance to the component, the use of traditional medicine prescription should be abandoned.

Drink coffee and tea in large quantities, especially in the evening. Drinks have a tonic effect, which leads to difficulty in falling asleep. The recommendation also applies to drinking water. It is not advisable to drink a lot of liquid. In addition to problems with falling asleep, swelling occurs. They negatively affect the course of pregnancy.
Practice the use of drinks based on medicinal herbs with a diuretic effect. The use of decoctions and infusions leads to leaching of fluid from the body (dehydration), irritation and pressure on the bladder. Symptoms are dangerous to the fetus.
To resort to taking sedative tinctures based on alcohol. So, it is not recommended to use alcohol valerian. It can harm the developing fetus. In case of sleep disorders, the alcohol preparation is replaced with brown tablets;
Take sedative, sedative and hypnotic drugs. Taking sleeping pills in the first weeks after conception can lead to delays in the psychophysical development of the unborn child.

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.

Causes of insomnia 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.

In the second trimester

In the third trimester

What to do

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.

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.