Insomnia During Pregnancy and How to Deal with itinerary

Overview

Congratulations on your pregnancy! You are embarking on an incredibly emotional journey. Feeling the little life inside you is an indescribable experience. However, this happiness is often accompanied by discomfort. Your body constantly changes during pregnancy as it prepares for labor and lactation.

During pregnancy, women experience hormonal and physical changes that can make them feel sick in the morning or require frequent bathroom trips, even at night. This can interfere with their ability to sleep and lead to insomnia.

Insomnia is a common issue among pregnant women, primarily caused by hormonal changes during pregnancy. It can make it challenging to fall asleep or stay asleep. While it does not harm the baby, it can lead to complications during pregnancy or delivery.

Insomnia medications are not recommended for pregnant women, so many lifestyle changes and home remedies are recommended to manage insomnia during pregnancy. In this article, we share everything you need to know about insomnia during pregnancy and how to safely manage it to ensure a beautiful journey.

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that makes you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. This can also make you wake up early in the morning. You cannot go back to sleep, making you tired and drowsy during the daytime. You feel less focused and anxious.

When does insomnia start during pregnancy?

Insomnia is common in pregnancy and occurs during all stages of pregnancy. But it usually happens more in the first and third trimesters. During pregnancy, women go through physical and hormonal changes. These hormonal changes can cause midnight bathroom breaks, congestion, and heartburn in the first trimester.

It makes them awake and spend more time out of bed. But in the third trimester (or the end of a pregnancy), many women have difficulty getting comfortable enough to sleep well. Because a burgeoning baby belly makes it more challenging to get comfortable in bed. Significantly, it is not harmful to your baby.

What causes insomnia during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, several things can make you sleepless. These include:

1. Frequent urge to urinate

You have several trips to the bathroom during pregnancy, even at night. This is because babies grow to produce pressure on the urinary bladder, which makes you pee a lot. Frequent trips to the bathroom can keep you awake and stay asleep.

2. Back pain

During pregnancy, your center of gravity shifts forward. It causes your back muscles to overcompensate and become sore. Plus, your ligaments naturally become stretched and softer to prepare you for labor. It makes you more likely to hurt your back.

3.Nausea or throwing up

Nausea throw-up is common in pregnancy and is often called morning sickness.But in the first trimester, it also occurs during the night. You feel nauseous or throw up, which makes you awake at night.

4.Gas

Gas is commonly produced during pregnancy because hormones slow down digestion, making you feel bloated and gassy. It also causes gas pain, ranging from mild discomfort to severe pain felt throughout the abdomen, back, and chest.

5. Heartburn

During pregnancy, hormones can also relax muscles in your digestive tract. It makes stomach acids way back up your esophagus, which causes heartburn.

6.Hot flashes

Some pregnant women feel hot flashes. During pregnancy, your metabolism speeds up and leading to an increase in body temperature and hot flashes. You may suddenly feel warm in your chest, face, and neck.

7. Breast tenderness

Breast tenderness is the first sign of pregnancy. It makes you feel your breasts sore and tender. This is because the hormones are flooding at the peak in your blood. This boob sensation is at its peak in the first trimester.

8. Leg cramps and restless legs

Almost half of the pregnant women experience leg cramps. It happens due to changes in your blood circulation and pressure exerted by the baby on nerves and muscles. Some women also feel a creepy-crawly sensation in their legs, known as restless legs syndrome. RLS is associated with iron deficiency, a common problem in pregnant women.

9.Shortness of breath

During pregnancy, your progesterone levels are high, which can cause shortness of breath. Also, your growing uterus exerts pressure on your diaphragm, which sits just under your lungs. This pressure can cause hard to catch your breath.

10. Vivid dreams

Vivid dreams and nightmares are common during pregnancy. This is caused by hormonal changes that can trigger your sleep pattern and emotions, which can make you have vivid dreams.

11. Snoring

During pregnancy, your nasal passages may swell up, making you snore. This is because hormonal changes dilate blood vessels and cause mucous membranes to swell in your nose. And even worse, weight gain causes extra pressure, which may block breathing for a brief period during sleep (sleep apnea).

12. Anxiety

You may think a lot during pregnancy about your baby’s health and wellness. It is natural, but excessive thinking can cause anxiety, making it difficult to fall asleep.

How long does pregnancy insomnia last?

Unfortunately, pregnancy insomnia can last the entire nine+ months. But it does not persist and also comes and goes in waves. More occur in the first trimester (the early period of pregnancy) and the third trimester(the end period of pregnancy).

While in the second trimester, things get better due to hormonal changes. You may have a chance to get enough Zzzs. It comes back in the third trimester when your baby and your belly grow more. It makes you feel uncomfortable in bed and exerts pressure on the bladder, which causes you several trips to the bathroom at night.

What are the complications of pregnancy insomnia?

Although insomnia is harmless for babies, you must address pregnancy insomnia. It is essential for you and your body needs rest to take care of your growing baby. Lack of sleep or pregnancy insomnia can cause complications, such as:

• Premature birth
• prolonged labor
• Increase rate of C-section delivery
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Depression

These can put your baby’s life at risk. Also pregnancy insomnia may be exacerbated in pregnant women by family history, obesity, age, or smoking.

How to manage pregnancy insomnia?

You can try many things to manage pregnancy insomnia. Although you are taking more Zzzs than anyone. But if you feel sleep-deprived, toss and turn all night and try to find a comfortable position. Or you feel anxious about the baby’s birth which keeps you awake at night. You can try these ways to manage sleeplessness.

Get out of bed

If you do not fall asleep after 20 to 30 minutes in bed. Get up from bed, and find a small, tedious task to do. And then go back to bed and try to sleep again. It helps you distract your mind from stressful thoughts and makes you tired enough to fasten asleep as you lie on the bed.

Don’t count the hours

Most people feel best after eight hours of sleep; some feel fine on less sleep, and some need more. Don’t count the hours you are awake at night. It keeps you more restless and anxious. Instead of that count the hours you sleep, it feels you a little relief. Maybe you are getting enough sleep.

How to prevent pregnancy insomnia?

Lifestyle changes and home remedies can help you prevent pregnancy insomnia. Sleep medicines are not good for a baby’s health and are restricted to use during pregnancy. These may include:

1. Make a bedtime routine

Pregnancy insomnia can prevent by adopting good sleep habits. You have to do the following things:

• Try to get up and sleep at the same time of the day.
• Take short naps during the daytime.
• Do relaxing things like reading or tuning to soothing music.
• You can also try gentle yoga poses or relaxation exercises.
• Taking a soothing warm bath can also make you sleepy. But not too hot, which can be dangerous for your developing baby.

2. Do some regular exercise

Doing regular pregnancy exercise can make you sleepier at night. If you can, then go out and walk for about 30 minutes. But avoid exercise within 4 hours of bedtime because post-workout can keep you awake.

3. Reduce your screen time

Power off these electronic devices at least an hour before bed. Blue light from the TV, mobile phone, or tablet can impact your sleep. The screen’s blue light alters the body’s circadian rhythm. Your internal natural clock makes you fall asleep.

4. Eat early and small meals

Avoid eatingheavy or big meals late in the evening or just before bed. It can make you feel nauseous, have heartburn, or throw up, which keep you from falling and staying asleep. Try to eat small meals early in the evening. At least 2 hours before bedtime.

5. Take your time to eat

Eat slowly and take your time to enjoy it. If you eat in a hurry in the evening, it can cause you heartburn.

6. Enjoy a light snack before bed

A light snack before bed can keep you sustained until breakfast. Choose a healthy carb-protein snack to keep your blood sugar stable. Snacks such as a whole grain muffin with a glass of warm milk or a few dried apricots with cheese sticks are best for you.

7. Avoid caffeine and chocolate

Caffeine can keep you awake and make it difficult to fall asleep. Also, caffeine reduces iron absorption in your body, which is essential for your body and baby. While eating chocolate in the evening can cause you heartburn.

8. Slow your flow

Drink plenty of water throughout the day, but minimize drinking after 7 p.m. It helps to cut down your bathroom trips at night.

9. Make your room airy

Keep your room airy and maintain its temperature. Your bedroom should not be too cold or too hot. Adjust your bedroom temperature to climate changes. You can use air-conditioning or a heating source to regulate the temperature. If you feel stuffy, just open the windows to let the fresh air in.

10. Use white noise machine and black-out shades

Use dark shades on your bedroom windows to restrict external lights. Also, consider using a white noise machine that emits a quiet pulse or drone sound. This machine helps to limit external noise and sounds that can affect your good night’s sleep.

11. Clear the emotional decks

Leave your worries outside your bedroom. These worries can keep you restless and awake at night. Try to talk about them with a friend or partner so you can sort them out during daylight hours. And if it doesn’t help and you still have persistent worries. Do try meditation or writing your thoughts on paper.

12. Download sleep

You can also download sleep applications that help you sleep. Many apps promise to help you sleep, but download the better-rated app that depends on nature sounds, self-guided meditation, or a white noise machine.

13. Try nasal strips

Nasal strips can help you breathe properly while sleeping. It reduces the risk of snoring or sleep apnea during pregnancy. Also helpful for a runny nose cause you trouble sleeping at night.

14. Get a comfy position in bed

You might have trouble getting comfortable in bed due to your growing belly. And the kicking and turning of a baby can keep you awake. You can use many pillows during pregnancy to give you support where you need them. Put one between your legs. And bunch one under the small of your back to ease the pressure.

It is better to use a pregnancy pillow; it helps you prop up and make you cozy. It is advised to sleep on your side with your knees bent for comfort. It helps to ease backaches, heartburn, andhemorrhoids. Sleep on your left side to improve circulation and reduce foot swelling.

15. Save your bed for sex and sleep

Keep your activities during the daytime and save your bed for sex and sleep. Thinking about your daily routine or things to do the next day can keep you awake and stressed. Plan your daily routine an hour before bedtime and, if possible, write them on paper. You feel relaxed after sorting your day.

16. Smell your way to sleep

You can have a lavender-scented pillow or sachet tucked into your pillowcase to sleep better. Lavender has relaxing, calming effects that can help you relax and bring on sleep faster.