Pregnancy and Sleep
For many women, sleep is often evasive during pregnancy. Physical discomfort, changing hormones, and excitement and anxiety about being a new mother cause a number of sleep problems. In fact, it’s believed that a minimum of 50 percent of pregnant women1 suffers from insomnia.
Sleep is an important part of prenatal care. If you’re suffering to sleep well during pregnancy, you’re not alone. We’ll discuss common sleep problems for pregnant women, take a glance at the best pregnancy sleeping positions, and share advice on the way to get the best sleep possible during pregnancy.
Common Sleep Problems During Pregnancy
The most common sleep disorders that tend to occur during pregnancy are obstructive apnea, restless legs syndrome, and esophageal reflux disorder.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea:
Weight gain and nasal congestion lead many ladies to start out snoring during pregnancy, which can be a risk factor for top blood pressure. Some women may continue to develop obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep condition characterized by snoring, gasping, and repeated lapses in breathing that disrupt sleep quality. OSA may impede oxygen flow to the fetus and increase the danger of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and cesarean sections. it’s thought to affect as many as 1 in 5 women during pregnancy.
Restless Legs Syndrome:
People with restless legs syndrome (RLS) are suffering from sensations best described as a crawling, tickling, or itching that cause an irrepressible urge to maneuver the legs. This condition can make it difficult to nod off because the symptoms are more severe when the person is at rest. RLS is assumed to affect up to one-third of girls in their trimester of pregnancy.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder:
Otherwise referred to as heartburn or acid reflux, esophageal reflux disorder (GERD) causes an uncomfortable burning sensation within the esophagus, especially when lying down. It’s a standard explanation for insomnia in pregnant women across all trimesters, thought to affect one-quarter of pregnant women within the trimester and as many as one-half within the third. Long-term GERD may damage the esophagus.
Treatment for Sleep Problems During Pregnancy
There are a number of the way to reduce sleep problems while pregnant. Principal planning includes adjustments to sleeping position and sleeps hygiene habits. In conjunction with better sleep hygiene, managing pregnancy-related sleep disorders is key to getting better sleep while pregnant.
Certain many alternative therapies have proven effective for treating sleep disorders, like endless positive airway pressure (CPAP) device for OSA, antacids for GERD, or vitamin and mineral supplements for RLS and other conditions. Although there are many studies, the reason for leg cramps and RLS during pregnancy remains unclear. Suggested therapies include vitamin supplementation, heat therapy, and massage but there’s no consensus about what’s the best treatment.
Ascertain substances may pose a risk to the developing fetus, pregnant women should consult their doctor before taking any medication or herbal remedies to help with sleep.
Best Sleeping Positions for Pregnancy
The best way to sleep on the left side with the legs slightly curled is considered the best sleeping position in pregnancy. This position facilitates blood flow to the guts, kidneys, and uterus, and improves the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus. Although not as optimal because of the left side, sleeping on the proper side during pregnancy is additionally acceptable.
It may be helpful to use a couple of extra pillows to urge comfortable sleeping on your side, especially if you’re not familiar with this sleeping position. Try tucking during a wedge pillow to support your belly, or adding a skinny pillow between the knees to assist relieve pressure on the lower back. Some ladies find it useful to hug a body pillow or place a pillow under the lower back.
As the uterus grows larger, sleeping on the rear during pregnancy can cause backache and put pressure on the vein. The vein is one of the body’s principal veins, so this will interfere with blood flow and cause dizziness. if back sleeping is all right for brief stints, it’s best to avoid it if possible. Most pregnant women find that sleeping on the stomach is impractical once the baby bump reaches a particular size.
Sleep cleanliness for Pregnant Women
Sleep cleanliness is more important than ever during pregnancy. additionally to pregnancy sleep aids like pillows, eye masks, the following habits may help reduce insomnia and improve overall sleep quality:
Keep a cool, dark, quiet, clean bedroom and limit the bed to sleeping and sex
Prioritize sleep and stick with a uniform bedtime, scheduling naps earlier within the day in order that they don’t interfere with nighttime sleep
Read a book, take a shower, or enjoys another calming activity in preparation for bedtime
Use a nightlight to form it easier to urge back to sleep after bathroom breaks
Avoid caffeine, spicy foods, and heavy meals too on the brink of bedtime to scale back the risk of GERD
Avoid taking technology into the bedroom, and switch off screens a minimum of an hour before bed
Get regular exercise earlier within the day
Drink many glasses of water throughout the day, but reduce liquid intake before bed to scale back nighttime bathroom breaks
If you can’t sleep, get out of bed and do something else until you are feeling sleepy
Write down thoughts in your notebook or diary, or seek help from your partner, friends, doctor, or childbirth classes if you’re feeling stressed