INSOMNIA IN PREGNANCY: THE REASONS WHY IT HAPPENS AND HOW TO FIX IT - PARENTHOOD

Insomnia in pregnancy: the reasons in the first, second and third trimesters

Insomnia in pregnancy is an aspect that disturbs the good rest of future mothers, but unfortunately it often and willingly occurs for different reasons. Hormonal changes, fatigue, anxieties and fears take over, preventing the pregnant woman from sleeping well. article we will try to understand how to solve the problem after discovering the causes, but first here is a video to learn how to cuddle the baby when it is still inside the belly.

Insomnia in pregnancy: why does it occur?

Pregnant women are often subject to sleepless nights, this is mainly due to the fact that the female body faces a series of hormonal changes that can occur with sleep disorders. Even in periods other than pregnancy, it can happen that you cannot rest well. An example in this regard is PMS which can cause tiredness, mood swings, swelling, headaches and ultimately insomnia.
What must be borne in mind is that the moment of sleep is extremely important, it allows the brain to rest from daily efforts, and also assimilates and distributes the information of the day. A good night's sleep is made up of rem phases (deep sleep) and non-rem phases in which sleep is lighter: if these moments follow each other regularly, the chances of waking up fresh and rested in the morning, increase.
During pregnancy, the period already rich in changes, is also overloaded by hormonal changes typical of gestation, physical changes (the belly that grows more and more every day) and finally, strong emotions that destabilize the mother. All this considerably affects sleep and causes insomnia, more frequent in the first and third trimester of pregnancy, that is, those periods in which changes, anxieties and fears are the masters.

Symptoms of insomnia in pregnancy

Insomnia in pregnancy can manifest itself through the following symptoms:

Difficulty falling asleep within 10-20 minutes of getting into bed.
Difficulty falling asleep after waking up at night.
After waking up in the morning there is a sense of tiredness and the need for sleep.
Generally disturbed sleep, in the morning you are more tired than when you went to sleep.

Those who suffer from insomnia in pregnancy can be irritable and restless even during the day, the expectant mother may also manifest other symptoms closely related to gestation that will be investigated with your doctor.

Causes of insomnia in pregnancy in the first trimester

In the first trimester of pregnancy, the main changes concern the emotions that a woman has to face: anxiety and fear are mixed with the immense joy of becoming a mother. For now, the physical changes are still far away, but the hormonal changes begin. In this phase, therefore, the causes of insomnia in pregnancy are mainly two.

Hormonal causes

It increases progesterone, the hormone essential to carry on the pregnancy, furthermore the uterus prepares to receive the embryo and this causes a series of discomfort that can interfere with sleep.
The woman feels great tiredness and exhaustion during the day and often lets herself go to naps during the day which, however, affect the night's sleep.
At night the expectant mother is often forced to get up due to a continuous urge to urinate given by pregnancy.
The body temperature of a pregnant woman rises and this can affect especially in the phase of falling asleep.
The REM phase, or deep sleep, is reduced, so rest is less effective and it is easy to feel tired in the morning.
Nausea, acidity, digestive difficulties, are all factors that do not help you rest well.

Emotional causes
When the woman discovers that she is pregnant, a series of anxieties and fears are unleashed in her that often prevent her from falling asleep, or cause nightmares and generally unpleasant nights. The fears related to the first trimester of pregnancy concern the continuation of the same, the risk of abortion, malformations, the first visit, etc ... are all stress factors that make sleep restless.

Remedies to rest well

Limit afternoon naps to no later than 4pm, as prolonged sleep beyond this time can reduce the desire to sleep in the evening.
If you have difficulty falling asleep, do not insist: rather get out of bed and distract your mind; reading a book or magazine can help promote relaxation.
Go for a walk - it helps to relax your mind and feel more tired in the evening.
Have a light dinner to reduce nocturnal gastric disturbances.
Try to release stress and negative thoughts by letting your mind clear before bed.
Listen to some music before bed for a calming effect.
Take a warm bath before going to bed to promote relaxation.
Drink chamomile tea or lemon balm tea that helps relax the muscles and relieves the feeling of nausea and vomiting. Linden is also useful for fighting cold-related ailments, especially in winter.

Before taking any substance, even natural, ask your doctor for advice, as it may interfere with the normal continuation of pregnancy.

Causes of insomnia in second trimester pregnancy

Physical causes

In the second trimester of pregnancy, the belly begins to show itself and this also causes a series of small ailments that can promote insomnia.
The uterus increases in size by compressing nearby organs, causing a sense of tightness if the mother rests on her back.
The urge to urinate during the night continues to be more and more frequent.
The pregnant woman can no longer sleep on her stomach due to her belly, so all women who prefer this position may have difficulty falling asleep.
The baby's first movements, even during the night, can be a problem for sleep.

Emotional causes
In the second trimester of pregnancy, the mother's thoughts are mainly directed to the health of the baby: will it be healthy? Will he be okay? Amniocentesis and morphological ultrasound will be able to resolve all doubts. It is easy for frequent nightmares to arise, linked to the whole situation you are experiencing.

Hormonal causes
Hormones settle down and consequently also fatigue. Mom is full of energy and stronger. In some cases, high levels of cortisol (a hormone produced by the adrenal cortex) can cause insomnia and intermittent sleep.

Tips for a good restful sleep

In addition to continuing with the advice given for the first trimester, in this case the mother can add some activities.

If the pregnancy is going well, you can follow gentle gymnastics courses suitable for pregnant women that have a double effect: they relax the muscles and allow pregnant women to meet each other exchanging opinions on small daily ailments.
Create a little ritual that promotes sleep: reading a book, drinking a cup of warm milk, taking a relaxing bath and listening to good music can help you fall asleep more easily.
If lying on your back is not well tolerated, try placing yourself on your side, preferably your left side.
Always eat light meals in the evening, avoiding exciting drinks that contain caffeine.
Attend a preparation course to find all the answers to the most frequent doubts, and share experiences with other pregnant women.

Causes of insomnia in third trimester pregnancy

The third trimester of pregnancy is the most difficult to deal with. If you have managed to gain some respite when it comes to rest, at the end of the pregnancy, sleeping well all night will be more and more difficult.

Hormonal causes

Hormones are in turmoil again to prepare the body for childbirth. There is an increase in oxytocin, the hormone that acts on the uterine muscles causing the so-called contractions, but at the same time it can also cause irritability and insomnia.

Physical causes

The size of the baby bump in the third trimester of pregnancy is really bulky. The child is growing up and begins to occupy all the available space.
It may happen that the little one is agitated at night and does not make his mother rest well.
To all this must be added gastric reflux, which can worsen right at the end of pregnancy.

Emotional causes

The time of delivery is getting closer and closer and this can cause the mother to be agitated as well as nightmares. All this makes sleep discontinuous and agitated and sometimes the fear of falling asleep also coincides with the anxiety that something might happen in the night (eg the breaking of the water).

How to promote a state of relaxation?

All the remedies mentioned in the previous paragraphs are obviously also valid for the third trimester of pregnancy: they aim at total relaxation, trying to promote a good rest. Let's recap.

No to energizing or caffeinated drinks
Green light to foods that promote rest such as cereals, milk, bananas, yogurt.
Respect sleep and wake times as much as possible and do not extend afternoon naps beyond 4pm.
Do some light movement before bed: a walk, some yoga or meditation.
Try to share your pregnancy path as much as possible with other future mothers: it will be easy to atone for doubts and fears.
Let yourself be pampered by your partner with some massage in the cervical area, where tension usually builds up.