Sleepless Nights: Overcoming Insomnia During Pregnancy

The female body biologically undergoes transitional development. Women experience these changes throughout their life, starting from infancy, adolescence, reproductive age, climacteric period, and post-climacteric period.

Pregnancy is one of the most breathtaking moments that a woman experiences in their life. The offspring within a woman goes through nine long months of physical and mental changes. 

Her unbounded challenges are for a little one’s existence on earth, including sleepless nights that could be seen from the beginning of the second month of pregnancy and continues even after post-pregnancy. 

Sleep disturbances are a common problem found in women during pregnancy. Insomnia is typically responsible for sleep disturbances experienced by pregnant women. It becomes even more threatening when the expected women primarily struggle with comorbid health conditions. 

The duration of quality sleep is majorly affected during pregnancy due to various changes interrupting the expected women’s irregularity in hormonal, metabolic, lousy posture, physiological, and psychological.

A US National Sleep Foundation’s Women and Sleep Survey found that 78% of women reported disturbed sleep during pregnancy, and 15% developed Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) during the 3rd trimester.

Additionally, 15% of pregnant or recently pregnant women reported a one-week day nap, and 60% of women reported at least one-weekend rest.

In this article, we will discuss insomnia during pregnancy, the causes of insomnia, with its symptoms. Further, we have mentioned the start and end of insomnia during pregnancy, accompanied by ways to deal with it, followed by changes to healthier lifestyle routines. Keep reading as we unravel how to cure for insomnia during pregnancy

Overcoming Insomnia During Pregnancy

What is Insomnia During Pregnancy?

Insomnia is a sleep disorder caused due to poor sleep habits, depression, chronic illness, and medication. Doctors recommend sleeping pills with monitored side effects for people with sleep disorders. 

To address insomnia during pregnancy, women must have good sleep. Avoid smoking which can make the situation poor.  Proper diet for expectant moms struggling with obesity and family history must be checked.

Insomnia is more challenging in pregnancy, but there are possible ways to deal with it. It becomes even more stressful when the child is about to arrive. Rest is a necessity for pregnant women.

What Causes Insomnia in Pregnancy?

During pregnancy, the frequent tones could be monotonously heard as insomnia in pregnant women. The growing discomfort that begins with the development of a baby bump is one of the apparent reasons for pregnancy insomnia.

Let us know the symptoms that contribute to trouble sleeping disorder, including:

  • Hormonal Imbalances
  • Backaches
  • Nausea
  • Breast Tenderness
  • Hot Flashes
  • Frequent Urinating 
  • Leg and Back Pain
  • Heartburn
  • Depressions

Poor sleep hygiene is the ultimate reason for causing pregnancy insomnia. It is better to avoid exposure to blue screens just before sleep, as too much exposure to blue rays harms the eyes. Meanwhile, you can meditate, which calms your whole body, which is necessary for a healthy mind before bedtime routine.

When Does Insomnia Start During Pregnancy?

Insomnia in pregnancy is reiterated in a woman struggling with sleepless nights. The doctor’s advice for a healthy diet plan with a good exercise or meditation routine can help fight insomnia. 

There is a doctor’s call for medication to indulge with the rest disorder. 

Insomnia can be seen at any point after conception; particularly, it peaks in the third trimester of pregnancy. Some women may experience sleeplessness as early as 6 to 7 weeks of pregnancy. Pregnant women who usually deal with insomnia are repetitively heard for sleep distractions.

Nowadays, several treatments help you to treat pregnancy insomnia. Lastly, you should have a positive approach to handling pregnancy insomnia.

How to Overcome Insomnia During Pregnancy?

Sleep syndromes include insomnia, restless leg syndrome (RLS), sleep apnea, nighttime gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), back pain, quickening, and frequent urination are common during pregnancy. 

Early interventions are a must in treating sleep insomnia during pregnancy. Insomnia in pregnancy includes sleep disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, breathing problems, and restless legs cramps. 

Avoid high intakes of caffeine, smoking, sugar, and spicy foods during pregnancy. Lifestyle changes, healthy sleep habits, exercise, or meditation supplemented with proper medication are recommended to deal with insomnia during pregnancy.

Follow a Healthy Bedtime Routine

A healthy bedtime routine is when the body relaxes and falls asleep, a good sign for sleep hygiene. Keep a distance from the TV and phone scrolls; that radiates light, suppressing melatonin by increasing cortisol levels before bedtime.

Developing a habit of light reading and evening meditation with a dull exercise routine is beneficial for healthy living. Staying consistent is the key to your bedtime routine. Checking the dietary, behavioral, and bedtime routines with proper medicine helps treat insomnia during pregnancy. 

How Long Does Pregnancy Insomnia Last?

It can last for months during pregnancy and may occur in between the pregnancy months. The struggle for sleepless nights starts in the first trimester and gradually improves by the second or third trimester.

But in the arrival of the third trimester, most pregnant women have trouble sleeping.

When the belly grows, it’s difficult for expected moms to get comfortable positioning, turn over and sleep soundly for more than a couple of hours.

Let us read more about dealing with pregnancy insomnia with some home remedies. 

Home Guidance to deal with Insomnia during pregnancy

Sleep disturbances in pregnancy cause considerable morbidity. Positively dealing with insomnia may result in adequately managing a combination of treatments, carefully dealing with risks and further benefiting each expectant mother and fetus.

Let’s discuss some of the home guides that may help you treat pregnancy insomnia: 

1. Practice Sleep Hygiene

Better sleep hygiene includes:

  • Take a warm shower before bedtime. 
  • Fix your sleep bedtime routine.
  • Keep the bedroom tidy and dark.
  • Before night’s sleep, have a good body massage that aids in reducing stress.
  • Do not use phones and television screens in bed.
  • Exercise or meditate for 15 to 30 minutes every day.
  • Limit the amount of caffeine before night’s sleep.

2. Try dietary supplements

Always take a doctor’s advice before including any dietary supplements. Antenatal care with required vitamins and Magnesium supplements, such as folic acid and iron, controls anemia. 

3. Natural Treatment

Aromatherapy comes first when you think of natural treatment. The ancient oil therapy helps people recover from pregnancy insomnia. Healing with natural essential oil treats healing stress levels. 

Herbal teas found in grocery stores are beneficial in treating sleep disorders. 

Acupuncture is another Chinese herbal tradition that helps in treating insomnia.

4. Meditation 

Pregnancy insomnia, when treated, reduces other pregnancy complications as well. Meditation is a deeper relaxing state of mind wherein the mind is more at peace. 

Mental calmness gradually relaxes every tissue in the body. It is instrumental in alleviating the stressful mind. It is an effective way to calm your entire body and mind in treating anxiety. 

5. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is an effective measure in psychologically treating people with disorders such as depression, anxiety, drugs, personal problems, obesity, and mental illness.

Sleep therapy helps treat people in managing their thoughts. The treatment treats people with severe sleep deprivation. When transformed into feelings, thoughts work cognitive sleep behavioral patterns. 

6. Physical Activity

Physical activities are efficient for a healthy pregnancy. Always remember your doctor’s recommendation before starting any exercises during pregnancy.  

People, when dealing with pregnancy insomnia, benefit from routine exercises. Physical exercises lower the risk of gestational diabetes, back pain, and healthy heart health. A 20-minute gentle physical activity before bedtime also helps with insomnia during pregnancy. 

7. Meals 

Women dealing with pregnancy insomnia should have their meals at least three hours before bedtime. The body gets enough time to digest, which is suitable for a healthy regulating system. Avoid overeating at once; instead, have smaller meals for better sound sleep at night.

Stay away from caffeine, processed and spicy foods, and sugar. Alternately, have light grain, protein-rich foods, nuts, fruits, and low-fat yogurt to help keep your blood sugar balanced throughout the pregnancy.

8. Drink plenty of water

Water has many health benefits as it contains calcium, magnesium, and potassium minerals. Water supports the fetus inside utero and circulates well during pregnancy. Pregnant women need to have plenty of water more than usual. 

Drinking eight to twelve glasses of water daily also helps in proper digestion. Women with pregnancy insomnia must drink water to stay hydrated and drink water at bedtime to avoid frequent bathroom tours.

Conclusion

Insomnia is a common problem that women experience during pregnancy. In the above article, we have discussed insomnia during pregnancy and its causes. The start of insomnia lasts; further, you will read how to deal with pregnancy insomnia.

You will also have a view of natural remedies that can naturally solve insomnia. A proper bedtime routine with regular exercises effectively solves insomnia during pregnancy.

Lastly, with appropriate meals, good sleep hygiene is a must to deal with insomnia. Read more to know the cure for insomnia during pregnancy.

Julie Higgins
Author
Julie is a Staff Writer at momooze.com. She has been working in publishing houses before joining the editorial team at momooze. Julie's love and passion are topics around beauty, lifestyle, hair and nails.