Contents
Insomnia in pregnancy is a problem that is associated with the constant physiological changes that the body of a pregnant woman undergoes. These physiological changes mainly consist in increasing the concentration of hormones in the blood, in particular sex hormones and oxytocin. This leads to various symptoms, such as difficulty falling asleep, restless sleep or the aforementioned insomnia. Can you fight insomnia in pregnancy? How to deal with it?
Insomnia in pregnancy can effectively take away the joy of waiting for a child, lead to irritation, nervousness or a feeling of hopelessness. No sleep strongly affects thought processes, hinders concentration and impairs remembering. Sen it is very important for the regeneration of the nervous system and is an important stage in everyday functioning not only for the mother, but also for the developing baby.
Sleep is a complex process in the brain
Sleep consists of two phases: NREM also known as SEM, the abbreviation of which comes from the English phrases: non-rapid eyes movement or slow eyes movement. The second phase of sleep is REM, i.e. rapid eyes movement. Falling asleep, we enter NREM sleep (SEM), which consists of four phases during which the muscles gradually relax and the eyes become immobilized. Such gradation snu is associated with the transition of the brain from wakefulness to deep rest. In the brain structures, situations occur in which the frequency and type of brain waves change.
The SEM phase is followed by the REM phase. The body is then motionless and the brain is active while awake. Dreams appear in this phase.
How to sleep to get enough sleep?
The fact is that one sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes, so in order to get enough sleep, you need to get enough sleep a multiple of one full cycle. Consequently, we should sleep around 6 hours a day – then four complete cycles will take place in our brain. Waking up during your sleep cycle can cause headaches, difficulty concentrating, and memory problems that day. Therefore, it should be remembered that proper sleep is an indispensable element of the proper functioning of the nervous system. However, it should be emphasized that this is a personal trait.
For insomnia, try the EKO lemon balm leaf, from which you can prepare a calming infusion. On the other hand, it is good to use a properly selected pillow for sleeping. For example, we recommend the traditional orthopedic pillow made of Exclusive Dream thermoforming foam or the profiled orthopedic pillow with the Exclusive Dream microfiber pillowcase.
What are the causes of insomnia in pregnancy?
Insomnia in pregnancy in most cases it is caused by a hormonal imbalance. They consist in the excessive secretion of certain hormones, especially sex hormones – estrogens and the hormone secreted by the pituitary gland – oxytocin. The excess of oestrogens secreted by the ovaries will disturb the balance of sleep phases, in particular REM phases. This will lead to the pregnant woman not being properly rested, and thus – it will affect the condition of the baby. As for oxytocin, its release from the posterior pituitary gland will be particularly high at night. This hormone increases uterine contractions, so its excessive secretion will cause poor sleep quality or insomnia in pregnancy. Most often, these types of disorders occur in the third trimester. However, the reasons behind it insomnia in pregnancy there must be a hormonal imbalance. As well poor sleep quality they can cause gastrointestinal complaints, such as gastroesophageal reflux, frequent urination, and even severe pain in the lumbosacral region caused by overload related to pregnancy or the child’s movements. In these cases, both sleep phases are disrupted – both NREM and REM sleep.
Insomnia in pregnancy in the first trimester
It very often happens that women who are in the first trimester of pregnancy complain about insomnia. Interestingly, it affects more women who are in their first pregnancy. This is mainly because pregnant women tend to be lethargic and therefore take naps more often during the day. In doing so, it disrupts your natural biological clock, which can cause sleepless nights. Moreover, in first trimester During pregnancy, one of the SEM sleep phases is shortened, which strongly affects the depth of sleep.
Insomnia in pregnancy in the second trimester
It happens that insomnia in pregnancy also appears in the second trimester. However, this situation occurs much less frequently than in the first and third trimesters and concerns only a few cases of pregnant women.
Insomnia in pregnancy in the third trimester
At this stage of pregnancy, sleep quality is significantly reduced. Insomnia in pregnancy occurs more often and is caused by a shortened SEM sleep phase.
Insomnia in pregnancy – how to deal with it?
The easiest way to insomnia in pregnancy you may find that you reduce the number of naps during the day. If this does not help or the pregnant woman does not sleep during the day and still suffers from insomnia, you can try to change diet. Often, poor nutrition is one of the causes of poor sleep quality. A pregnant woman should not eat too much sweets, give up drinking caffeinated beverages. Relaxation techniques can be a good method. Their introduction is facilitated by special recordings, the playback of which helps to calm down and makes it easier to fall asleep.
If that doesn’t help, you will need to see a doctor. He may suggest the use of sleeping pills that are safe during pregnancy, e.g. zolpidem.
You can also try the effects of lemon balm dietary supplements, such as Lemon Balm Sleep Syrup, which helps you calm down and helps you fall asleep.