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At the end of pregnancy, it is recommended that expectant mothers avoid sleeping on their backs or on their right side in order to prevent vena cava syndrome. Explanations and advice to keep quality sleep, essential for the progress of pregnancy and the health of the baby.
Sleeping on your back compresses the vena cava
From 24 weeks, in dorsal decubitus (lying on the back), the uterus risks compressing the vena cava, a large vein responsible for bringing blood back to the heart. This compression can reduce venous return and hence stroke volume, leading to a drop in maternal blood pressure and decreased uteroplacental exchange, which in turn can lead to a slowed fetal heart rate (1) . This phenomenon is called cave syndrome, or poseiro.
What position to favor for a good sleep?
To prevent vena cava syndrome, future mothers are recommended to favor the left side for sleeping, from the 6-7th month of pregnancy.
To relieve the back, release the weight of the belly and thus gain comfort, the mother-to-be can use a nursing pillow. Lying on her left side, her upper leg raised and held by the nursing pillow slipped above, she can relax better.
Rest, essential for the growth of the fetus
The expectant mother frequently encounters sleep disturbances during her pregnancy, and they tend to increase as the term approaches. Thus, more than 73,5% of pregnant women suffer from insomnia at 39 weeks of pregnancy (2). This lack of sleep leads, as in the general population, to a decrease in vigilance, daytime sleepiness and a feeling of fatigue, with physical as well as psychological consequences (irritability, mood disorders).
A poorly restful sleep can also have repercussions on the fetus, the progress of pregnancy but also childbirth, as many studies attest. Lack of sleep, as a consequence of stress but also a stressor, could affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis as well as the pro-inflammatory system (3). A study has shown an increased risk of gestational diabetes in pregnant women sleeping less than 4 hours per night (4). Another concluded that a sleep duration of less than 6 hours in early pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of maternal hypertension in the 3rd trimester (5).
According to a study carried out by researchers at the University of Pittsburg (6), the decrease in sleep quality and quantity during pregnancy could also have repercussions on the baby’s immune system and slow down its growth in utero, with the consequence low birth weight. In question: an excessive secretion of cytokines, molecules essential to the immune system and to many physiological processes of pregnancy but which secreted in too large a quantity, risk attacking healthy cells and certain tissues of pregnant women and thus decrease the ability to defend against disease. These cytokines could also damage the structure of certain veins in the placenta and thus interfere with good fetal-maternal exchanges, with repercussions on the growth of the baby.
Some tips for better sleep
The rules of good sleep hygiene also apply to expectant mothers. To know :
- have regular times of getting up and going to bed in order to properly regulate the waking / sleeping rhythms;
- have regular physical activity adapted to pregnancy (swimming, walking, gentle gymnastics, prenatal yoga);
- go to bed as soon as sleep signals (itchy eyes, yawning, feelings of heaviness in the eyelids, etc.) are felt;
- Take a short nap (less than 20 minutes) in the early afternoon, but avoid longer and / or late naps which can interfere with nighttime sleep time;
- maintain a regular and reasonable weight gain, because a strong weight gain promotes sleep disorders during pregnancy;
- have good bedding;
- do not overheat the chamber (18-19 ° C) and ventilate it daily;
- limit light and sound sources in the bedroom;
- avoid using screens in the evening because their blue light delays the secretion of melatonin, the sleep hormone;
- in the evening, focus on relaxing activities: reading, knitting, hot bath …:
- avoid exciting drinks in the afternoon (caffeinated soda, tea, coffee);
- eat light in the evening.
Alternative medicine and relaxation techniques can also be of great help in limiting sleep disturbances during pregnancy.
- in herbal medicine: Roman chamomile, orange, lime, verbena, lemongrass can be consumed in the form of an infusion, 1 to 3 times a day, from the 2nd trimester of pregnancy (7). Some herbal medicine specialties based on sedative plants (valerian, passionflower, hawthorn) can be used by pregnant women. Seek advice from your gynecologist, midwife or pharmacist.
- in homeopathy, classic remedies for insomnia can be used during pregnancy. To promote falling asleep, Coffea 15 Ch and Ignatia 15 CH, 5 granules 2 to 3 times a day, to be combined optionally with Passiflora compound, are the first-line remedies. At the end of pregnancy, Gelsemium 15 CH (same dosage) is indicated when the prospect of childbirth prevents the mother-to-be from falling asleep (8).
- acupuncture can give good results against sleep disorders. Consult a midwife with an obstetric acupuncture IUD.
- relaxation methods such as sophrology, breathing exercises, meditation, prenatal yoga help the expectant mother to relax and better understand the different bodily changes.
How to sleep properly during pregnancy
It is difficult to overestimate the role of sleep in the life of every person. A complete healthy rest allows you to fully restore the functioning of the nervous system, relieve stress, improve performance and increase activity. Chronic sleep deprivation is the cause of many diseases. What can we say about a woman who is at the stage of bearing a baby. During this period, more than ever, she needs a healthy, long and full sleep. However, unfortunately, it is during this period that one can only dream of a restful sleep.
As soon as a woman finds out about her new position, she has to give up a lot for the benefit of the health of the unborn baby. And you need to give up not only bad habits: alcohol, cigarettes, coffee, but also from a comfortable sleep.
The cause of insomnia can be :
- Anxiety;
- Frequent urination;
- Fears and phobias before a new stage of your life;
- Nervousness and irritability;
- Indigestion;
- Toxicosis;
- physical ailment;
- Uncomfortable posture.
Good sleep is the key to the health of the unborn baby
During the period of bearing a child, the female body experiences an extraordinary load, especially in the last trimester. The need for more sleep increases, because the body expends much more energy. Therefore, healthy sleep and pregnancy are inextricably linked.
As soon as a woman finds out about her new position, she has to give up a lot for the benefit of the health of the unborn baby. And you need to give up not only bad habits: alcohol, cigarettes, coffee, but also from a comfortable sleep.
Let’s try to figure out how to sleep during pregnancy, so as not only not to harm the health of your unborn baby, but to sleep well.
Looking for a comfortable sleeping position
Each person has his own favorite position, in which it is easy to fall asleep and sleep. Many do not imagine a comfortable rest on their backs, accustomed to sleeping on their stomachs. This habit will have to be sacrificed, as it is unsafe for the normal development of the fetus. If in the first three months of pregnancy a woman can still sleep in the position in which she is used to and feels comfortable, then after the first trimester the growing belly will not allow her to lie safely in this position. Despite the natural protection of the baby in the form of amniotic fluid, there is a high probability of injuring the baby in a dream, squeezing it. But what is the right way to sleep during pregnancy?
Pose on the back
Even if you are used to sleeping in a Spartan position, on your back, with your arms spread wide, from the 28th week you will have to radically change your lifestyle. The fact is that as the fetus grows, the load on the intestines and vena cava will increase significantly, blocking the access of oxygen to the baby.
As soon as a woman finds out about her new position, she has to give up a lot for the benefit of the health of the unborn baby. And you need to give up not only bad habits: alcohol, cigarettes, coffee, but also from a comfortable sleep.
If you sleep on your back during pregnancy, you may experience the following problems:
- Dizziness;
- Nausea;
- convulsions;
- Numb limbs;
- Pressure drop;
- Haemorrhoids;
- Heaviness of breathing.
If you feel these symptoms or the baby gives persistent signals, you need to urgently change your position, so squeezing the vena cava is fraught not only with poor health for the mother, but also with a lack of oxygen supply to the fetus.
Posture on the stomach
One of the most beloved positions for many people, which allows you to quickly fall asleep while hugging a pillow. Many women, as soon as they find out about the change in their lives, are interested in the question, is it possible to sleep on your stomach during pregnancy? Doctors recommend abandoning this position already in the first weeks, even before the enlarged belly makes it impossible to fall asleep peacefully.
If you are afraid during sleep, without controlling your movements, to arbitrarily roll over on your stomach, you can put a large pillow that does not allow you to change position.
Pose on the side
In order to normalize your sleep and not harm the health of the baby, experts recommend sleeping on your side during pregnancy. And if at first this option seems unacceptable to many, after the second trimester, lying on your side is the only possible one. But here the question arises, on which side to sleep in order to ensure the safety of the fetus?
Sleeping on the right side can cause squeezing of the kidney, which can have dire consequences. The ideal posture is lying on the left side. Thus, you not only do not injure the unborn baby, but also improve blood flow along with oxygen to the placenta.
But one should not ignore the individual characteristics of each organism and the position of the fetus in the uterus. When the baby is in a transverse position, choose the side where the baby’s head is. And with a breech presentation, doctors recommend changing the position several times a night.
If you still cannot improve your sleep, you feel unwell and you are tormented by insomnia, then it is better to consult a specialist. A good gynecologist will analyze the situation and help solve the problem. If necessary, he will prescribe a safe sedative that stabilizes the emotional state and helps to fall asleep calmly, resting and restoring the nervous system in a dream.
Pillow to help
Fortunately, now modern manufacturers help women survive the pregnancy period with great comfort by offering special pillows. They are made taking into account the physiological characteristics of a woman in this period and allow you to find a comfortable position for relaxation.
You can buy two pillows and put one under your stomach and the other under your knees, looking for your best option. And you can buy a long banana-shaped pillow, which allows you to throw your leg on it while sleeping, which improves well-being and relieves the main load from the lower back and abdomen. Already in the last weeks of pregnancy, when the growing belly does not allow you to breathe normally, the pillow will allow you to take a comfortable half-sitting position.
Remember that pregnancy is your opportunity to gain strength and fully relax before the most crucial period in your life. Childbirth and the first weeks of caring for your baby will require a lot of energy from you, so good luck and sound sleep!