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Insomnia During Pregnancy

Whether you are pregnant or not, insomnia is not good for you and can have all sorts of repercussions. Having a good nights sleep during pregnancy is difficult enough, so if you are troubled with insomnia it needs to be resolved as soon as possible.

Early Insomnia

Insomnia during the first trimester of pregnancy is usually quite common and is usually as a result of the hormonal changes. One of the main causes of insomnia is a result of the progesterone which is released. Progesterone is a natural sedative, which leads to women feeling tired and often fall asleep at hours which are not in their normal sleeping cycle, which leaves them wide awake when they are supposed to be sleeping. This also explains why fatigue is one of the common pregnancy symptoms.

Of course there may be other factors as well, such as stress, being worried about both yours and your baby's health, financial worries and for most, the fear of miscarriage. Sometimes the best solution is to talk to someone, like your doctor, family and friends or others who are in the same situation as you.

So, what can you do to help prevent this from happening? Firstly, try and avoid taking naps outside of your normal sleeping pattern, possibly the best way to do this is to go for a walk or find an activity to do when you are feeling tired. Keep up your regular sleeping pattern by going to sleep at the same time each night and waking up at the same time each day, weekends included.

Insomnia later on in pregnancy

Insomnia is less common during the second trimester and this is usually the best trimester, often the one almost all pregnant women enjoy the most.

Insomnia is also common during the third trimester of pregnancy. There are a number of reasons for this, but by far the most common is obviously the discomfort as you get bigger and your baby begins to place more pressure on your internal organs, making it more difficult to find a comfortable position to sleep in. Add to that the constant pressure on your bladder from your baby, you will be needing to urinate more frequently throughout the night.

Cures and steps to prevent insomnia

Getting a good nights sleep during pregnancy is vitally important for both mother and baby and so here are a few steps which you can take to try and prevent insomnia:

Try go to sleep and wake the same time every day.
Avoid alcohol and tobacco. Pregnant women should do this anyway.
Keep your caffeine intake as low as possible for the hours leading to your normal sleep time.
Avoid foods you know cause you heartburn or other discomforts before bedtime.
Follow a regular exercise plan during your pregnancy.
The bed is for sleeping and love making, not for watching TV or reading!
Try not to take naps during the day or if you really have to, keep them short power naps.

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