Research-backed
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Growing a human being in one’s belly can be pretty exhausting. Most women realize this within their first trimester of pregnancy itself. An expecting mother may find herself sleeping right after dinner and not even waking up before the morning alarm. She can sleep anywhere at any time, be it a bed, a couch, or even a desk. However, this peaceful sleep cycle does not remain throughout the entire pregnancy.
In the second trimester of pregnancy, one is hit by this very real thing called pregnancy insomnia. While an expecting mother will go at a reasonable time to sleep, she will often find herself worrying about everything under the sun. Feeling uncomfortable and restless, she will end up not sleeping for a long time. Though pregnancy insomnia is a very common phenomenon in pregnant women, it is hardly talked about.
One can lose their sleep during pregnancy for a multitude of reasons, but it is essential to know that it does not affect the baby in any which way. Pregnancy insomnia is normal and affects over 78 percent of the pregnant women (1).
What Causes Pregnancy Insomnia?
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How often have you found yourself staring at the ceiling and calculating how many hours of sleep you could get? After completely giving up on your sleep, have you then tried to find solutions online? Or read if the lack of sleep will hurt the little life inside you? But, the confusing answers would just end up making you more anxious, and in turn, worsening your insomnia.
Insomnia, that is the lack of adequate or good quality sleep, can occur because of a variety of reasons during pregnancy. It can be because of the discomfort an expecting mother faces due to the abdomen’s increased size. There can also be the need to urinate frequently that keep you awake for hours at night. Other reasons for the insomnia are anxiety, hormonal changes, back pain, heartburn, among others. A pregnant woman can also find herself staying awake for hours, anticipating the baby’s arrival (2).
How To Cope With Insomnia While Pregnant?
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You can look for new sleeping positions which can ease the discomfort during pregnancy. You can prepare yourself before sleeping by either taking a lukewarm water bath or getting a relaxing massage. Ensure that the room setting is perfect for getting a comfortable sleep, like playing a soothing song that can make you feel sleepy.
You can try and practice the relaxation techniques that have been taught during the ante-natal classes. Having a regular exercise regimen also helps with the sleep. Take a short nap during the day, but avoid sleeping for long hours as it might affect your night sleep cycle.
Doctors recommend no intake of medicine during pregnancy as no drug is 100 percent safe. But, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), certain medications are considered safe or their benefits outweigh any potential side effects they might have on the expecting mother and the baby (3). Thus, take help from your doctor, if insomnia continues, to get yourself a safe medication.
Most people will tell you not to worry about pregnancy insomnia as it does not affect the baby in any which way. But, with approximately 80 percent of the pregnant people suffering from insomnia, one would believe that researchers and scientists would be working on it to help an expecting mother with her sleep issues. However, there are almost no studies taking place on the same.
Nurturing a new life in their womb is hard work and expecting mothers do deserve to get a good sleep while doing that. Thus, it is important that studies are conducted to look for safe medications to help women through this. They deserve a healthcare professional who takes their sleeping needs seriously and a society who doesn’t consider them selfish for that.
If you suffer from pregnancy insomnia, know that you are not alone and it is very much real. Seek help from a medical professional if it continues despite the regular tips!
