Insomnia in pregnancy? Some tips to sleep and rest better

During the nine months of gestation there are those who would fall asleep anywhere, and those who have difficulty finding the right position since the first few months, or simply cannot sleep satisfactorily.

Insomnia in pregnancy unites many women and we must certainly find a solution to arrive more rested and ready for the moment in which we will meet our baby. Even under normal conditions, sleeping badly puts us in a bad mood and makes us face the day more tired and impatient, let alone pregnant! Insomnia also affects new mothers , not just expectant mothers!

According to experts, we should sleep from 7 to 9 hours at night in order to allow our body, but also our mind, to recover after a day of wakefulness.

The problem, during the nine months of pregnancy, is that sleeping badly at night could affect the baby’s health. At least this is the result of a study published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine (see abstract ).

The study analyzed 168 pregnant women, whose data had previously been collected for another research.

The researchers went on to evaluate the dates of birth and the weight of the child at delivery.

A very interesting fact has emerged and that is that women who had suffered from sleep disturbances in the first trimester of pregnancy were more likely to have problems in childbirth .

The reason lies in cytokines, protein molecules that act as a kind of messenger.

In particular, the levels of particular cytokines, interleukins, which are produced by cells of the immune system, were analysed. Too high levels of interleukins cause the immune system to attack healthy muscles and tissue and can cause complications in childbirth.

Sleeping badly once in a while is not a problem , but if you find that you continue to have obvious sleep problems especially in the first trimester of pregnancy it is better to remedy it .

Why do you suffer from insomnia during pregnancy

Usually you suffer from insomnia during pregnancy in the first trimester and / or in the last trimester.

The causes can be associated with hormonal, psychological and physical changes, which lead, for example, to experiencing one or more situations such as:

• feel a frequent urge to urinate and therefore you can get up more often during the night to go to the bathroom
• disorders related to acid reflux, which you can solve with a lighter dinner by avoiding fried foods, acids and carbonated drinks
• feel tingling in the legs, in this case you may have an iron deficiency and it is good to talk to your doctor
• suffer from leg cramps, again talk to your doctor because you may need more magnesium and potassium
• the baby kicks and the belly has become very bulky

Insomnia in pregnancy remedies

Here’s what Dr. Michele Okun , an author of the study and a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh, recommends.

1) Pillows for pregnancy

Help comes from finding the correct position .

A growing belly could put you in difficulty: some positions are uncomfortable, others are not good for the baby you are carrying.

Many expectant mothers are happy with pregnancy pillows that give support to the tummy and back.

There are various sizes, some are excessively bulky and you risk literally evicting your partner from the bed.

2) Diversions

During pregnancy, sleep could be interrupted by frequent trips to the bathroom or agitated by a thousand thoughts.

If after about twenty minutes you’re still awake and start to fidget because you can’t fall asleep, start reading something boring , a book, a magazine, read the newspaper… but don’t do it in bed.

Better not from the mobile phone that with the dazzling light could wake you up even more.

Get up and change rooms and while reading or doing the crossword puzzle, keep the lights dim.

3) Little naps

If you really can’t sleep at least 7 hours at night, try to rest in the afternoon trying not to stay in bed after 4 pm because then you would have more difficulty falling asleep in the evening.

The nap must last at least 1.5 hours in order to complete a REM cycle.

If, on the other hand, you work during the week, try to allow yourself a nap at least on the weekend.