The surge of the hormone progesterone in a pregnant woman’s body is the reason for drowsiness, lethargy, and overwhelming fatigue. It is normal in the first trimester. Pregnancy can affect both the quantity and quality of sleep. The body changes, pregnancy discomforts, and the constant need to pee in the night are some reasons which could disrupt sleep. A pregnant woman should spend at least 8 hours in bed each night and get at least 7 hours of sleep.
Most of you pregnant women wouldn’t know what’s in store during pregnancy. Here’s what you should expect in terms of sleeping during the three trimesters.
Sleep Patterns During The First Trimester
In the first trimester, pregnancy problems like nausea, morning sickness, and other hormonal changes could disrupt your sleep. It is quite normal for any pregnant woman in the first trimester to sleep anytime and nap throughout the day, unless your naps don’t affect the night time sleep. You are tired most of the time with the changes that happen in your body – physical and emotional.
If you are too concerned about everything, right from how good a parent would you be to how would you cope financially, you are definitely going to spend sleepless nights. If your way of sleeping better is only sleeping on your stomach, it might be challenging during pregnancy. Also, the sore and tender breasts could make you uncomfortable to sleep.
During pregnancy, you would have an increased metabolic rate which could make you feel warm or hot while sleeping. A cooler or a fan could help you sleep better. This is an interesting yet unavoidable reason for your sleepless nights.
Did you complain about your partner snoring, anyone? Now it’s your turn. Pregnant women snore because of weight gain or allergies which could be difficult for you to get a shut eye.
Hunger pangs in the middle of the night is another common reason to stay awake or wake up early.
It is quite normal to take a lot of bathroom breaks, especially in the night during the first trimester. It can be frustrating and annoying to get up and go while you are trying to get some sleep. To reduce the nightly bathroom visits, cut back the fluid intake in the evenings.
Do not use any sleeping pills or any supplements which induce sleep such as melatonin, during pregnancy.
Sleep Patterns During The Second Trimester
This is the stage where everything from morning sickness to nausea is under control. Your body gets adjusted to all the changes well. The frequent urge to pee, your emotions, sore breasts, and anxieties would no longer be a big problem. Everything levels out and changes are not quite as fast.
Leg cramps in the night during the second trimester is common. If you are anemic or have low iron levels, restless legs syndrome in the evening hours of the second trimester and more severe in the third trimester might trouble. You might feel difficulty in sleeping as walking around is the only relief.
As the pregnancy progresses and the uterus gets bigger, the pressure on the uterus might lead to heartburn. And as you come closer to the end of the second trimester, the bump becomes bigger and noticeable. Your uncomfortable feeling might slowly begin to come back. Sleeping with a big belly would become an issue. Always try and sleep toward your left side.
Sleep Patterns During The Third Trimester
In the last and final trimester of pregnancy sleeping without any trouble is a gift. Most women find it nightmarish to even sleep for some time. Find your comfortable sleeping position to get some rest. With a full grown baby in the womb, frequent urge to urinate is back again. Body pain and aches might increase in the last trimester.
Use soft pillows and place it between the knees, a second pillow under the belly, and the third one behind the back. This will give support and relieve the pain. As your delivery date approaches, your anxiety levels might go up. Thoughts about labor and delivery might give you worries.
Relax, stop worrying and just enjoy the moments. Try to approach pregnancy with positivity and take your time to meditate and exercise which will get you ready for the labor.
