Sleep disorders during pregnancy

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor II Pham Thi Tuyet Mai - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.
Sleep plays an important role in the human circadian rhythm. During pregnancy, the majority of pregnant women have sleep disorders, of which over 90% of pregnant women have insomnia.

1. Why are pregnant women prone to sleep disorders?

Sleep disturbance during pregnancy is a common symptom in women in the last 3 months of pregnancy. Insomnia during pregnancy is not dangerous for the pregnant mother and the development of the fetus, but if this condition lasts for a long time, it will reduce the health of the pregnant woman and increase the feeling of discomfort, fatigue... Insomnia... It is one of the sleep disorders. Symptoms may include difficulty falling asleep, not sleeping deeply, difficulty maintaining sleep, waking up many times during sleep (30 minutes or more each time), waking up too early or waking up still not feeling comfortable, feeling tired. Most pregnant women often have insomnia in the early and late stages of pregnancy, and there are also cases of insomnia almost throughout the pregnancy. Insomnia increases discomfort, stress for pregnant women affects mental and physical. There are many reasons why pregnant women lose sleep during pregnancy:
When pregnant, there are many changes such as the growth of the fetus, making the mother's belly bigger, making it difficult for pregnant women to find a suitable sleeping position. The adjustment of position lying throughout the night should pregnant women complain of insomnia in the end of pregnancy, especially the last 3 months. Waking up to urinate many times during the night due to the growing uterus pressing on the bladder, moreover the kidneys have to increase by 30-50% capacity, so you have to get up to urinate many times during the night making it difficult for you to go back to sleep. Back, hip and leg pain: As your baby grows larger, your body mass increases rapidly, putting extra "load" on your spine and legs. Bloating and Constipation: As the growing uterus pushes the stomach up, food is retained longer, causing you to belch and constipate.

Morning sickness in the first 3 months: The discomforts in the early stages of pregnancy such as nausea, fear of taste, fatigue, ... also make you lose sleep. Hormonal changes during pregnancy affect breathing, making it very difficult for you to breathe in the early stages of pregnancy. The period after the last 3 months when the uterus takes up space and presses on the diaphragm, pregnant women are more difficult to breathe. Cramps also affect sleep. Pregnancy in the last months of pregnancy often appears muscle contractions, cramps appear more and more at night, causing you to be in pain and wake up in the middle of the night. Life stress, anxiety during pregnancy, dreams or nightmares that keep you from sleeping well, also affect your sleep. The baby kicking the mother also makes it harder for you to sleep, especially at night.

2. To have a good night's sleep, what should pregnant women do?

During the day you should work normally. You can move your arms and legs more. Take a warm bath in the evening. Reading books before bed helps you relax and fall asleep, so choose educational or funny books. Don't eat too much before going to bed. Make it a habit to wake up on time. Avoid stimulants.

Go to the toilet before going to bed. Using traditional medicine therapies such as massage, acupressure, foot bath with warm water, ... Avoiding stress, you should find someone to relieve Clean, warm blankets in winter and cool in return. summer. During pregnancy, pregnant women should not use carbonated drinks or stimulants such as coffee, alcohol, tea in the evening. Avoid watching movies and programs that are easy to get excited before going to bed. If pregnant women have prolonged insomnia and cannot be overcome by the above measures, please see your doctor for appropriate advice. Need to pay attention to the sleeping position of pregnant women:
Should buy soft pillows, specialized pillows for pregnant women. A comfortable sleeping position will help the mother to be comfortable, not affect the health of the fetus, and pregnant women will easily have a better night's sleep. Put a pillow before or after sleeping. The front and rear props are aimed at reducing the weight of the abdomen, keeping the spine straight, reducing the pressure of one leg's weight on the other, giving pregnant women a peaceful sleep. Studies show that pregnant women should sleep on their left side to sleep, this sleeping position will help the best blood flow to the placenta.

The period of October 9 of pregnancy has brought many difficulties and also many happiness for the mother. Therefore, mothers need to be taken care of both physically and mentally. In particular, insomnia occurring during pregnancy can seriously affect the health of the mother as well as the development of the fetus. When any signs of complications occur, pregnant women need to be taken to the hospital for early examination and treatment to minimize unnecessary consequences.
Vinmec International General Hospital is one of the multi-specialty hospitals, in addition to health checks during pregnancy at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, if there are diseases that need to be consulted by the doctors of the hospital. Other specialties (cardiology, pediatrics, musculoskeletal, .....) can all be performed conveniently and scientifically. The hospital not only ensures professional quality with a team of leading medical doctors, a system of modern equipment and technology. The hospital provides comprehensive and professional medical examination, consultation and treatment services, with a civilized, polite, safe and sterile medical examination and treatment space.

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