Sleep is the best cure for all diseases. And this is not a common statement, but pure truth. It is during this period that the human body regains strength - both mental and physical. A person suffering from insomnia becomes irritable, aggressive, looks tired and painful.
In particular, high-quality sleep is necessary for expectant mothers. After all, they are responsible not only for their health, but also for the well-being of the baby. Nevertheless, a huge number of expectant mothers face such a nasty phenomenon as insomnia before childbirth. Why does my husband often have sleep disturbances during this period? What should future parents do to establish a sound and healthy sleep?
Let's find out why insomnia occurs before childbirth, how many days before childbirth most often happens, and how to deal with this phenomenon.
What is the danger of insomnia
A healthy person should spend about 7-8 hours in bed. In this case, he will feel alert and rested. Those who sleep less than 6 hours a day, after some time, begin to feel health problems.
To make a strong and healthy baby, a woman needs strength. During this period, the need for a full sleep increases significantly, and for recovery, the body needs to rest for 8-9 hours.
Insomnia before childbirth does not just worsen the mood. Prolonged lack of sleep causes irritability, and in advanced cases can lead to severe depression. As a result of sleep disturbances in a pregnant woman, the load on the heart increases many times, memory worsens, and overall immunity decreases. The body of the future woman in labor becomes especially vulnerable to a variety of bacteria and infections. And given the fact that ladies in an “interesting position” are not recommended to take any medications, insomnia before childbirth can be a serious threat.
Sleep disorders are usually associated with another negative effect on the body. Insomnia leads to a set of extra pounds. Tormented by idleness and trying to calm the body, many women go on a "trip to the refrigerator." Extra calories eaten at night are instantly deposited at the waist. It will be difficult to get rid of them later, because with regular lack of sleep, metabolic processes in the body are disturbed.
Time classification
Classical insomnia can be classified into several types. For example, depending on the time, it happens like this:
- Starting (difficulty falling asleep). The woman tosses and turns in bed for a long time, considers the "sheep", instantly wakes up at the slightest rustle in the room. In this regard, a fear of insomnia is formed, increased anxiety is observed. The desire to sleep disappears as soon as the head touches the pillow.
- Median (intrasomnic disorder). During the night, a person wakes up many times for various reasons and has difficulty with falling asleep. In this case, a person anxiously sleeping all night will feel overwhelmed throughout the next day. A dream does not turn into rest, but into real torment.
- Final (postcommunic disorder). This type of insomnia is characterized by superearly awakening for no apparent reason. An insufficient amount of sleep subsequently leads to daytime sleepiness, reduced ability to work, irritability, and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Reason classification
Various types of insomnia can be distinguished as a result of identifying the causes that triggered the phenomenon:
- Situational. This phenomenon occurs under the influence of various factors, both positive and negative properties. Situational insomnia is characteristic of the first trimester of pregnancy. A woman not so long ago found out about her condition and realized it. She thinks about her future life, rejoices or worries, makes plans. Such insomnia lasts no more than two weeks and does not require medical intervention.
- Short-term. This type of insomnia is formed under the influence of physical and psychological changes that a woman experiences. The toilet is becoming a best friend. After all, an ever-increasing uterus exerts increasing pressure on the bladder. At the same time, fears associated with pregnancy are growing. A woman begins to be actively interested in "how it will be." Especially often, short-term insomnia accompanies the occurrence of various complications and pathologies of pregnancy. To minimize risks and provide the body with a good rest, you should definitely consult a doctor.
- Chronic Such insomnia lasts several months in a row and could appear long before pregnancy. It is often based on some kind of psychological or somatic disorder requiring the mandatory intervention of a specialist. The consequences of this condition can be hallucinations, severe depression, chronic overwork, double vision, and other consequences.
The physiological causes of insomnia
Why does insomnia arise? How many days before delivery does she begin to bother the expectant mother? First of all, the culprits of such an unpleasant phenomenon are purely physiological reasons.
Why before birth does insomnia simply poison a woman’s life in a position? Everything is very simple. The larger the fetus, the greater the load on the mother’s spine. The bladder is under constant pressure. Moreover, over time, the load only increases. The skin in the abdomen and on the chest stretches and begins to itch, the legs swell and so on.
Here is a short list of the most common physiological causes of insomnia:
- load on all parts of the spine;
- pain in the lumbar and pelvic area;
- swelling and cramps, lack of magnesium and potassium;
- frequent trips to the toilet, especially at night;
- heartburn, nausea, a complex reaction to familiar tastes and smells;
- regular fetal movements;
- hormonal changes in the body;
- itching and irritation of the skin in the chest and abdomen, the appearance of stretch marks;
- increased sweating;
- inability to choose a comfortable posture for sleep, limiting the ability to lie on the stomach;
- labored breathing;
- the inability (especially for longer periods) to sleep on your back.
Psychological factors
Insomnia before childbirth is also formed due to psychological changes that occur in the body of the expectant mother. These include:
- chronic fatigue;
- nervous strain;
- stress
- fear of future birth;
- anxious sleep, chronic fatigue;
- general irritability.
By the way, it is psychological factors that become a frequent cause of insomnia in men whose wives are in an “interesting position”. For a male, pregnancy is often a fantasy. Therefore, there is an opinion that the fear of childbirth among future fathers far exceeds the experiences of the pregnant woman herself.
Daytime sleep preparation
To insomnia before giving birth as little trouble as possible, you need to start preparing for bed right in the morning. This will help the list of simple recommendations, compiled on the basis of personal experience of women who have successfully coped with this condition.
- Try to avoid overwork throughout the day. Trying to exhaust themselves as much as possible, so that in the evening to fall out of fatigue, women make a big mistake. After too busy a day, the body of the future mother is simply not able to stop. Faces, events flash before my eyes, thoughts about unfinished business revolve in my head. Insomnia in this case is guaranteed.
- Despite the fact that pregnant women are often recommended day rest, it is better to refuse lunch sleep. If you experience difficulties with night rest, it is better to replace daytime sleep by reading a book or listening to light calm music.
- If nightmares interfere with sleeping at night, talk about it with your loved one. Fear expressed aloud, firstly, will help to make sure that they are not serious. Secondly, the voiced negative emotion loses most of its strength, and the night’s sleep will become much calmer.
- Women who have not been able to give up bad habits, it's time to do it. Smoking and even moderate alcohol consumption leads to a sharp narrowing of blood vessels. This helps to reduce the level of oxygen in the blood and leads the body to some excitement.
- When a woman’s work is associated with motor activity, it is better to transfer it to the first half of the day. In the evening, a fairly easy walk in a quiet place, no more than 30-40 minutes. A square, a small park, a children's playground, and any place where the noise of city bustle does not reach will be perfect.
How to prepare for sleep in the evening
So, you are concerned about insomnia before childbirth. How long does it take to start preparing for sleep in order to increase its effectiveness? How to do it right?
- Try to avoid any stressful situations. Exclude watching horror films and other horror stories. Minimize motor and psychological activity: outdoor games with children, clarifying relationships with family, cleaning, washing, going on a visit or other noisy events.
- Eliminate foods that have a stimulating effect from your diet: strong tea, coffee, cola, chocolate. Eat no later than 3.5-4 hours before bedtime. Try not to eat heavy food in the evening: meat, legumes, melons, oily fish, dumplings, and so on.
- Try not to drink a lot of water at night. This will not only lead to swelling, but also make you visit the toilet several times a night.
- Before going to bed, it is best to take a pleasant warm bath with aromatic soothing herbs or showers. Chamomile, lavender, calendula are perfect. A wonderful continuation of water procedures will be a relaxing massage of the feet or lower back.
Some tips
Probably every pregnant woman faced such a phenomenon as insomnia before childbirth. What to do in this situation? How to help your body without harming the baby?
- Warm milk with honey drunk 20-30 minutes before bedtime is an excellent sedative. If you do not like dairy products, a weak herbal tea that does not contain sage or mint is suitable. Pregnant women should use these herbs with extreme caution.
- Maintain a comfortable temperature in the bedroom, often ventilate the room. Choose lingerie and sleepwear from natural hygroscopic materials.
- Try to find the most comfortable sleeping position. Use cushions of various sizes and shapes. They are conveniently placed under the lower back or legs. Or purchase special ones designed for expectant mothers. Try not to lie on your back. Better to sit on your side with a half turn forward. So you provide your child with the best blood supply.
- Regular yoga, slow, calm music, pleasant smells and dim light in the bedroom contribute to good sleep.
Well, and the last: in no case do not use sleeping pills without detailed medical advice. Such actions often do not solve the problem, but only harm the health of the mother and baby.