Table of contents:
- Changes in sleep patterns during pregnancy
- Sleep patterns during the first trimester of pregnancy
- Sleep patterns during the second trimester of pregnancy
- Sleep patterns during the third trimester of pregnancy
- Long sleep during pregnancy is recommended
- How to deal with sleep difficulties for pregnant women?
Pregnancy brings many changes to the lives of most expectant mothers. Likewise with the sleep patterns of the mother. In the first trimester, for example, the mother will be very easily sleepy, especially during the day. But is it allowed to sleep too long while pregnant?
Changes in sleep patterns during pregnancy
Pregnancy is a tiring experience for most mothers. The combination of discomfort, emotional excitement and fatigue (especially in the first and third trimesters) causes mothers to have difficulty sleeping at night.
Sleep patterns during the first trimester of pregnancy
The hormone progesterone is a hormone that helps in regulating the flow of female reproduction. The high levels of the hormone progesterone in the mother's body in the early days of pregnancy cause the mother to be very drowsy and constantly yawn, especially during the day. This flow of hormones can make mom feel like a normal day feels like you're going through a marathon and the same tiredness you would feel when you were about to catch a cold.
Surprisingly, this hormone also disrupts your sleep at night, so you will feel very tired again the next day. The hormone progesterone triggers the bladder to work slower, thus increasing the quantity of urine production and causing you to go to the bathroom more frequently at night and reduce the quality of your sleep at night. In some pregnant women who have gained weight.
Sleep patterns during the second trimester of pregnancy
In the second trimester, the mother will experience several other conditions that interfere with sleep, including restless leg syndrome and heartburn.
In some mothers, especially those who experience iron deficiency and anemia in their bodies, in the second trimester, starting from the afternoon to the night while sleeping, they will experience restless leg syndrome which usually occurs when the mother is sitting and lying down. This condition makes the mother feel very uncomfortable and will get worse during the third trimester.
Unfortunately, the steps taken to overcome this condition is to take a short walk around the residence, but often when the mother has woken up in the middle of her night's sleep, she will not be able to sleep again until it finally reduces the quality of the mother's night sleep.
Heartburn occurs due to the development of the mother's uterus, which causes pressure on the mother's stomach and gives a burning sensation. This condition also causes the mother to wake up in the middle of her sleep at night and ultimately reduces the quality of her sleep.
Sleep patterns during the third trimester of pregnancy
In the third trimester the growing fetus will increase the size of the uterus. This condition may make it more difficult for the mother to find a comfortable position to sleep.
The National Sleep Foundation advises that sleeping on the left will help blood flow to the mother's body and facilitate the flow of nutrients for fetal growth and development to the mother's heart, uterus and kidneys.
Long sleep during pregnancy is recommended
With changes in maternal sleep patterns due to various factors described above, a study conducted by Lee KA to 131 pregnant women in their 9th month of pregnancy revealed that mothers who often experience disturbances in their nighttime sleep have a greater chance (5.2 times ) will give birth by caesarean section compared to mothers who have quality sleep at night for less than 6 hours (4.5 times).
In addition, poor quality sleep time for mothers can also cause the mother to have the potential to experience mood disorders, depression, fatigue, lack of concentration and will affect the quantity and quality of hormone production needed by the fetus to develop.
In other words, pregnant women are very need a long sleep because often experience many disturbances at nighttime sleep.
How to deal with sleep difficulties for pregnant women?
Instead of taking pills that will make it easier to sleep, mothers are advised to consult a doctor if trouble sleeping at night starts to bother. Naps at 2 to 4 o'clock, once or twice steal a nap time of only about 30 minutes and physical activity in the morning and evening is also expected to help reduce maternal insomnia during pregnancy.
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