subject: How To Avoid Insomnia During Pregnancy [print this page] Pregnancy is a time of happiness for all mothers, but waiting for the birth of the infant amidst the eagerness can quickly fade away if hopeful mothers are fatigued due to poor sleep. According to a survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation in 1998, 78% of the women stated having problems with sleep. These include either problems with falling asleep or difficulty in staying asleep.
There are several explanations behind these problems, majority of which are interconnected to the apprehension caused by the expected change in way of life. This is extremely accurate for first time mums, since they also tend to be tense about the delivery of the baby and discomforts accompanying labor.
In order to remain vigorous and reduce fatigue, expectant mothers should improve their sleep habits, well before the baby?s arrival, since a restless baby will also cause quite a few sleepless nights. Insomnia is the leading factor that keeps pregnant women from getting ample sleep at night, with these women often waking up tired more than before. This is due to fluctuations in hormones that are the basis of queasiness, an active baby who kicks and keeps his mother up, recurrent need to urinate during the course of the night caused by the pressure on the bladder by the uterus, heartburn, and discomfort in the legs.
Even though it is very crucial for a woman heavy with child, to fulfill her sleep needs to feel healthy and energized, use of medicines to aid sleep is discouraged as it is unsafe for the unborn baby. The following steps can be taken in order to improve the quality of sleep during pregnancy:
? Avoid spicy, acidic and fried foods ? Sleeping on the left side to improve circulation to the fetus ? Avoid lying on your back for prolonged periods of times ? Nap during the day ? Start some exercise, after consulting with your doctor, ? Cut fluid intake before bedtime ? Improving the conditions in your bedroom, ensuring it is dark and quiet ? Consult your doctor in case of extremely poor quality of sleep
