Preventing Insomnia While Pregnant

Sleeplessness is a common problem in pregnancy with sleepless nights frequently beginning in the first trimester and often continuing throughout the pregnancy. However, for a lot of expectant mothers, insomnia is minimal and abates after the first trimester. So, if you are expecting a baby and are suffering pregnancy insomnia, it is very important for you to know that insomnia is a common side effect of pregnancy.

In the first trimester your system is adapting to the normal hormonal variations attributable to pregnancy. Progesterone levels build up and, as progesterone behaves as a sedative, the natural result is is that you feel tired. Indeed, you might well find yourself drifting off to sleep in the daytime with an overwhelming sense of drowsiness so that you simply are unable to keep your eyes open. However, once you begin to take naps in the daytime your normal nightly sleeping routine is disrupted and you can easily get into a spiral of sleepless nights and days punctuated by napping.

Anxiety is yet another reason for the problem of sleeplessness in pregnancy and this is in no small measure as a result of worry about the health of the baby, primarily in the first trimester.

As if this were not enough frequent urination can also be an important factor. Ladies urinate more frequently when they are expecting a baby usually waking up frequently during the night to make use of the bathroom. This is especially true in the first trimester since the uterus pushes against the bladder. As the uterus grows however it is pushed away from the pelvis and the problem of frequent urination typically reduces when this happens after the first trimester.

If you are suffering sleepless nights then there are several steps you can take to alleviate the problem. The sedative results of progesterone could be the trickiest challenge. Nevertheless, if you're able to battle dropping off to sleep, we highly recommend you do so. If you need to nap, keep your nap to under 30 minutes but resist napping in daytime in favor of going to bed a couple of hours ahead of normal. You might wake earlier each day but at least you will have had a complete night's sleep.

If you're worried about the health of your baby then you certainly ought to seek to reduce your anxiety by talking to your doctor.

You can even assist in reducing the situation of needing to visit the lavatory frequently during the night by not drinking in the two to three hours prior to bedtime. If you get thirsty then simply have a couple of sips of water and nothing further.

Normally sleeplessness will decrease after the first trimester but, if it does not, then don't bother about it too much and just change your day-to-day routine to help you concentrate on obtaining as much rest as you can at nighttime.

Learn a great deal more about insomnia starting with the definition of insomnia and going on to examine a variety of natural insomnia cures which you could try at home.