Sleep disorders during pregnancy

According to a study published in 2010 called 'Sleep disorders during pregnancy' , between 66 and 94% of pregnant women reported having some problem with sleep during the pregnancy . These disorders are caused by physical, hormonal and physiological changes that occur as a result of pregnancy. Many

According to a study published in 2010 called 'Sleep disorders during pregnancy', between 66 and 94% of pregnant women reported having some problem with sleep during the pregnancy. These disorders are caused by physical, hormonal and physiological changes that occur as a result of pregnancy. Many can be started from the beginning, however they are in the third quarter when they are accentuated.

What are sleep disorders during pregnancy

These problems related to sleep could be classified as follows:

- Insomnia : is one of the most common sleep disorders during pregnancy. Understood as problems to fall asleep, night awakenings and sleep little refreshing. When they occur in the first trimester they are usually due to the anxiety and excitement of the incipient pregnancy or because of the discomfort caused by the typical nausea of ​​this moment; However, from the third trimester, the causes are different: back pain, difficulty finding a posture, frequent urination, reflux or acidity, baby movements. It seems that the lack of physical exercise and multiparity (having more than one child) aggravate the problem.-

Excessive daytime sleepiness : is often due to insomnia or some other disorder such as apnea. It is more pronounced in the first and third quarters. During the first trimester the cause is usually primarily hormonal, since progesterone has a hypnotic effect, while in the last stage it is related to lack of rest due to other causes. It could help to take a nap during the day, to allow rest, since the majority of women who suffer from this disorder notice a change in the character, difficulty in concentration ...-

Restless legs syndrome : it is common the appearance during the third quarter. It is a neurological process whose causes are unknown, although it seems that there is some genetic component. In pregnancy there is a decrease in iron levels, which can cause this syndrome in which the pregnant woman feels motor restlessness of the legs, which force her to move from one side to another, even getting up, which makes it difficult to rest.-

Snoring and sleep apnea : the main causes are usually obesity, which gets worse with pregnancy, and gestational diabetes. In addition, pregnancy seems to aggravate those women who already had this sleep disorder.Sleep disorders affect negatively in the woman's experience of her pregnancy, but we can also find some study that says that these can affect the type of delivery and even have consequences on the future baby's health. It is thought that these women have longer labor.

It is very important to define if sleep problems are caused by unhealthy lifestyles such as obesity or sedentary lifestyle, since we could greatly improve the quality of life of the pregnant woman.