Pregnancy Insomnia: Meaning & Causes

You probably expected to be sleep deprived once your baby is born but not while you’re pregnant. If you’ve been tossing and turning in your bed all night long, then you’re not alone. Most women experience pregnancy insomnia while they’re pregnant. As it turns out, pregnancy can cause fatigue and exhaustion during the day and insomnia at night.

In this article, we will discuss insomnia during pregnancy, common culprits of pregnancy insomnia and some tips and remedies for a good night’s sleep.

What is Insomnia During Pregnancy?

Insomnia during pregnancy means you face difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep or both. While women can experience pregnancy insomnia during all the stages of pregnancy, it tends to be more common during the first and third trimesters. Between the midnight washroom trips, raging hormones and pregnancy woes like heartburn and backache, you’re probably spending more time out of the bed than in it. However, the good news is that pregnancy insomnia isn’t harmful to your baby.

Causes of Insomnia During Pregnancy?

Here are some of the most common reasons why you might be experiencing insomnia during pregnancy:

1. Backaches

As the center of your gravity shifts forward during the later trimesters of pregnancy, your back muscles may overcompensate and become sore. Additionally, pregnancy causes your ligaments to loosen up, increasing your backache and decreasing your sleep quality.

2. Breast tenderness

In the first trimester, your breast may feel tender and sore. And towards the third trimester, your growing breasts may feel extra sensitive, leaky or heavy, making it hard for you to sleep.

3. Digestive issues

The same hormone that causes relaxes your muscles causes your digestion to slow down. As a result, you experience indigestion, bloating and heartburn during pregnancy.

4. Leg cramps and restless legs

Increased blood circulation and pressure from your growing baby on your nerves and muscles can cause leg cramps. Additionally, you may feel a creepy, crawling sensation in your legs known as restless legs syndrome.

5. Frequent trips to the bathroom

As your uterus exerts more pressure on your bladder, you feel the need to pee more often and even during the night. This can keep you up at night.

6. Vivid dreams

Being pregnant comes with its fair share of vivid dreams which can disturb your sleep and make it hard to fall asleep again.

7. Shortness of breath

As your uterus and baby grow, they exert pressure on your diaphragm, which is just below your lungs. This makes it hard for you to catch a breath, be active or even sleep.

8. Nasal congestion

Pregnancy may cause your nasal passage to swell up and congest, which may block your airways, cause breathing obstructions and pregnancy insomnia.

9. Anxiety

With a baby on the way, you have a lot on your mind. With countless thoughts and concerns spinning through your head, it can be hard to sleep.

10. Growing belly

By the third trimester of your pregnancy, you may not be able to accommodate your growing belly and have trouble finding the right sleeping position.

Complications of Pregnancy Insomnia

It’s important for you to address pregnancy insomnia because your body needs ample rest so you can care for your growing baby. Pregnancy insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea (OSU) may be aggravated by smoking, obesity, age or family history, which can put you and your baby at a risk for premature delivery, prolonged labor or C-section delivery.

Not treating sleep apnea may also lead to pregnancy complications like high blood pressure and difficulty sleeping after birth. It can also make you more vulnerable to depression after birth.

Pregnancy Insomnia Treatments and Home Remedies

Treating insomnia during pregnancy can be a little challenging as many sleep medicines aren’t considered safe for the expecting mother and her baby. But it’s not impossible.

While sleeping straight for 8 hours may sound like a distant dream, here are some home remedies for pregnancy insomnia that you can try:

1. Make a bedtime routine

One of the best ways to cure pregnancy insomnia is to develop good sleeping habits. Start by making a bedtime routine by going to bed at the same time each night. Do something that helps you unwind such as a warm bath before you sleep.

2. Exercise and diet

Your exercise and diet can impact your sleep. Try to drink most of your water before 7 pm to avoid midnight bathroom trips. Eat a light and healthy dinner probably at an early time to avoid heartburn. Drinking a warm glass of milk before bed can also help. Lastly, try to stay active during the day.

3. Limit your caffeine intake

If you’re suffering from pregnancy insomnia, it’s best to avoid caffeinated drinks as they keep you awake longer. Additionally, high caffeine intake can lower your iron absorption, which is essential for you and your baby.

4. Stay away from screens

Try to maintain a safe distance from your phone, TV, laptop or tablet at least an hour before you sleep. Scrolling through social media, binge-watching or working late can keep you up at night.

5. Shorten your daytime naps

If you sleep longer during the day then it may become harder for you to fall asleep or stay asleep longer at night. So, try to take shorter naps during the day.

6. Try prenatal yoga

Trying prenatal yoga or other relaxation methods such as meditation and mindfulness can help reduce your anxiety and improve your sleep.

7. Sleep on your side

Sleeping on your side, preferably left, with your knees bent can help increase your comfort and reduce backache, heartburn and hemorrhoids. Additionally, sleeping on the side can improve your blood circulation and reduce swelling in your feet.

8. Use a maternity pillow

As you progress to the third trimester of your pregnancy, your growing belly may make it hard for you to sleep comfortably. Using a maternity pillow can help increase your comfort and provide some relief to your pregnancy insomnia.