What is prescribed for pregnant women for insomnia? How to overcome insomnia during pregnancy without harming the baby? How to get healthy sleep back

Adequate sleep is one of the “small cells” that ensures the proper functioning of our body. However, adequate sleep is especially important for pregnant women. Various sleep disorders, including insomnia, often appear during pregnancy, which has the worst impact on the condition and well-being of the woman herself and harms the unborn baby. Insomnia can pose a fairly serious risk to the mother and fetus, so when it first appears, it is imperative to take measures to get rid of it.

Types and causes of insomnia during pregnancy.
According to statistics, about eighty percent of women have problems sleeping during pregnancy, and more than ninety percent suffer from insomnia in the third trimester of pregnancy, which can be caused by a variety of reasons of different properties. Some representatives of the fair sex have problems with sleep already in the first weeks of pregnancy, which is considered normal (like drowsiness) and is due to changes occurring in the body at the hormonal level. However, most women during pregnancy encounter the problem of insomnia only in the last stages of pregnancy. Most often, women in such a situation are prevented from sleeping by a significantly increased belly (which creates a lot of inconvenience), leg cramps and pain in the lumbar region or side, shortness of breath, heartburn, itching due to overstretched skin, constant urge to go to the toilet, fetal activity. In addition to this list, chronic fatigue, fear and anxiety before childbirth, stress, nightmares, etc. should be mentioned.

It is difficult to name a specific reason for a woman’s lack of sleep, because each woman’s body has its own characteristics. It is important to understand that insomnia is not a disease, but a sign or symptom that requires careful attention.

There are three types of sleep disorders. Situational (starting) insomnia - a person experiences difficulty sleeping against the background of emotional upheavals, worries or overstrain experienced during the day. In this condition, a person cannot fall asleep for a long time, tossing and turning from side to side. This happens several times over the course of a month, after which it goes away on its own.

Short-term insomnia - the second type of sleep disorder can be caused by any illness, stress or use of potent substances. In this condition, a person is unable to maintain sleep until the morning, and the process of falling asleep does not cause any difficulty, but at night sleep is constantly interrupted, which is why the person fails to feel rested. The duration of this condition can range from several days in a row to three weeks.

The third type or final phase of sleep disorder is chronic insomnia. This condition is expressed in the fact that a person wakes up in the middle of the night or closer to the morning and can no longer fall asleep.

During pregnancy, the first type of sleep disorder or so-called starting insomnia develops. In the final stages, falling asleep with a “huge” belly becomes more and more difficult every day. In this situation, a woman needs to do everything possible to ensure herself rest, since it is during night sleep that the body replenishes its strength, in addition, at this time the most important processes take place in the body. Each person's need for sleep is individual, however, many experts are inclined to believe that ten hours of sleep at night is the necessary norm for everyone, so if you do not get enough sleep, this need must be systematically replenished in order to maintain normal psychological and physical health. This is why it is so important to learn how to control your sleep.

You should know that sleep is cyclical, its phases are reproduced at intervals of 90-120 minutes. The REM sleep phase alternates with the NREM phase four to six times during the night. The duration of the REM sleep phase is approximately ten minutes, during which the brain activity is activated, as in the daytime, and the person dreams. If you wake a person up during this period, he will feel overwhelmed and tired throughout the day. Of interest is the fact that the alternation of phases occurs every night, and at the same time, even while awake. It is when REM sleep begins that a person experiences a strong desire to sleep. Therefore, if you (a pregnant woman) wake up in the middle of the night and cannot fall back to sleep, rest assured that in a maximum of two hours sleep will overcome you again. Therefore, during this period of time you can occupy yourself with reading an interesting book, knitting, etc. Learn to react calmly to insomnia.

Ways to combat insomnia during pregnancy.
If sleep problems occur, the first thing a pregnant woman should do is visit a doctor. You should absolutely not try to treat insomnia yourself or, even worse, take medications; doctors prescribe them only when strictly necessary (for example, a severe mental disorder) and always after a full examination. It is also important to say that in the first few months of pregnancy, sleeping pills are generally contraindicated, since during this period tissue formation and organ formation in the embryo occur.

The ban does not apply to herbal preparations that can affect the nervous system - these are soothing herbs and tinctures based on valerian, chamomile, motherwort, mint, lemon balm, etc., taken in the form of tea, infusion, drops, bath additives . But still, in a state of pregnancy, before taking anything, you should consult a doctor. Often, insomnia is a consequence of depression, and in addition to the problem with sleep, the pregnant woman is constantly in a state of despondency, anxiety and sadness, lack of appetite and interest in events around her. During such a sleep problem during pregnancy, adherence to a routine is important in eliminating it. It is very important to get up and go to bed at regular intervals; this has a positive effect on your biological clock.

A small glass of milk (ideally warm) or a decoction of chamomile with a spoonful of honey at night, an hour before bedtime, can help you fall asleep. In addition, avoid products that contain caffeine. This includes coffee, tea (including green), energy drinks, chocolate, Coca-Cola. In addition, there is no need to overeat at night, especially fatty foods that can cause heartburn or indigestion; dinner should be light and not too late. If you have a strong desire to eat, snack on a piece of low-fat cheese or boiled turkey; it is believed that they contain L-tryptophan, a substance that naturally induces sleep. To avoid night trips to the toilet, and then, as a result, the fight against insomnia, do not drink a lot of liquid at night, it puts a lot of strain on the bladder and kidneys. To improve the quality of sleep and reduce nervous excitability, it is recommended to eat garden salad, asparagus, and melon.

If you can’t fall asleep right away, don’t immediately get upset and worry. Learn to completely relax before bed. To do this, you can take a fifteen-minute warm bath, do yoga, breathing exercises, relax, listen to a quiet, soothing and relaxing melody, and comb your hair. In the absence of contraindications, you can add decoctions of herbs with a calming effect (chamomile, lavender, pine extract), sea salt and aromatic oils to a warm bath.

If you have problems sleeping at night, you need to give up daytime rest for a while until everything returns to normal. Develop a useful habit: don’t watch TV at night, don’t be in the center of noisy events, turn off all means of communication, put away the clock (the alarm clock that ticks so loudly at night). Where you sleep, nothing should distract you.

It is very important to prepare the bedroom itself before going to bed: ventilate it well (up to 19-21 degrees), tightly curtain the windows, put on a night mask so that unwanted light does not cause your sudden awakening at night. Additionally, it is recommended to install a humidifier and air ionizer in the room, and eliminate sources of distracting aromas (flowers, perfumes, food, etc.).

It is extremely important that the place where a pregnant woman sleeps is characterized by increased comfort and is as convenient as possible for her. If such a need arises, you can take additional pillows to support the legs, back and abdomen, or an orthopedic mattress that takes an anatomical shape. Experts recommend sleeping on your left side; this position ensures maximum flow of blood and necessary substances to the fetus. Before going to bed, be sure to take a breath of fresh air and go for a walk.

There are quite a few ways to combat sleep disorders; you don’t have to try them all yourself. Just choose the most effective one for yourself, and use it to give your body and the baby’s body a chance to rest, because before he is born, you should gain strength and energy, which will be oh, how useful in the future. Therefore, have a good sleep and rest!

Adequate and healthy sleep is very important for everyone, regardless of gender and age. And if we are talking about a pregnant woman, then the importance of sound sleep is very difficult to overestimate.

The expectant mother needs rest, because the body spends considerable energy on bearing the baby.

In addition, high-quality sleep, lasting at least 8 hours, ensures stabilization of a woman’s emotional state, has a positive effect on the nervous system and allows for relief from all organs that are now working in an intense mode.

A condition in which the quality or duration of sleep at night is disrupted is called insomnia. If you believe the statistics, almost every pregnant woman faces a similar problem, this is especially true in the last weeks before giving birth.

Insomnia is not a disease, since most often the causes of its occurrence are physiological changes occurring in the body of the expectant mother.

However, with serious disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system, such a condition is already considered a pathology, which negatively affects the woman’s well-being, and can even affect the development of the fetus.

Doctors distinguish three main stages of insomnia - this is necessary to determine the severity of the disease and choose a treatment regimen, if necessary.

Starting insomnia.

This is the very first stage, which is characterized by disturbances in falling asleep. The woman tosses and turns from side to side for a long time, thinking about something, while feeling the physical need to sleep.

Sometimes this condition can last 3-4 hours, which significantly reduces the duration of sleep. This is especially true for those who have not yet gone on maternity leave, and women with children - after all, they cannot afford to sleep longer.

Second stage.

With this form of insomnia, the expectant mother may wake up several times in the middle of the night, and it can be very difficult to fall back to sleep. Interruption of sleep may be associated with a frequent urge to urinate or with urination, which plagues most pregnant women.

The final phase.

It manifests itself in very early waking up (usually 2-3 hours before the usual time of getting up). As a rule, the expectant mother is no longer able to fall asleep again. As a result, the woman does not get enough sleep, which can manifest itself during the day as weakness and even cause dizziness.

Causes of insomnia at different times

The causes of insomnia in pregnant women at different stages may be different.

Early insomnia

Most often, sleep disturbances at the beginning of pregnancy, which appear up to 12-14 weeks, are associated with the work of the woman’s nervous system, which becomes very sensitive during the period of bearing the baby.

The expectant mother experiences a strong fear of a possible miscarriage, because the first trimester is a critical time for maintaining a pregnancy, and the largest number of cases of child loss occurs during this period.

Also, a woman may be worried about financial problems; very often there is uncertainty about her financial capabilities, especially if the pregnancy was unplanned.

Insomnia is also caused by tense relationships in the family, problems with relatives who do not always perceive the news of an imminent replenishment with delight.

If a woman has firmly decided to leave the baby, it is necessary to avoid in every possible way any pressure from loved ones - this can lead not only to sleep disturbances, but also to more serious consequences.

Insomnia in the first trimester can be caused by other reasons, for example:

frequent urination;
, preventing you from breathing fully during sleep;
heartburn and digestive problems;
pulling and tingling (associated with stretching of the muscles that support the growing uterus);
long sleep during the daytime.

Sleep disturbances in the second trimester

Most women do not have trouble sleeping during mid-pregnancy. Most often, the period from 14 to 28 weeks proceeds quite calmly, and it is at this time that the expectant mother can fully enjoy her interesting situation.

In some cases, sleep problems are still possible. Most often, insomnia torments women who have any chronic diseases that worsen while they are expecting a baby.

For example, flat feet can cause severe fatigue and soreness in the legs, which can hurt even during rest, making it difficult to fall asleep quickly and peacefully.

Pregnancy complications, such as:

constant worries about the condition of the child and the successful outcome of the pregnancy;
painful sensations accompanying various pathologies;
discomfort.

If the pregnancy is going well, then the second trimester, as a rule, proceeds very calmly.

Insomnia in the third trimester

If up to the seventh month about half of pregnant women experience difficulty sleeping, then in the later stages, insomnia appears in 97% of expectant mothers.

There are plenty of reasons for this, because the tummy at this stage is already very large, which in itself contributes to discomfort not only during night sleep, but throughout the day.

In the last weeks of pregnancy, a woman may suffer from pain in her back, as well as in the coccyx area. When changing body position, very sharp and acute painful sensations may appear in the gluteal muscles. Finding a comfortable sleeping position is becoming increasingly difficult, which interferes with proper rest and prevents a woman from sleeping peacefully at night.

Pain (sometimes quite severe) can be caused by and, which by this time is already quite large, and its movements can cause some discomfort. It also happens that the baby touches the woman’s internal organs, which is also accompanied by unpleasant sensations.

The mother’s emotional state is still of great importance. Some women note the appearance of depression. Most often this is due to fear of imminent childbirth. Sometimes expectant mothers are so afraid of this process that they completely lose sleep.

Physiological causes of sleep disturbances include the following:

Frequent urge to go to the toilet.
Shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.

They go away when the uterus goes down and does not put pressure on the lungs.

It develops when there is a lack of magnesium and B vitamins in the body.

Burning and itching.

Appears when the skin of the abdomen is severely stretched, most often in thin women.

What to do for insomnia during pregnancy?

The most important condition necessary for successfully getting rid of insomnia is a stable emotional state of the expectant mother. Therefore, it is very important to protect a pregnant woman as much as possible from all stressful situations and experiences, because this is important not only for ensuring good sleep, but for the well-being of mother and baby.

walk in the fresh air as much as possible, preferably in parks or any other green areas;
avoid increased workload, redistribute some household responsibilities among the rest of the household;
reduce, or if possible completely eliminate, the time of daytime sleep;
limit the time spent watching TV shows and movies, as well as working on the computer to 1 hour a day;
do not read while lying down;
provide the required minimum level of physical activity.

To avoid having difficulty falling asleep at night, you should ensure a calm environment throughout the evening. It is recommended to turn off the TV 2-3 hours before bedtime, since watching movies contributes to an unstable emotional state, which is not at all necessary for a pregnant woman.

It is advisable to spend the evening with loved ones and loving people in order to get the most useful emotions. If the weather permits, the best option for an evening pastime would be a walk lasting 40-60 minutes. As a rule, this measure is very effective in combating insomnia.

in the absence of contraindications, you can ask your husband to do a light massage of your back and legs;
do not overload the stomach before bed with heavy and difficult to digest food;
shortly before bedtime, you can drink a cup of warm milk or herbal tea to calm the nervous system;
a warm shower will also help you relax and relieve tension;
in the evening you should limit the amount of liquid you drink - this will help reduce the number of trips to the toilet, and will also prevent swelling in the morning;
do not drink drinks containing caffeine (coffee, tea) in the afternoon, as they increase nervous excitability and have a tonic effect;
Before going to bed, be sure to ventilate the room (at least 20 minutes), this will ensure a flow of oxygen to the nerve cells.

To prevent insomnia from becoming a constant companion to your night's rest, you must adhere to the following rules:

Underwear and pajamas for sleeping should be made only from natural fabrics, preferably high-quality cotton, so that the body can “breathe” as much as possible.
If you are not allergic, you can use aromatherapy.

For example, a few drops of lavender oil applied to a handkerchief very quickly help solve the problem of insomnia.

If you experience severe back and lower back pain during pregnancy, you should think about choosing an orthopedic mattress.

Ideally, the base of the bed frame should also be orthopedic);

To reduce pain, it is strongly recommended to purchase a special pillow for pregnant and nursing mothers.

They are sold in pharmacies and children's stores) - this will also help solve the problem of choosing the optimal sleeping position.

Drug therapy: what is indicated for pregnant women?

The use of any sleeping pills during pregnancy is highly discouraged.

This can aggravate the situation and negatively affect the nervous system of the expectant mother and baby.

To combat insomnia, you can use such remedies as motherwort herb, valerian extract, Novopassit, Magne B6

Any medications cannot be used without the permission of the doctor observing the pregnancy. This can be very dangerous.

Relaxation techniques and exercises to combat insomnia

Physical activity for the expectant mother should be selected individually, taking into account the state of health and the course of pregnancy. Therefore, you should not perform any exercises without consulting a doctor.

Many antenatal clinics have special schools for pregnant women, which also provide regular physical therapy classes.

This option is good because the lessons are taught by a specially trained medical professional who can provide the necessary assistance if health problems arise. In addition, the doctor monitors the correct execution of the exercise, which is very important for the prevention of injuries and damage.

Another way to help cope with insomnia and provide physical activity is swimming. It is allowed for any period of time and has virtually no contraindications. However, it is necessary to obtain permission from a doctor before starting exercise to avoid possible complications.

At home, a woman can perform simple exercises that will help her fall asleep faster and stabilize her psycho-emotional state:

stretching upward while rising on your toes;
arch your back while standing on all fours;
lift the pelvis, lifting it off the floor (performed in a lying position).

In addition to physical activity, relaxation (relaxation) is an excellent way to combat sleep disorders. Perfect for this purpose:

aromatherapy with essential oils;
warm bath (prohibited in the 1st trimester) or shower;
teas and drinks with medicinal herbs that have a calming effect;
reading your favorite books;
listening to light pleasant music;
color therapy.

How to cope with insomnia using traditional methods

Before using recipes inherited from your grandmother, you must definitely consult a doctor, since only a competent specialist will be able to assess the safety and admissibility of a particular method in each specific case.

The most effective and safe ways to get rid of insomnia during pregnancy:

Add a tablespoon of honey (preferably linden honey, but you can use any honey) to a glass of warm boiled water, stir and drink half an hour before bedtime.
A decoction of medicinal herbs is also a very good remedy for the prevention and treatment of sleep disorders.

To prepare it, you need to take oregano and valerian (in a 2:1 ratio) and pour 1/3 cup of boiling water, then put on low heat and cook for about 15-20 minutes. Leave the resulting decoction for an hour, strain and drink before bed.

A mixture of cranberries and honey has excellent soothing properties.

You need to mix a tablespoon of cranberries with honey (the same amount). Eat the resulting mixture in the evening, 2-3 hours before going to bed. You can drink it with a small amount of herbal tea.

It is necessary to combat insomnia during pregnancy, since constant lack of sleep negatively affects the development of the baby and the well-being of the pregnant woman. You should not immediately run to the doctor in search of pills that can solve this problem.

It is necessary to begin therapy for this condition first of all by changing lifestyle and eating habits, only then will the treatment of insomnia be successful, effective and safe for both mother and child.

Adequate sleep is essential for the body to restore energy reserves, especially during pregnancy.

But unfortunately, almost 78% of expectant mothers have difficulties during night rest. The reasons for this are physiological and psychological in nature.

In any case, lack of sleep negatively affects a woman’s well-being. Let's figure out what to do in case of insomnia during pregnancy.

1st trimester

Sleep disturbance in many cases is one of the early manifestations of pregnancy. It occurs under the influence of hormonal changes. Rising levels of progesterone lead to constant drowsiness. As a result, the expectant mother's daily schedule is disrupted. She may sleep for several hours during the day or evening immediately after work, and then suffer from insomnia at night.

Other reasons for deteriorating sleep quality in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy:

emotional instability and irritability caused by hormonal changes;
worries about upcoming motherhood, especially if it is not planned;
concern about the course of pregnancy and the condition of the unborn child;
increased urge to urinate due to compression of the bladder by the expanding uterus;
decreased blood pressure;
breast enlargement and discomfort in it, which make it difficult to find a comfortable position.

2nd trimester

For many women, the second trimester is the “golden time”. Signs of toxicosis disappear. The abdomen enlarges, but not so much as to complicate movement. However, even during this period, some girls have problems sleeping.

Reasons for this:

Difficulty choosing a pose. If the expectant mother had the habit of sleeping on her stomach, then she has to give it up. The fetus is still very small and, lying on its side in a sleepy state, the woman can take her favorite position. The fear of harming the child forces a pregnant woman to be in constant tension at night.
Swelling of the nasopharynx. Due to hormonal changes, the epithelial linings of the upper respiratory tract may swell. As a result, the girl has difficulty breathing through her nose. Snoring may occur.
Baby's movements. Towards the middle of pregnancy, most women feel the baby's movements. Sometimes they can be very active, which, of course, is not conducive to a quiet rest.
Leg cramps. After 20 weeks, the girl’s body’s need for calcium increases sharply. If it is insufficiently supplied at night, painful contractions of the calf muscles may occur.

3rd trimester

In the third trimester, the number of pregnant women who are bothered by insomnia increases to 97%. This is due to a number of physiological reasons.

The main ones:

an increase in the size of the abdomen, which makes it difficult to take a comfortable position;
disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract caused by hormonal changes and displacement of internal organs - flatulence, heartburn, belching, constipation, diarrhea;
shortness of breath due to pressure of the uterus on the diaphragm;
tachycardia caused by activation of the cardiovascular system;
baby's movements;
need for frequent urination;
convulsions;
pain in the joints and spine resulting from the synthesis of relaxin, a hormone that relaxes the ligaments to facilitate the upcoming birth;
itching of the abdomen due to their stretching.

Psychological prerequisites play an equally important role:

accumulating fatigue;
nervous tension due to the upcoming birth, future motherhood, the condition of the baby and other issues;
nightmares caused by stress.

Pregnant women most often experience “starting” insomnia, that is, difficulty falling asleep. But there are also two other types of it: inability to maintain the state of sleep and waking up too early. In any case, in the morning the woman does not feel rested.

Insomnia during pregnancy: what to do?

How to deal with insomnia during pregnancy?

Insomnia is a condition that must be corrected during pregnancy. Night rest should normally take about 8 hours.

At this time, important processes take place in the body:

metabolic activity decreases;
muscles relax;
the growth of new tissues accelerates;
nerve structures slow down;
information received during the day is processed.

Continuous sleep is necessary for a person to restore physical and mental performance, as well as normalize the neuropsychic state. During pregnancy, a woman's body works at the limit of its capabilities. Lack of sleep can lead to functional diseases.

The main areas of help for insomnia in pregnant women:

ensuring comfortable sleeping conditions;
pharmacological agents;
relaxation exercises.

If insomnia is associated with painful conditions (cramps, flatulence, heartburn, joint discomfort), you need to tell your doctor about it. He will be able to prescribe medications or procedures to relieve discomfort.

Sleep comfort

Sleep comfort depends on many factors, the main ones:

adherence to daily routine;
eating before bed;
quality of bedding;
microclimate in the bedroom;
sleeping position.

Maintaining a daily routine

If you have problems with night rest, you should give up sleep during the day or significantly reduce its duration.

Their complexity depends on the woman’s condition and her general preparation.

Yoga, swimming, walking, dancing are very useful. But you shouldn't be overtired.

2-3 hours before bedtime, you need to remove from your daily routine any activities that require physical and mental effort. Emotional conversations, watching programs, films and reading books with intense plots are also undesirable. It's better to take a walk in the fresh air.

Eating before bed

After 6-7 pm you should not eat heavy food: a full stomach interferes with restful sleep. Which dishes should you prefer? Opinions among nutritionists vary.

Some believe that protein foods promote sleep because they contain L-tryptophan. It is especially rich in hard cheese and turkey meat.

Other experts believe that in the evening the meal should consist of carbohydrates, which are quickly digested without burdening the gastrointestinal tract and nervous system.

Tachycardia, lightheadedness, weakness at the end of the day are signs of sugar deficiency. You should report these symptoms to your doctor. A cup of sweet, weak tea will help remove them. In addition, it is useful to drink a little milk with honey before going to bed. Coffee and other tonic drinks should be avoided. To prevent frequent trips to the toilet in the evening, it is better to limit your fluid intake.

Are there drugs for insomnia that are not addictive? Follow the link for an overview of these means and methods of combating lack of sleep.

Bed dress

The optimal mattress option is an orthopedic one of medium hardness. Some expectant mothers find it more comfortable to sleep on a hard surface. The pillow should hold its shape well. It is desirable that it be filled with hypoallergenic fiber. It is better to choose bed linen from linen or cotton - hygroscopic and breathable materials.

Clothes should be comfortable and not contain unnecessary details - laces, ruffles, elastic bands. It is most comfortable to relax in loose-fitting knitwear. During the cool season, you should wear socks on your feet to keep them warm.

Bedroom decor

The temperature in the bedroom should not be too high - within 18-22ºС.

The air should not be too dry, otherwise nasal congestion will occur.

Optimal humidity is 40-60%. If possible, you should sleep with the window open or ventilate the room in the evenings.

The absence of bright light sources is an important condition for proper rest. Only in the dark is melatonin produced, a hormone that regulates sleep.

Sleeping position

At a later stage, it is difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position. In the first months you can sleep on your back, but then doctors do not recommend this position. An enlarged uterus can interfere with blood flow, squeezing the inferior vena cava. Signs of this are dizziness, lightheadedness, too active movements of the child, who is “indignant” due to a decrease in oxygen supply.

Doctors consider the ideal sleeping position to be on the left side. To make it more comfortable, you should get several pillows. One small one can be held between the legs, the other, wedge-shaped, can be placed under the stomach, and the third – under the back. An extra pillow under your head helps relieve heartburn.

Psychologists advise not to use the bed for daytime rest, reading books, watching movies and other pastimes. This place should be associated only with night sleep.

Medicines

It is better to select a remedy for insomnia during pregnancy with your doctor. The decision to treat insomnia in an expectant mother with medications can only be made by a doctor if there are serious reasons.

It is strictly forbidden to take sleeping pills without permission, even if before conception certain drugs were effective and well tolerated.

Pregnancy is a direct contraindication to the use of most pharmacological agents that affect the activity of the nervous system.

They are especially dangerous in the first trimester - during the formation of fetal organs.

The only thing that can treat insomnia during pregnancy is herbal medicines with a sedative effect. But their use must be coordinated with a doctor. Some recipes:

Dissolve a small spoon of honey in 100 ml of warm water. Drink before bed.
Combine cranberry puree and honey in equal parts. Take 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals.
Cut a hole in the turnip and pour a teaspoon of honey into it. After a few hours, drink the resulting juice. This must be done before bed.
Herbal raw materials in the amount of 20 g pour 200 ml of boiling water. Leave for 30 minutes. Filter and drink 60 ml three times a day. Chamomile, valerian, motherwort, celery greens, dill seeds, elderberry root, dried black currants and so on are suitable for preparing an infusion with a calming effect.

Not all herbs are safe during pregnancy. For example, oregano, St. John's wort, thyme and some other plants increase the tone of the uterus.

Exercise and relaxation

The ability to completely relax and forget about all worries is a prerequisite for a restful sleep. There are several relaxation techniques, one of them is:

Ventilate the room or open the window. Prepare comfortable bedding.
Comfortable to lie in bed. Realize and gradually relax all parts of the body - the muscles of the scalp, forehead, eyes, jaws, neck, shoulders, arms, chest, abdomen, back, thighs, legs, feet. A particular area may feel warm or even tingling due to increased blood flow. It takes 5-7 minutes to relax the whole body.
Inhale deeply and exhale 3 times. As you exhale, imagine how the tension goes away along with the air. Count from 100 to zero with an interval of 1-2 seconds. Breathe slowly.
Think about pleasant things and fall asleep.

Tips for relaxing before bed during pregnancy:

A bath helps relieve tension. You can pour a little lavender ether, chamomile, calamus or sage infusion into the water.
A massage of the back, lower back and legs has a calming effect. It is advisable that it be done by your beloved husband.

It is important not to worry about insomnia. It is believed that falling asleep should take less than 30 minutes. If you didn’t manage to go to the “land of Morpheus” in half an hour, it’s better to leave the bedroom and do something - read, listen to music, devote time to needlework. The sleep cycle takes 90-120 minutes. After maintaining this interval, you should go back to bed.

If you have nightmares, you shouldn’t dwell on bad thoughts. It is better to discuss the dream with a loved one, describing all the details and talking about deep-seated experiences.

In most cases, after this it becomes clear that there is nothing to be afraid of. Insomnia is an unpleasant condition that can lead to exhaustion of the body.

It cannot be treated with medication during pregnancy.

It is important to eliminate all irritating factors, including those related to the health of the expectant mother. A positive psychological attitude and a properly organized daily routine are of great importance.

It is difficult to fight true insomnia on your own. That's why the doctor prescribes it. We will consider groups of means to make it easier to fall asleep in the article.

How can you combat insomnia at home? Look, tested by people and time.

Video on the topic

Insomnia- a painful condition. The lack of proper sleep exhausts any person, but a pregnant woman suffers doubly. To bear a child, she needs a lot of physical and mental strength. But if you suffer from insomnia, how can you restore them?

After a sleepless night, a pregnant woman will feel overwhelmed, tired, irritated, which will certainly affect the well-being of the child.

Normal, full sleep for a pregnant woman is of enormous importance, because it is in sleep that her body, working for two, restores energy. This is why it is so important to understand why insomnia occurs during pregnancy and how to deal with it.

Types of insomnia during pregnancy

In the first days after conception, a complete hormonal change in a woman’s body occurs. Although insomnia often occurs already during this period, most women, on the contrary, experience increased sleepiness. In the first trimester of pregnancy, you may constantly feel sleepy, and this is normal: this is how the body reacts to a hormonal storm. The increased production of progesterone is designed to put the body into a state of rest, so as not to disrupt the process of the birth of a new life.

However, very soon the situation changes. Drowsiness is replaced by insomnia.

There are several types of it:

Starting;

Middle;

Final.

At starting insomnia the woman cannot fall asleep for a very long time; she falls asleep difficultly, painfully, for two to three hours. The middle, or intermittent, can be no less exhausting: a person falls asleep, wakes up, falls asleep again - and so on several times a night. As a result, it is impossible to fully relax. Morning-type insomnia, or final insomnia, is characterized by early awakening, after which it is no longer possible to fall asleep.

Experts say that every second woman suffers from insomnia during pregnancy. More typical for the first trimester intermediate or final insomnia. The situation is aggravated by toxicosis.

The second trimester of pregnancy is characterized by a temporary normalization of sleep. During this period, disturbances associated with the phase of falling asleep and waking up are rarely recorded. But from the third semester, from the 26th week until the end of pregnancy, insomnia may return again. The child is growing, the tummy is enlarging, so sleeping becomes more and more uncomfortable. The woman gets more tired, but less and less gets the opportunity to fully rest at night. Finding a comfortable sleeping position becomes difficult.

Most often you can sleep on your side. Sleeping on the left side promotes easier blood flow from the lower legs, while sleeping on the right side relieves the load on the kidneys. It is better to sleep on the left side of the body, this does not interfere with normal blood flow. To make the position more comfortable, you can place a cushion of a towel or thin blanket under your knees and buy a supportive pillow for your growing belly.

In late pregnancy, many people begin to dream of sleeping on their back. However, until the baby is born, this position remains unacceptable. The fact is that the heaviness of the uterus puts pressure on the bladder, spine, and diaphragm. As a result, you won’t be able to get enough sleep: you will be awakened by frequent urges to go to the toilet, back pain, and difficulty breathing.

From the 39th week, anticipation of the imminent birth of the baby can worsen insomnia during pregnancy. The woman is very tired, and overwork often prevents anyone from falling asleep. We need to actively work on stabilizing our emotional state and relieving anxiety. Be in the fresh air, read your favorite books, watch calming films with a happy ending, communicate with positive, pleasant people.

At the fortieth week, many women generally lose sleep. Anticipation of childbirth, fear, anxiety, frequent back pain, heaviness and swelling in the legs, unpleasant physiological manifestations - all this seriously disrupts normal night's rest. But it is imperative to learn to relax, fall asleep, and fully rest. Not only for yourself, but also for the sake of the baby, because he feels everything that his mother feels.

Causes of insomnia during pregnancy

At different stages of pregnancy, the causes of insomnia may be different.

The following reasons are typical for the first trimester:

Strong emotions, an attempt to comprehend a new stage of life, excitement, fear - all this causes emotional insomnia;

Vomiting, nausea, intolerance to smells can haunt a woman not only in the morning, but also during the day, and even at night. In this case, the cause of insomnia is toxicosis;

Frequent urge to go to the toilet, caused by active growth of the uterus, becomes another cause of sleep disturbances.

In the second semester insomnia during pregnancy is not as disturbing as before, or stops completely. This is due to the stabilization of the emotional state and hormonal levels. Physiology does not yet interfere with enjoying sleep: there is no pain in the chest, back, lower abdomen, and the tummy itself is not yet too noticeable. Therefore, if insomnia occurs, it is caused by some external irritants: stuffy room, snoring, cold.

Third semester- the time of return of unrest and significant changes in the physiology of a pregnant woman. How will the birth go? How will the baby be born? Is everything okay with him? Such questions worry the expectant mother. All this is the basis for a new stage of emotional insomnia. The physiological type of insomnia also debuts, associated with a large belly, frequent urge to urinate, and swollen nipples. Finding a comfortable position is extremely difficult.

The most common causes of physiological insomnia are:

Constant pressure of the uterus on the bladder;

Pressing pain in the spine;

Exacerbation of osteochondrosis of the thoracic and cervical spine;

The child's movements are sometimes very sensitive;

Leg cramps, recurring at night. To relieve convulsive syndrome, you need to stretch your thumb and massage your calf. To prevent cramps from recurring, you need to take vitamin complexes or foods high in magnesium and calcium;

Itching of the skin of the abdomen.

Constant lack of sleep can exhaust a woman so much that she becomes nervous and irritable. If sleep does come, then in such an exhausted state it is unlikely to be easy and pleasant. That is why it is important to study all the methods and methods of treating insomnia during pregnancy.

Methods for treating insomnia during pregnancy

Medications to combat sleep disorders should be discontinued immediately. The effect of drugs on the development of a child can be unpredictably dangerous. In any case, before starting to take any drug, you should definitely consult your doctor.

Daytime naps are contraindicated. Even a half-hour nap can disrupt natural evening sleep: a rested body simply does not have time to get tired enough. In general, during the day you need to lie less in bed and on the sofa; it is better to rest in a chair.

Don't eat too much before bed, and in the afternoon (after six o’clock in the evening) you need to limit the amount of liquid you drink. Before going to bed, it is better to limit yourself to a glass of kefir

You need to find yours way for complete relaxation. The most popular:

Massage of the lower back, neck-collar area, head, feet, hands;

Aromatherapy (mint and lavender oils are very relaxing);

Pleasant calm music;

Favorite book or magazine;

Warm milk with honey or chamomile infusion;

Body care after a warm shower. You should regularly apply a softening cream to the skin of your abdomen, from the first days of active growth of the uterus. This will help prevent stretch marks and relieve itchy skin.

Honey is an excellent medicine for sleep disorders. If you mix a spoonful of honey with the same amount of natural apple cider vinegar and dissolve them in water, you will get a wonderful soothing drink. A sip of such a sweet medicine can calm you down and help you sleep well. But if you suffer from heartburn, you should not take vinegar! In this case, you can dissolve honey in milk, chamomile tea, and mix with crushed walnuts.

Can replace medications for insomnia during pregnancy? a drop of lavender oil, applied to whiskey. Alcohol infusion of valerian should not be taken. But a calming effect can be achieved if you breathe in the vapors of valerian from an open bottle. Doctors are not against the tablet form of valerian, but they should be taken only after consultation with a supervising doctor! Valerian has a cumulative effect, so the result will become noticeable only after two to three days.

Helps you sleep special exercise. It is performed while lying in bed. It's simple: raise your legs a little and perform movements that imitate walking. Your arms should lie along your body. They say that such a “walk” allows you to go completely unnoticed to the kingdom of Morpheus.

You can learn special breathing exercises. But this should only be done under the guidance of a coach.

Prevention of insomnia during pregnancy

An excellent prevention of sleep disorders is physical activity correctly distributed throughout the day. There is no need to think that heavy physical activity will help you fall asleep. This is a very common misconception. On the contrary, extreme fatigue will certainly prevent you from falling asleep normally.

You definitely need to be in the fresh air, move, and give your body physical activity. Yoga, water aerbics or home exercises are ideal. The best time to study is before lunch. In the evening, any stress, physical or psychological, is contraindicated.

An evening walk is a must: fresh air and light physical activity are a very effective prevention of insomnia during pregnancy at all stages of the child’s development.

It is easier to fall asleep in a well-ventilated area. If possible, you can buy a special orthopedic mattress and pillow. Psychologists also recommend trying to fall asleep to relaxing sounds: recordings of the sea surf, the rustle of rain, the sound of the wind.

An overall positive attitude is important. All disturbing thoughts - away! There should be no scandals, quarrels, unpleasant conversations or meetings, especially before bedtime. Anxiety, which is one of the causes of insomnia, can be helped by training for pregnant women, seminars for expectant parents, and individual consultations with a psychologist.

You can’t dwell on fear: it harms both mother and baby. You can take a course of study that you never had enough time for. For example, learn how to sew tilde dolls, take professional photographs, learn Spanish - anything you like, as long as you like it!

It is very important to eat right. Pregnancy is a great opportunity to switch to a healthy diet. Steamed and fresh vegetables, fruits, and berries should be on a pregnant woman’s menu every day. A large amount of fiber helps prevent constipation, which means a good night's sleep and the prevention of insomnia during pregnancy.

Insomnia during pregnancy: folk recipes

Herbs are traditionally used to treat insomnia during pregnancy with folk remedies. In addition to valerian, you can brew herbal teas with lemon balm, St. John's wort, thyme, lavender, licorice, bitter orange, savory. If decoctions have a bad effect on blood pressure, it is better to avoid them. Hop decoctions are prohibited.

Freshly squeezed water gives an excellent calming effect. radish, beet or turnip juice, mixed with a spoon of honey. You need to make a hole in the fruit with a sharp knife and place a spoon there natural honey and wait for the juice to release. After two to four hours, you need to drink the liquid that has accumulated in the hole of the root vegetable.

An herbal infusion helps normalize sleep and prevent insomnia during pregnancy. celery. Pour a spoonful of chopped celery into a glass of boiling water and leave for half an hour. Strain the infusion, drink one third of a glass three times a day.

Berries have calming properties black currant. They can be used fresh or dried. Berries (one tablespoon) should be poured with a glass of boiling water and left for half an hour.

You can put it under your pillow linen pillow with herbs and buckwheat husks. Hazel leaves (hazel), pine needles, immortelle flowers, hop cones, thyme, rose petals, and dried geranium have a relaxing effect.

Insomnia during pregnancy can significantly ruin your mood and damage the normal development of the fetus. Therefore, we need to fight it, fortunately there are effective, proven, effective methods.

Adequate sleep is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle for every person. During pregnancy, sleep plays an even more important role, since a sleep-deprived expectant mother will feel tired and irritable, which will certainly have a negative impact on the baby’s condition. That is why insomnia during pregnancy is not only possible, but also necessary to fight. Another thing is that you can fight in different ways. This article will discuss how best to deal with insomnia...

So, the statistics in this regard are disappointing: about 78% of expectant mothers experience difficulty sleeping during the period of bearing a baby; in the third trimester, about 97% of women suffer from insomnia. The list of reasons that provoke insomnia towards the end of pregnancy is quite extensive: pain in the lower back that does not allow you to relax, cramps in the legs, heartburn, shortness of breath, an endless urge to go to the toilet, and of course, kicks and pushes from the baby, there are many other reasons, both physiological and psychological. Many expectant mothers can toss and turn in bed for a long time and cannot find a comfortable position to sleep - this also leads to the fact that after a short time women wake up and then cannot fall asleep. The situation is also aggravated by chronic fatigue, stress, fear of the upcoming birth...

Conditionally There are three types of insomnia. There is initial insomnia: when the expectant mother cannot sleep for a long time in the evening, tosses and turns from side to side, and can stare at the ceiling (TV) for hours, thinking about the events experienced during the day, making plans for the future, imagining what the birth will be like, the first meeting your baby. The second type of insomnia is the inability to maintain a state of sleep for a long time. A woman may fall asleep, but may wake up several times during the night, so in the morning she will not feel rested. And finally, the third type of insomnia is final phase insomnia: a woman wakes up in the morning and is no longer able to fall asleep again.

During pregnancy, women mainly face initial insomnia: falling asleep with a heavy, large belly, when the baby is constantly kicking, when you always want to go to the toilet, becomes more and more difficult with each subsequent week of pregnancy. However, in any case, it is necessary to fight insomnia, since the body replenishes the energy reserves spent during the day during sleep. According to experts, the daily need for pregnant women to sleep is about 10 hours, and regular lack of sleep should be compensated to avoid various problems.

You can learn to control your sleep. To do this, it is necessary to understand at least in general terms its nature. And the nature of sleep, like any other biological process, is cyclical, and the phases are repeated with a constant frequency of 90-120 minutes. NREM and REM sleep phases alternate between each other about 4-6 times during the night. The duration of the REM sleep phase is about 10 minutes - it is during the period of REM sleep that the human brain becomes active and we dream. If you are woken up during REM sleep, you will feel sleep-deprived and tired all day. By the way, a very interesting fact is that the phases alternate at the same time every night, even if you are not sleeping. The strongest desire to sleep occurs during the REM sleep phase. That is, if you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t fall asleep, you should know that in a maximum of 2 hours (120 minutes) sleep will return to you. While waiting for sleep, you can tie up, read a book, or listen to calm music. You cannot force yourself to sleep - as experience shows, this is the surest way to finally wake up. But it is advisable to remember approximately what time your REM sleep phase begins - this way you can plan your sleep schedule most rationally, going to bed when REM sleep awaits you. You can also calculate what time is best to get up in the morning so that you feel rested all day.

What to do if you suffer from insomnia during pregnancy

So, how to deal with insomnia during pregnancy?? First of all, do not treat... No matter what excellent remedies for insomnia are recommended to you, no matter what drug has helped you before, you should not take any medicine without a doctor’s prescription. Only a specialist will be able to select a drug for you if necessary and prescribe it. But herbal remedies, such as valerian or motherwort, are welcome.

You should also pay close attention to your menu, what and when you drink and eat. Try not to overload your stomach at night - dinner should not be late and as light as possible. Before going to bed, you can drink a glass of milk with honey or herbal tea made from lavender, licorice, chamomile, licorice, and lemon balm. But using hops in decoctions is not recommended. Juices from turnips, beets and honey will be very useful. An herbal infusion will be an excellent remedy for insomnia: twenty grams of celery is poured with a glass of boiling water, then infused for half an hour and filtered. You should drink this infusion three times a day, a third of a glass.

You should also try to create a calm and cozy atmosphere in the house - stress, overexertion, scandals, showdowns and other emotional stress are absolutely useless to you. But daily physical exercise is welcome, as it improves blood circulation and has a good effect on the nervous system.

If you are used to sleeping during the day, try to either give up this habit altogether in favor of sleeping at night, or reduce the time you sleep during the day to a minimum.

Prepare your room for sleeping. The most favorable conditions for sound, full sleep are a slightly cool, well-ventilated room. If the weather permits, it is better to sleep with the window open. Pay special attention to the choice of pajamas - they should be made of natural fabric and comfortable, so that they do not squeeze anywhere, so that you do not get confused in them at night. You can surround yourself with several pillows - this will help you find the most comfortable position while sleeping. If at night the baby begins to push and kick a lot, try to change position; you have probably blocked the baby's air supply. Experts recommend that expectant mothers sleep on their left side - but this advice does not suit everyone, everything is individual.