7 Factors Leading To Sleeping Problems During Pregnancy

Having an 8-9 hours peaceful stretch of sleep during pregnancy becomes a dream at times. Most women start experiencing insomnia or sleeping problems from the first trimester of pregnancy. Even after an entire day of feeling exhausted, pregnancy might still cause insomnia.

A few of the factors that lead to insomnia or sleeping problems during pregnancy include:

• Gas and heartburns

The fluctuating pregnancy hormones relax the digestive muscles leading to a slowing down of the digestion process. This leads to the acids in the stomach causing burns and making you feel bloated or gassy leading to disturbed sleep at night.

• Breast tenderness

Tender and sore breasts during pregnancy may cause pain while sleeping leading to disturbed sleep.

• Back pain and abdominal discomfort

Pregnancy leads to a shift in the center of gravity forward which leads to tension and soreness in the back muscles. Also, the pregnancy hormones tend to loosen the ligaments causing constant backaches that disturb your sleep at night.

• Restlessness and cramps in the legs

The pressure caused on the muscles and nerves from the baby and the changes in the blood circulation can lead to cramps and restlessness in the legs. This constant feeling of restlessness and occasional leg cramps disturb your peaceful sleep at night.

• Nausea and vomiting

The feeling of throwing up during pregnancy is experienced even at night. This nausea or the feeling to throw up can lead to frequent waking up at night.

• Shortening of breaths

The pressure caused on the diaphragm situated under the lungs by the growing uterus may cause occasional shortening of the breath. Few pregnancy changes may also lead to difficulty or blockage in breathing in the sleep also known as sleep apnea.

• Frequent urination

The pressure on the urinary bladder due to the growing uterus increases the frequency of urination leading to disturbed sleep.

Besides these factors, the anxiety of being a mother, excitement, unusual or vivid dreams, etc. can also lead to disturbed sleep and insomnia.

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