Sleeping and pregnancy: back pain and other complaints
Sleep and pregnancy... for some women, a true nightmare. There are women who only start sleeping worse later in pregnancy, but there are also women who sleep particularly poorly at the beginning of pregnancy. After all, we are all different. It is also the case that poorer sleep during pregnancy is caused by various factors. Snoozzz.com tells you more about sleep and pregnancy, about causes and solutions.
Poor sleep at the beginning of pregnancy: is that normal?
Yes, it is very normal to sleep poorly in the early stages of pregnancy, although not every woman suffers from this. When you are newly pregnant, your body is dealing with significant hormonal changes. Progesterone is released into the body. This is a hormone that is actually intended to calm your body. It can make you feel sleepy and drowsy. The downside is that this happens all day long, causing you to often feel sleepy and drowsy during the day. Unfortunately, for many women, this actually makes sleeping at night more difficult. Your entire body is changing, your belly is growing, and many women worry, among other things, about the delivery. Ultimately, these factors cause you to sleep poorly at the beginning of pregnancy. Sleep and pregnancy are always connected. It is just that some women are simply more affected by it than others. Do sleep and pregnancy not go well together for you? Then make use of our tips!
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Many women sleep poorly during pregnancy.
The majority of pregnant women experience sleep problems, especially during the first trimester. For many women, sleep and pregnancy do not go hand in hand, even though the body has an extra need for rest and sleep precisely during this initial period of pregnancy. The causes vary widely, from back pain to worrying too much about what is to come. If you start sleeping poorly during pregnancy, it is good to find out exactly why this is happening. After all, many causes can be resolved. Naturally, we would be happy to tell you more about that.
Sleeping poorly due to back pain during pregnancy
Sleep and pregnancy often do not go well together due to physical discomfort. For a large proportion of women, back pain during pregnancy causes them to sleep poorly. Your belly grows, and this also affects your back. Back pain is the number one cause of poor sleep during pregnancy. You can make things a little more comfortable for yourself by using a pregnancy pillow in bed. This can offer you more support and helps you feel more secure immediately. This counteracts any excessive worrying in bed.
Sleep and pregnancy: 5 other causes of poor sleep
Back pain ranks first by a wide margin when it comes to causes of poor sleep during pregnancy. There are also complaints that fewer women experience, but which can certainly disrupt a night's rest. Examples include restless legs, heartburn, cramps, and itchy skin. These symptoms are therefore quite normal, but of course annoying if they prevent you from sleeping. Below you will find an overview of common causes of poor sleep during pregnancy.Of course, we will also give you a tip to solve the problem!
1. Stress from worrying during pregnancy
How will the delivery go? Will everything really be okay with my baby? How will things go with my work? What does my baby need? Just a few thoughts that can repeatedly return during pregnancy. These – and other – thoughts cause more stress in your body, while the changes in your hormone balance are already causing stress. Your stress levels are therefore higher during pregnancy, and that means you sleep less well.
Tip to fall asleep more peacefully
Take half an hour before going to bed to think everything over carefully. Go through all the questions in your head and worry about them. Allow yourself to worry, but for a maximum of 30 minutes. Make a deal with yourself that after those 30 minutes of worrying, you deserve rest and a good night's sleep. By consciously making this agreement with yourself, you are better able to fall asleep.
2. You are not comfortable in your own bed
You may experience various physical complaints that simply prevent you from lying comfortably in your own bed. Think, for example, of restless legs, back pain, cramps, and heartburn. On top of this, your body is changing shape. Your belly is growing, and this too can make it impossible to find a comfortable sleeping position. As a result, you keep tossing and turning, making it increasingly difficult to fall asleep.
Tip for sleeping more comfortably during pregnancy
For many women, using pillows helps find a comfortable sleeping position. You can place a small pillow between your knees, against your stomach, or against your back. Of course, this depends entirely on what you find most comfortable. To make it easier for yourself to find a good sleeping position, you can use a pregnancy pillow, that after the delivery as nursing pillow can serve.
3. Changes in your sleep cycle during pregnancy
We all go through multiple sleep phases during sleep. We distinguish 5 phases, namely drowsiness, light sleep, deeper sleep, deepest sleep, and REM sleep. REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement. This phase is also known as the dream phase. This phase is very important, especially because it is the phase in which a lot happens, such as processing all the impressions of the day. If you are pregnant, your sleep cycle changes and REM sleep becomes shorter. As a result, you often move more in your sleep, wake up more frequently, and feel restless more easily.
Tip: try to maintain a consistent sleep-wake rhythm
Unfortunately, you do not have much control over your sleep phases. REM sleep shortens during pregnancy, and there is little you can do to change this. However, what can help you sleep more peacefully and relaxedly is finding a good sleep-wake rhythm that suits you. Go to bed at approximately the same time every day and get up at approximately the same time every day as well.
4. Poor sleep during pregnancy due to the urge to urinate
Many pregnant women will recognize this. You’ve just been to the toilet, are just dozing off again, and there goes your bladder acting up already. You literally feel the urge to pee increasing, and you know it: as soon as you fall asleep, you’ll wake up immediately because you have to pee *again*. So, you get up right away! Many women suffer greatly from this and are almost literally walking around all night to go pee. Poor sleep during pregnancy due to the urge to pee is therefore very common. Your belly grows, your baby starts moving, and this puts constant pressure on the bladder.
Tip to have to pee less often at night
Frequent urination is very common during pregnancy, but it significantly interferes with a good night's sleep. Of course, it is important to drink enough fluids during your pregnancy. Try to pay close attention to what you drink and how much you drink, especially in the evenings. Tea, for example, often makes you urinate more, so try to avoid drinking tea in the evening.
5. Your baby keeps moving
Poor sleep during pregnancy can also be caused by your baby, who suddenly seems to become active when you want to go to sleep. The further along you get in your pregnancy, the more often you may experience this. Your baby kicks, wriggles, stretches... Unfortunately, your baby does not take into account the times when you want to sleep.
Try to enjoy it!
Yes, that is very easy to say, of course, but there are no good ways to make your baby move less in your belly. In fact, it is very important that your baby is active in the womb. This is important for your baby's development. Do you suddenly notice that your baby is much less active? Then this could be a sign that your baby is feeling uncomfortable. That is precisely why it is especially important to try to enjoy every movement you feel. Of course, you can also ensure that you feel a bit more comfortable in bed yourself, for example by a pregnancy pillow to use.
Sleeping poorly during pregnancy is normal.
The most important thing to remember is that poor sleep is part of pregnancy for many women.So you certainly don't need to worry about it. However, it is important that you ensure you get as much restful sleep as possible, and the tips above can help you with that. Of course, you can come to us for all the important products for your baby. Did you know that you also sleep more soundly when you no longer have to worry about whether you really have everything you need for after the birth? Browse our online assortment and get inspired. Do you have any questions or would you like advice and information? Please feel free to contact us without obligation. contact join us.
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