Insomnia During Pregnancy

introduction

Insomnia during pregnancy is a very common symptom. It has numerous causes that usually do not require treatment. To make matters worse, most drugs that treat insomnia symptomatically are not approved for use in pregnant women. As a rule, either the sleep disorders improve on their own or alternative medical measures are sufficient to alleviate the symptoms.

causes

There are numerous causes of insomnia during pregnancy, but most of them are harmless. Depending on when insomnia occurs in pregnancy, there can be different causes.

At the beginning of pregnancy (early pregnancy), new sleep disorders can often be assumed to be psychosomatic. The new situation, the change of many habits, lead to one exceptional stress on women. This can often occupy the pregnant woman and prevent her from sleeping. Furthermore, a newly emerging restlessness and insomnia can also be caused by the hormonal taking place in the body Changeover to be triggered. Numerous messenger substances are now released in the body and can cause restlessness and insomnia.

What should be noted is that in pregnancy also the Blood pressure rise which can also lead to insomnia. The thyroid to be controlled. In addition to sweating and restlessness, hyperfunction also leads to problems falling asleep or staying asleep.

As the pregnancy progresses, the position and pressure conditions in the abdomen of the pregnant woman also change. The size of the child can exert a lot of pressure on the pregnant woman's blood vessels, which can lead to discomfort, especially at night. That also as "Vena cava compression"The symptom described above usually occurs at night, as the pregnant woman lies on her back and the child releases pressure on the woman's vena cava. Due to a brief undersupply, the person concerned wakes up immediately and reflexively turns to the side, which leads to the pressure of the vena cava is taken and the blood supply is restored.

Concomitant symptoms

In addition to the sleep disorders during pregnancy, there may also be some accompanying symptoms that can give clues as to the possible cause of the symptoms. The necessary regeneration time is not achieved in the case of both falling asleep and sleeping through the night. The pregnant woman is not rested, over a long period of time this can have consequences, such as Restlessness, irritability, difficulty concentrating all the way to depression. Furthermore, it can also besides the sleep disturbance too Sweating, hair loss and tremors come up, what would speak for a thyroid dysfunction as a possible triggering cause. Corresponding further investigations should be scheduled here. Sleep disorders with possible, accompanying a headache can provide an indication that the cause is to be found in high blood pressure. Furthermore, the accompanying insomnia can also be severe Mood swings occur. Above all, depression can be ruled out here. Depression of various degrees occurs relatively frequently during pregnancy and can also lead to restlessness and insomnia.

Restlessness during pregnancy

Very often there is nocturnal restlessness during pregnancy. The reasons are varied and range from a psychosomatic component to serious hormonal or thyroid-related causes. Often the decisive experiences of pregnancy are formative for a woman. Both joy and worry can lead to restlessness that sometimes lasts throughout pregnancy. In most cases, there are no other complaints and accompanying symptoms besides restlessness. Restlessness during the day and night with accompanying sweating, and sometimes tremors, can be triggered by an overactive thyroid. An appropriate ultrasound examination and a blood test should be performed in this case. Restlessness can also arise from high blood pressure, which does not necessarily have to be particularly high but deviates from the usual blood pressure values. Failure to lower blood pressure at night would lead to unrest at night. If the blood pressure values ​​are increased both during the night and during the day, this could result in permanent restlessness. Sometimes the restlessness caused by blood pressure is combined with headaches during the day or at night. If you experience these symptoms, you should definitely consult a doctor, as high blood pressure during pregnancy requires treatment. Restlessness is a very common symptom in pregnant women and non-pregnant women. The causes should be clarified so as not to overlook any important and quickly remediable components.

Find out all about the topic here: The nocturnal unrest.

What can you do about restlessness during pregnancy?

The treatment of restlessness depends, among other things, on what is causing it. First and foremost, the triggers have to be fixed. If the cause is not known, which is very common, general measures can be taken to treat both agitation and insomnia.

What is important is the so-called Sleep hygiene to be observed. This includes a regular sleep-wake cycle. Constantly changing Bedtime should be avoided. Nothing should be eaten just before going to bed. Watching TV until just before sleep should also be avoided if you have insomnia. It can be helpful to yourself Rituals to get used to. E.g. A regular walk before going to bed will bring some rest to the sleep rhythm and thus successfully relieve both restlessness and insomnia. If you wake up regularly at night, you shouldn't force yourself to go back to sleep, but neither should you get up. You can also try e.g. reading a book to regain the weight of bed you need. Corresponding relaxation exercises, such as yoga, can also contribute to general calming during the day and at night and thus make the nights more pleasant.

In addition to these general measures, there are also some drug treatment strategies, but not all of them can be used for pregnant women due to the possible side effects. Often times will Valerian preparations used in the form of capsules for restlessness and insomnia. There are numerous combination preparations that contain this mostly very effective, herbal ingredient. Sometimes valerian preparations are combined with hops or lavender, which can increase the calming and sleep-inducing effect. To date, there have not been sufficient studies on the use of these preparations during pregnancy. However, some bacterial tests have shown a damaging effect on the valerian root in the first part of pregnancy. Medicines containing valerian should therefore not be given in the first trimester.

If the herbal supplements are useless, there is no obvious cause of the symptoms to be found and if the restlessness and insomnia persist, one should consider one medication start with short-term sleeping pills and sedatives. However, the gynecologist or a psychiatrist must carefully weigh up the risks.

Homeopathy for restlessness during pregnancy

There are also a few homeopathic approachesto treat restlessness and insomnia. Treatment with homeopathic preparations can be carried out without hesitation. However, the effect has not been proven. The basis of every homeopathic treatment is the exact description of the symptoms. Restlessness and insomnia should be classified more precisely in terms of their occurrence before a suitable homeopathic drug can be found and applied.

The preparation can be used for accompanying anxiety dreams Aconite can be used. For worries that also stress the pregnant woman during the day, treatment with Arsenicum album be performed. If, after long periods of insomnia, fatigue and persists throughout the day, a treatment attempt can be made Arnica to be undertaken. A particularly restless sleep can be tried with the homeopathic remedy Belladonna to treat. If you are very tired and still have insomnia, you can Chamomilla can be used. The preparation Damiana is mainly used for general restlessness and undirected sleep disorders.

Restlessness and insomnia in the first trimester

Restlessness and sleep disorders are very common in the first three months of pregnancy. The main reason is on the one hand hormonal changes of the body, as well as a psychosomatic component that should not be underestimated. A pregnancy that has just occurred is associated with a completely new life situation for the pregnant woman. New challenges, joy but also fears can trigger daily restlessness and also nocturnal sleep disorders. Treatment is often not necessary here.

Restlessness and insomnia in the second trimester

The fetus has already visibly increased in size and made space in the 2nd trimester. This can lead to Displacements of the abdominal organs come to the mother. First incorrect loads, including caused by the changed weight of the mother, can lead to muscular pain even at night and prevent the pregnant woman from sleeping. At this stage of pregnancy should be increased Blood pressure readings respected and also the thyroid be examined, as high blood pressure values ​​and / or hyperthyroidism can trigger severe restlessness and sleep disorders.

Restlessness and insomnia in the third trimester

In the last part of the pregnancy the child has increased in size so much that it can also press on the mother's vena cava ('Vena-Cava Compression Syndrome') The pressure is most likely triggered when lying on the back, i.e. mostly at night, and leads to a temporary undersupply of the mother. Sudden startling leads to restless sleep as the mother has to constantly change her position. In the last phase of pregnancy, new psychosomatic causes lead to restlessness and insomnia. Because often excitement and anticipation before the impending birth determine the everyday life of women.