Why do pregnant women want to sleep? Possible risks and dangers of sleepiness in early pregnancy During pregnancy you really want to sleep

During pregnancy, every woman faces new emotions and sensations. Organism expectant mother undergoes many changes, trying to get used to a new, unusual state up to this point. One of these changes is sleepiness during pregnancy.

If you complain to the gynecologist about weakness and drowsiness and ask why you feel sleepy during pregnancy, the doctor will most likely tell you the official version explaining why this problem occurs. Experts are sure that endocrine changes are to blame.

It’s great if the expectant mother can afford to rest during pregnancy - it will be easier for her to put up with increased sleepiness and fatigue. It is more difficult for those women who have to go to work or study. The desire to stimulate the body with various stimulants, for example, in the form of caffeine, cannot be given in, as this can affect the development of the unborn baby.

Causes in the early stages

Slight nausea, weakness and drowsiness - due to pregnancy. They appear even before the moment when menstruation is supposed to begin or shows a positive result. Increased drowsiness is caused by an increase in blood levels. This hormone begins to be synthesized in large quantities as a result of conception. It affects not only reproductive functions female body, but also affects it systemically, including affecting the state of the nervous system.

This leads to the fact that the woman’s nervous system begins to be in a state of rest, often reminiscent of apathy. That is, the constant desire to sleep and relax for an expectant mother who is in early pregnancy is quite normal. By the end of the third month, symptoms of fatigue and drowsiness during pregnancy gradually disappear. The woman’s mood improves and she feels a surge of strength and energy.

Reasons for later dates

The second peak of increased sleepiness appears closer to childbirth - at 36 weeks of pregnancy. This is due to the body’s active preparation for the upcoming birth.

In the last month of pregnancy, the expectant mother feels more pronounced discomfort, complains, and finds it difficult to find a comfortable one. These difficulties add to the emotional distress associated with imminent childbirth. All this affects the fact that the woman does not get enough sleep at night and complains of increased sleepiness during the day. After the baby is born, this problem will go away on its own.

Pathological drowsiness

Periodically appearing fatigue and drowsiness during pregnancy are quite natural for the body of the expectant mother. But if symptoms of fatigue, apathy and lack of strength haunt a pregnant woman constantly for a long time, it is important to find the cause of this condition.

Pathological drowsiness that occurs during early stages pregnancy may be due to the fact that the woman does not competently organize her work and rest schedule, allowing for lack of sleep and lack of proper rest when faced with stress factors. Also, the appearance of pathological drowsiness may be due to health problems of the pregnant woman.

It can be:

• pronounced and late;
• iron deficiency;
• or blood pressure.

Also, the reasons for the development of this type of drowsiness can be banal and manifestations. In this case, consultation with your doctor is necessary.

How to work when drowsy?

Most expectant mothers work before. Many of them complain of a constant desire to sleep right at the workplace, especially if their work activity involves sedentary, monotonous work. If before conception energy drinks and strong drinks could help cope with fatigue, then during pregnancy using them to improve tone is strictly prohibited.

How to deal with persistent drowsiness?

1. It is necessary to ensure that the air temperature in the workroom is 19-21°C. If it is warmer or, conversely, a little colder, most likely, the body will become more sleepy.
2. It is necessary to ventilate the room at work more often, avoid stuffy and smoky places. Oxygen deficiency negatively affects the well-being of the expectant mother, causing a feeling of fatigue and drowsiness.
3. Short walks in the fresh air during the day or evening not only invigorate, improving your mood, but also help get rid of drowsiness without the use of tonics.
4. If you have a strong desire to sleep, it is recommended to drink a glass of chilled water in one gulp.
5. Avoid overtiring. If you have a constant feeling of fatigue and persistent drowsiness, you can ask management to get into the situation and partially alleviate labor activity. A similar possibility is provided for by the legislation of our country when it comes to pregnancy.

If you constantly want to sleep at work, your body is deprived of energy, and serious fatigue has accumulated, this problem should be discussed with your doctor. Perhaps the cause of drowsiness in this case is not physiological, but pathological, that is, associated with a certain disease. This condition requires the appointment of treatment that is not dangerous for the development of the baby.

If drowsiness is severe

If drowsiness in the early stages of pregnancy is quite understandable, then its prolonged course may be a sign of pathology. In cases where the problem does not go away for a long time, and the woman complains of sleep disorders, accompanied by constant awakenings, nightmares, periods of night wakefulness, the help of a specialist is necessary.

Severe weakness and drowsiness during pregnancy, accompanied by pallor of the skin and poor general health, may be signs of hypotension and anemia. If these symptoms are accompanied by fainting, we are talking about the development of a pathology such as acute gestosis.

These conditions require treatment. For example, in case of anemia, a specialist prescribes iron supplements to a woman (Ferlatum, Ferrum Lek and others) and a diet enriched with iron-containing foods.

What to do?

Drowsiness during pregnancy caused by physiological factors cannot be a sign of disease. In this way, the woman’s body simply adapts to its new position, so there is no need to treat this condition. It is enough to reconsider your usual daily routine, allocating an extra couple of hours for sleep and rest.

A woman during pregnancy should sleep at least 10 hours every day, ideally if 2 hours of them are spent on nap. It is recommended to go to bed in the evening no later than 22:00 in order to preserve natural biorhythms as much as possible and achieve more complete rest.

If before pregnancy a woman was used to starting her morning with a cup of coffee and pastries, now she needs to give up this habit. The expectant mother's breakfast should consist of yogurt, dried fruits, muesli or cereals - this will fill the body with a sufficient portion of energy and drive away fatigue.

Light, regular walks in the fresh air are very useful for the expectant mother, as they help keep the body in good shape. Sufficient physical activity can suppress stressors, improve mood and overall well-being.

If increased drowsiness is a sign of a certain pathological process, for example, hypotension, treatment is carried out for the underlying disease that provokes the development of the problem. These situations require monitoring by a specialist who will help you choose the optimal treatment and prevent possible problems pregnancy.

Useful video about sleep patterns during pregnancy

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During pregnancy, every woman faces a change in emotions and sensations. This is caused by the fact that a woman’s body is changing, trying to get used to a new, previously unusual state of health. This shift is expressed by drowsiness during pregnancy.

Factors that cause drowsiness

Drowsiness is a common physiological condition associated with pregnancy. The desire to sleep is especially pronounced in initial stage. Many pregnant women feel tired, weak, and unwilling to work or even move. What does this have to do with it?

Sleepiness is the body's protective response to stress; it protects nervous system from overloads and external irritants. Changes in hormone levels and a significant increase in progesterone in a woman’s blood are an overload for the nervous system, requiring significant expenditure of energy.

The hormone also acts on the body as a sedative that prepares a woman for a new state of life and the birth process. A woman needs full sleep and rest while expecting a baby. Lack of sleep and rest will negatively affect her well-being and how the pregnancy will proceed. Because of this, doctors advise women to sleep and rest more.

Usually, by the middle of the term, a woman gets used to the new state, and the desire to constantly sleep disappears. However, in some cases, a factor in significant drowsiness and lethargy during pregnancy are:

• anemia and low blood pressure;
• stressful situation;
• low hemoglobin level;
• Not proper diet in food;
• and being in a closed room.

Anemia (lack of iron) as a factor in drowsiness

This is one of the reasons that affects constant sleepiness. Anemia increases against the background of a decrease in hemoglobin in a woman’s blood, which is produced with the help of iron. It plays a major role in the woman’s body and is involved in the transport of oxygen and nutrition of the fetus.

Iron deficiency is accompanied by a decrease in hemoglobin levels below the standard. With anemia, in addition to lethargy and a regular desire to sleep, a woman in this position may experience numbness in her limbs, shortness of breath, and dizziness.

The disease is recognized by gray-white skin, weakened and constantly breaking nails. When the initial signs of the disease appear, you need to conduct a blood test for hemoglobin, pay attention to the correct diet and increase the consumption of those foods that contain enough iron.

For anemia it is useful to use:

• Seafood;
• Red meat;
• Beetroot;
• Liver;
• Beans;
• Buckwheat;
• Greens, vegetables and fruits;
• Curds;
• Eggs.

But changing the diet alone for anemia is not enough; the doctor prescribes the woman products containing iron, which in a short time increases the hemoglobin level to normal.

Low blood pressure as a factor in drowsiness

Hypotension is a common accompaniment of pregnancy. At the same time, the girl in this position feels weak, dizzy, migraine and drowsy. The disease is fraught with the fact that low blood pressure limits the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the child and is a factor causing hypoxia and oxygen deficiency of the embryo.

A feeling of weakness, oxygen deficiency, toxicosis, particularly in a closed room, are specific signs of hypotension. Because of this, with low blood pressure, a woman is advised to walk a lot, do exercises, eat well and not take significant breaks between meals. Rest and sleep are also necessary, especially during the day.

Drowsiness and fatigue can be caused by a stressful situation, poor diet, lack of fluid in the body, and a sedentary lifestyle.

You need to change your own daily routine, supplementing the menu with vitamins and nutrients, products that will give you vigor, dynamism and vitality. There is no need to worry, in particular, about trifles, do exercises, walk in the fresh air, preferably in a forest or park.

Desire to sleep in the initial period

Very often, a woman strives to sleep as much as possible during the initial stage of pregnancy. This is a sign that she is pregnant. You always want to sleep, at any time of the day, regardless of your physical condition. stress or fatigue. However, a complete healthy sleep at night does not save the woman at work; she still really wants to sleep. This is due to changes in hormone levels and increased formation of progesterone. The body finds it difficult to cope with the increased load, and it responds appropriately by signaling the need for rest and regeneration of strength. Because of this, if a woman wants to sleep and there is an opportunity for sleep, then there is no need to create obstacles for this, complete sleep the situation will only be for the good.

In the middle of the term, the woman no longer feels the desire to sleep and lethargy during the day. At this time, many, on the contrary, strive to lead a dynamic lifestyle if the pregnancy is going well. It happens that this desire does not disappear, but this is most likely due to individual differences in the body and the presence of a certain disease.

If a woman feels the desire to sleep during the day, she is lethargic and gets tired quickly, then it is necessary to contact a treating specialist. After the examination, the doctor will confirm or not all suspicions regarding the presence of abnormalities that provoke sleep and lethargy.

Desire to sleep during the last term

A constant feeling of fatigue and a desire to constantly sleep in the last stage of pregnancy indicates that the body is preparing for the birth process. It is during the last term that it is difficult for a woman to get a good night's sleep due to a large belly and the inability to take a comfortable sleeping position.

In addition, pain in the spine prevents you from sleeping well at night. Because of this, the desire to sleep during the day is caused by poor sleep at night. It is also necessary to remember that while waiting for a baby, a woman gains weight, she endures an overload, and feels constant fatigue. Sleep restores strength. The desire to sleep before the birth process is influenced by psychological reasons. A woman seeks to sleep off on a subconscious level; her body tries to rest, since after the birth of a child she will face nights without sleep.

However, we must remember that a constant desire to sleep may be associated with reasons indicating the presence of a disease: anemia, low pressure, as well as significant pathology that appears at the time of birth - gestosis.

Preeclampsia is characterized by the following symptoms:

• Edema.
• High pressure.
• There is increased protein in the urine.
• The woman suffers from migraines, nausea, vomiting and abnormal drowsiness.
• This disease must be treated urgently, as it threatens the unborn baby.

How to overcome the constant desire to sleep

The physiological need for sleep is not a disease. It is a method of getting the body used to a renewed state. There is no need to treat drowsiness. On the contrary, you need to listen to your own well-being, change your daily routine, menu and loads in accordance with the new conditions.

1. A pregnant woman needs to sleep at least ten hours a day, and she also needs to sleep at least two hours during the day. It is necessary to go to bed in the evening no later than ten o'clock, then physiological rhythms will not be disturbed, and rest will be beneficial.
2. In the morning, instead of coffee and cookies, it is better to drink a glass of fresh juice and eat a plate of muesli with yogurt or dried fruits. Then, instead of caffeine and negative carbohydrates, a woman’s body will receive a balanced portion of vitamins and energy, which will help her quickly get ready and not feel sleepy and lethargic. At the same time, you need to change your daily menu taking into account the new requirements of the body.
3. Small physical exercises, exercises for pregnant women, walks in the forest, yoga and swimming will help keep the body in good shape, prepare for the birth process, prevent stressful situations and lift your spirits.
4. A woman in a position who works needs to contact her boss with a request to transfer her to an easier job. Moreover, the law provides for such concessions.

If drowsiness is expressed as a sign of any disease, then therapy is determined taking into account the main disease. This can only be done by a specialist, so consultation with a doctor is required.

Video: sleep during pregnancy

Every woman’s body reacts to pregnancy in a special way: some are craving salty foods, some suddenly crave strawberries in winter, and some simply cannot tear themselves away from the pillow. Drowsiness during pregnancy, like other similar symptoms, is a variant of the norm, although it brings a lot of inconvenience, especially to those women who are actively working.

Causes of drowsiness at different times

At different stages of pregnancy, drowsiness can be caused by different reasons.

I trimester (1-14 weeks)

Many women in early pregnancy complain of feeling tired and sleepy during the day.

information According to the visceral theory, sleep allows the central nervous system to analyze and regulate the work internal organs. Perhaps this is why pregnancy, as a new condition, requires more sleep from the body.

Another, more understandable reason for the appearance of drowsiness is an increase in the level in the blood of the expectant mother. Progesterone is called the pregnancy maintenance hormone and relaxes smooth muscles throughout the body. Due to this, a woman may (hypotension), she begins to feel general weakness and fatigue, she has a desire to lie down and rest.

II trimester (15-28 weeks)

As a rule, by this time the body adapts and drowsiness disappears.

III trimester (29-42 weeks)

The occurrence of drowsiness during pregnancy is explained by the development of a pathological condition such as anemia.

A fairly common phenomenon, which is accompanied by a decrease in the level of hemoglobin, which is responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body. At oxygen starvation hypoxia occurs, which leads to increased fatigue and, as a rule, drowsiness.

additionally As a rule, by the end of the pregnancy, a woman’s pregnancy is impaired due to the inability to find a comfortable position, etc., and, therefore, often during the day there is a desire to sleep.

How to deal with drowsiness

Drowsiness, weakness and fatigue during pregnancy cause particular discomfort precisely during the period when the woman is still actively working. There is most likely no opportunity to lie down and rest at the workplace, but to use tonics

Pregnancy is, of course, a wonderful period that a woman experiences. But you need to be prepared for the fact that it brings some changes to the normal rhythm of life. A woman will not be able to work as before and will begin to tire quickly. In addition, drowsiness will become her frequent companion.

Why do pregnant women get it so often? The answer to this question lies in physiological characteristics the female body during the period of “waiting”. The desire for sleep is especially acute in the first three months of pregnancy, when the most dramatic changes in the body occur. This condition should not be considered a pathological process; you just need to accept it and correctly calculate your time so that drowsiness does not interfere with you or those around you.

Why do pregnant women feel sleepy?

Drowsiness occurs in 8 out of 10 pregnant women. This is a completely natural process that should not be fought. It is caused by a number of provoking factors.

The desire to sleep occurs as a result of fatigue and other physiological processes.

Key causes of sleepiness during pregnancy:

• Changes in hormonal levels, significant production of progesterone;
• A woman’s energy is divided into two, so she diverges more;
• The nutrients that pregnant women take in during meals are also shared with the baby, resulting in less energy for her.

The following factors from the outside world can also provoke:

• A lot of emotions and new information, from which the woman gets tired;
• Stress and severe mental shock;
• Constant physical and emotional stress;
• Poor poor quality nutrition;
• A pregnant woman spends little time outdoors.

Even if all these factors are excluded, drowsiness will not completely disappear. The main reason lies in the hormonal background; the processes that occur there affect the functioning of all systems, including the nervous one.

A pregnant woman wants to sleep constantly, even at the most inopportune moment. At the same time, she may suffer from insomnia at night. Rhythm disturbances are very often observed in pregnant women.

Causes of drowsiness, depending on the period of pregnancy

Most often, this problem occurs in the first trimester, but can occur throughout pregnancy. The reasons for drowsiness in the first stage (12 weeks) are as follows:

• Changes in hormonal levels. This is the main condition for normal gestation and childbirth. Hormones help prepare the uterus to receive the fetus and form the placenta. Processes in the endocrine system are reflected in the functioning of the nervous and other systems.
• Energy. During the first trimester, a fetus is formed from a fertilized egg. He must gain a foothold in the uterus and begin to actively feed through the placenta. These processes require a lot of energy, which is drawn from the mother’s body. Sleep in this case acts as a way to save energy.
• Lack of night sleep. It can occur as a result of toxicosis, overexertion, aching bones, and discomfort during sleep. The woman does not sleep well at night, so she feels drowsy during the day.

The second trimester has slightly different symptoms. Drowsiness occurs less and less often. The fruit is already formed hormonal background stabilized, so much less energy is wasted. Fatigue may remain as the fetus continues to grow. Sleeping in the second trimester can be caused by poor nutrition and heavy stress.

In the third trimester, problems with sleepiness return in 80% of cases. This happens due to the following reasons:

• in organism. Most of This substance is used to form the baby’s musculoskeletal system. At this time, a woman’s hemoglobin level drops, and this process causes drowsiness.
• Poor night's sleep. Toxicosis usually goes away before this period, but it begins frequent urination, swelling of the limbs, big belly. All this makes it difficult to choose a normal sleeping position.

It is impossible to completely overcome sleepiness during pregnancy, but you can make sure that these attacks occur as rarely as possible.

10 tips to cope with sleepiness during pregnancy

Drowsiness and are the eternal companions of pregnancy and there is no escape from them. To make life as comfortable as possible, you need to learn how to treat this condition correctly. The main thing is to understand that during these nine months a woman is responsible not so much for herself as for her child, so you need to choose a regime that suits both.

According to experts, to prevent daytime sleepiness from causing inconvenience, you must follow the following advice:

• Ensure that you get as much normal sleep during the day as possible. To do this, you need to choose the most comfortable bed; there are special sleeping pillows for pregnant women. Clothes should also be comfortable, not too tight or in the way. Before going to bed, to avoid overstimulation, it is better to choose a calm activity.
• To eat well. This is one of the main rules of normal pregnancy. Nutrition will give energy to a woman and her baby.
• To walk outside. Clean Fresh air dilates blood vessels in the brain, relieves pain, calms the nervous system. This will make your night's sleep more restful.
• Regularly ventilate and do wet cleaning in the room in which the woman sleeps.
• Daily regime. You need to plan your schedule so that you have time for daytime rest. It is better that this always happens at the same time so that the body gets used to it.
• Avoid stress and nervous tension. This excites the nervous system, causes drowsiness, lethargy and fatigue, and also affects the baby.
• Don't get too tired. Even if the work requires stress, it is necessary to warn your superiors about your situation and perform only the permissible norm.
• When an attack of drowsiness occurs, do light exercises, this will help cheer you up. But don't stress too much.
• Drink plenty of fluids and exclude coffee from your diet. It is better to drink water with lemon, it will add energy.
• If you cannot cope with fatigue and drowsiness and this condition greatly affects the normal rhythm of life, you should consult a specialist. Perhaps he will help you find a way to get out of this state.

Pregnancy changes the rhythm of life to one degree or another. You shouldn’t try to live the way it was before; changes will definitely happen. And you need to fight them using methods so as not to harm the baby.

Increased sleepiness in the early stages of a recent pregnancy is a common physiological phenomenon. In this case, first of all, sleep can be considered as a kind of protective reaction of the body, i.e. the body seems to protect the woman’s nervous system from unnecessary irritants and excessive stress.

Drowsiness is the first sign of pregnancy

Weakness and drowsiness during pregnancy, especially in the 1st trimester, is observed in 80-90% of expectant mothers. However, few women know why they often feel sleepy during pregnancy?

If drowsiness is a kind of protective reaction of the body, then weakness appears as a result of an increase in the hormone progesterone in a woman’s blood. It is he who is called upon to preserve the pregnancy that has begun. Therefore, women who already have children, in most cases, regard frequent drowsiness as the first sign of pregnancy, although it is not.

How to fight?

With each subsequent day, the signs of pregnancy become more obvious, and along with them, fatigue and drowsiness increase. It is especially difficult for pregnant women to endure them, because expectant mothers continue to go to work as before. In such cases, gynecologists recommend taking frequent breaks from work and constantly ventilating the room. Constant movement, small gymnastic exercises, breathing exercises– excellent methods of combating daytime sleepiness.

Pathological drowsiness

Pregnant women wait impatiently for the drowsiness to pass. It usually disappears by the middle of the second month. The presence of excessive sleepiness in the 2nd trimester may be a sign of the presence of pathology, for example, - . Its first manifestations are observed precisely at this time.

In cases where drowsiness is combined with symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, periodic headache, blurred vision, the development of gestosis must be suspected. Therefore, if they appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Sleep disturbances are often observed in the last stages of pregnancy. This is due to the fact that a woman cannot take a comfortable sleeping position. In addition, all this is accompanied by back pain and high fetal activity.

Thus, drowsiness at the beginning of pregnancy is not a pathological condition requiring any therapy.