– Rising cortisol level could also cause t he hyper-alert state. Oxytocin causes sleep disturbance by creating a hyper-arousal state. – Oxytocin (the hormone responsible for uterine contractions) secretion increases at night. – Progesterone causes daytime sleepiness but night time fragmented sleep. – Second and third trimester: physical discomfort due to the growing fetus, backache/ SPD, increased urinary frequency, baby’s movement, breast tenderness, leg cramps, heartburn/ Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). – First Trimester: fatigue, nausea, vomiting However, the following are the contributory factors: The exact cause of insomnia during pregnancy is unknown. What are the causes of insomnia during pregnancy? What are the common Sleep disturbances during pregnancy? (Ref 9)įinding a comfortable sleeping position could be also challenging, especially during the latter half of the pregnancy. The quality of sleep could be impaired further if there is sleep apnoea. This is associated with frequent awakening and a longer wake period. ( Ref 7)Īs a result, the total duration of the sleep is shorter. On the other hand, the brain activity is the highest during the REM stage.ĭuring the pregnancy, there is an increased duration of the Stage 1 NREM sleep and a reduction of Stage 3 and REM sleep. During these stages, the brain activity is the lowest. NREM stages 3 and 4 (deep sleep) are important to feel refreshed after the sleep. These two stages alternate during the entire sleeping time.

There are two main stages of sleep: Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) and the Rapid Eye Movement (REM). Usually, this improves once the baby’s circadian rhythm matures and regular sleep routine develops.ĭoes the quality of sleep changes during pregnancy?Īpart from insomnia, the quality of sleep also deteriorates during pregnancy and postpartum period. This is especially common after the baby is born. Moreover, women sometimes do not get adequate time to sleep leading to sleep deficiency. Sleep disturbances continue to worsen for the first 6 months after the delivery. Insomnia in pregnancy is worst during the third trimester. Subsequently, insomnia worsens as the pregnancy advances. Therefore, the insomnia is lowest during this time.

This is thought to be related to the rising levels of the hormone progesterone. Interestingly, studies have found that women sleep more (‘hypersomnolence’) during the first trimester. Sleep disturbances are common during pregnancy.ĭuring a survey by the US National Sleep Foundation (1998), 78% of women reported disturbed sleep during their pregnancies. This could also be associated with a feeling of unrefreshing sleep (also called ‘Non-Restorative sleep’), (Ref 1) Insomnia or sleeplessness is a condition when someone is finding it difficult to fall asleep or waking up from sleep very early.

Therefore, some extra hours of sleep are beneficial. Some of the organs, such as heart, work much harder. This is especially important when the mother is feeling tired and exhausted.ĭuring the pregnancy, the woman’s body undergoes many changes. A pregnant woman might require some more hours of sleep every night or short naps in the daytime. How many hours of sleep a pregnant woman needs?Īn adult should have 7 – 9 hours of sleep. This article outlines the incidence, causes and treatment of insomnia during pregnancy and beyond. Research indicates that treatment of sleep disturbances during pregnancy can reduce many pregnancy and birth complications, and also antenatal and postnatal depression. Insomnia during pregnancy is very common.

Insomnia pregnancy