Pathological sleepiness is one of the first signs of pregnancy. Some women begin to experience it already in the first days after conception, even before a delay in menstruation is detected. Why do you constantly want to sleep during early pregnancy and is this condition normal?
What happens in the body
Already from the moment of fertilization of the egg, a profound restructuring begins in the body of the expectant mother. And the first to react is the endocrine system, which adjusts the hormonal background so as to make it possible for the fertilized egg to attach to the wall of the uterus and its further development.
Most often, for 5-6 weeks, a woman does not even suspect her “interesting” situation. Although already in the first days of pregnancy, painful sensations and swelling of the mammary glands may occur, the lower abdomen may be pulled and a somewhat inhibited state may appear, in which you want to take a nap during the day.
Most women attribute these changes to premenstrual syndrome, especially if the pregnancy was not planned and contraception was used (none of which gives a 100% guarantee that conception will not occur). And not everyone experiences complete disappearance of spotting in the early stages of pregnancy. Many women report that in the first and sometimes second month, on the days of expected menstruation, mucous discharge appears, which can confuse a woman.
Visually, a woman’s pregnancy in the first trimester is completely invisible. But a tremendous amount of work is happening inside her body. It is during this period that all the vital organs of the future baby are formed, its nervous system is formed, the skeleton is built, and the formation of the face and limbs occurs. And just at this important time, he is not yet reliably protected by the placenta and amniotic fluid, as in later stages.
The first trimester of pregnancy is considered the most important and most dangerous period. Most congenital pathologies of the fetus appear due to the fact that at this time the expectant mother led an unhealthy lifestyle, consumed cigarettes and alcohol, and took potent medications.
In the first three months, most spontaneous abortions (miscarriages) occur. Therefore, if pregnancy is desired and a woman wants to carry and give birth to a healthy baby, lifestyle adjustments should begin as early as possible.
Causes of drowsiness
Understanding what processes occur in a pregnant woman’s body after conception, it is easy to assume the main reasons why an expectant mother may constantly want to sleep:
Hormonal changes
A sharp change in the concentration of certain hormones in the blood causes symptoms characteristic of early pregnancy: dizziness, fainting, heart rhythm disturbances, and surges in blood pressure.
The body seems to be confused by what is happening - the well-functioning system of interaction between internal organs suddenly turns out to be unbalanced. It instinctively slows down all metabolic processes, allowing the body to adapt to changes.
Severe stress
The onset of pregnancy is always stressful for a woman. Even if she perceives this event as super positive, she still begins to worry about how the birth will go, whether the baby will be born healthy, and how the pregnancy will proceed.
What can we say about women in whose lives conceiving a child was not planned for the next few years?! Most of them have to make an extremely important and responsible decision - are they ready to give birth and raise a baby or will the pregnancy be artificially terminated.
In a state of stress, the content of adrenaline in the blood increases greatly. And it causes an increase in blood pressure, tones the uterus and can cause a miscarriage. Protecting the fetus, the mother's body begins to produce serotonin and tryptophan, which cause drowsiness.
Toxicosis
While the circulatory systems of the mother and fetus are not separated by the placental barrier, all waste products of the unborn baby enter the woman’s blood. This provokes toxicosis of pregnant women, which more than 60% of women experience in the early stages.
Constant nausea often ends with vomiting, a complete disgust appears for many foods, and the woman becomes very sensitive to smell. As a result, most of what a pregnant woman eats during the day may end up being expelled from the stomach, or she simply loses her appetite. But the baby is actively growing and needs nutrients, which in any case will come from the mother’s body. With severe toxicosis, drowsiness can be caused by a simple lack of energy due to insufficient nutrition.
In fact, such an inhibited sleepy state of a pregnant woman in the early stages is a protective reaction of the body, which is designed to ensure the safety and proper formation of the fetus.
Agree, a woman who constantly wants to sleep even during the day is unlikely to go to a nightclub and dance until the morning in a disco. She prefers to be at rest most of the time, giving the fetus the opportunity to firmly establish itself in the uterus.
How to improve the situation
Fighting such a natural phenomenon as increased sleepiness during pregnancy in the early stages is practically useless and dangerous for the unborn baby. Especially if you start artificially stimulating nervous system plenty of coffee, strong tea, dark chocolate, sweets or energy drinks. Apart from increasing the signs of toxicosis and harming the child, you will achieve nothing more with such methods.
You need to act competently and wisely, purposefully creating optimal conditions for the development of the fetus from the very first days:
The rate of metabolic processes in the body depends not only on hormonal levels, but also on the amount of incoming oxygen. If it is not enough, then the woman begins to feel suffocated and drowsy. Walk more!
- Control your blood pressure. A feeling of sudden drowsiness always occurs with a sharp decrease in blood pressure, which can provoke severe dizziness and even deep fainting. If you experience such symptoms frequently, be sure to monitor your blood pressure with a blood pressure monitor at least twice a day.
- Think positively. Good mood and positive thoughts reduce stress levels, and therefore the concentration of adrenaline in the blood. A pregnant woman becomes calmer during the day, falls asleep faster and sleeps soundly. A full night's rest allows her to fully regain her strength and she does not feel drowsy during the day.
Moral and psychological support
High-quality literature, visits to prenatal preparation groups and conversations with your personal doctor will help you cope with anxiety about how the pregnancy will progress and how the birth will go.
Information obtained from the Internet, especially on forums where expectant mothers gather, can be of poor service, so we strongly do not recommend following the advice of non-experts at any stage of pregnancy, and even more so at the stage of fetal formation.
And remember that the state of daytime sleepiness in the early stages of pregnancy is transient and is not a pathology. Many women work during this period, so it often becomes difficult for them to fulfill their responsibilities in full. Don't be shy about telling your boss about your condition. Usually this is treated kindly and with great understanding. Even 20-30 minutes of extra rest throughout the day will make you feel more comfortable and reduce sleepiness.
Security measures
If a desired pregnancy occurs, the body must be helped and additional safety measures must be taken to reduce the risk of sudden spontaneous abortion. At least until 12-14 weeks, the expectant mother should:
Naturally, you need to create as favorable an atmosphere as possible around yourself. Early pregnancy in itself is stressful for the body and it does not need additional shocks at all. Moreover, against the background of toxicosis, they can provoke insomnia, and it is also impossible to use sedatives and sleeping pills during pregnancy.
These simple preventive actions will create the most favorable conditions for the development of the fetus, and the mother’s body will not have to take measures to protect it. Accordingly, a woman’s pathological sleepiness can be significantly reduced. In any case, usually by 4-5 months it goes away on its own, and the expectant mother enters the easiest and most favorable period of pregnancy.
Drowsiness during early pregnancy is a characteristic sign of the onset of conception and the beginning of the development of the embryo. This phenomenon is experienced by a significant number of expectant mothers, and for some it causes concern. The causes of drowsiness in different trimesters of pregnancy can be various changes that occur in the female body. Doctors explain that this is a set of protective reactions of the body, designed to protect the pregnant woman from potential dangers that could lead to rejection of the embryo.
Such risks surround a pregnant woman from all sides - stressful situations, negative nervous conditions, rapid hormonal changes and effects on the body. During pregnancy, you want to sleep, because it is in sleep that energy reserves are replenished and physical and mental strength is restored. In the early stages of pregnancy, the appearance of drowsiness during pregnancy rarely becomes a sign of pathology.
Causes of sleepiness in a pregnant woman
A woman who is carrying a baby not for the first time is aware that during pregnancy she wants to sleep quite often, and at certain periods this becomes a habitual state. Sometimes, focusing on the experience of the older generation and her own, a pregnant woman is sure that this is a physiological condition throughout the entire period preceding the birth of the baby.
The first trimester of pregnancy is usually not dangerous, but a later period, marked by an exaggerated tendency to sleep, sometimes indicates excessive physical and emotional overload or insufficient nutrition.
The second trimester is the time when the final formation of the placenta occurs, toxicosis should go away, taking with it drowsiness. But if this does not happen, the reasons should be sought and eliminated.
The second and third semester may be marked by a state of lethargy and a desire to constantly sleep. But if in the second trimester this is explained by a lack of iron (anemia), then in the third trimester pregnant women sometimes want to sleep for negative reasons. A woman can carry out minimal diagnostics on her own if drowsiness is accompanied by negative signs:
- late toxicosis;
- severe swelling;
- increased blood pressure;
- vomiting;
- headache;
- failure of visual function.
Such a set of signs can signal a pathological course of the child’s development, for example, eclampsia, which requires immediate surgical intervention.
Sign - drowsiness during pregnancy
Drowsiness in the early stages of bearing a future baby, even in those days when the presence of pregnancy was determined only by physiological signs, served as one of the signs by which they could accurately determine that a woman would soon become a mother. Now there are modern methods for determining the onset of pregnancy, and why a woman begins to sleep more has a reliable scientific explanation.
In the early stages, the cause is almost always the onset of pregnancy, associated emotional experiences and hormonal changes in the entire body, which is preparing for a special stage.
Main function female body in this state – maximum full return building materials, emotions and necessary substances. This will require effort, and any costs require compensation.
Therefore, if sleep is not pathologically constant, there is no need to be afraid of it. In the third semester, doctors recommend setting aside time for daytime sleep and giving a woman’s tired body additional rest.
The baby will be born soon. After giving birth, a woman will have less time to sleep.
Pregnancy symptoms and sleepiness
Early pregnancy progresses individually for each woman. One has practically no sleepiness, the other feels so tired that she cannot bring herself to get out of bed in the morning.
Fatigue can accompany a working woman who has conceived. However, increased weakness may be a consequence of the development of the disease. Lethargy is explained by poor health or seasonal vitamin deficiency.
The beginning of the gestation period for a new life is also manifested by accompanying hormonal changes and a radical restructuring of the body:
- Basal temperature remains high throughout the luteal phase. It is recommended that women monitor this parameter when planning pregnancy.
- Absence of menstruation (although not always).
- Morning sickness, present in many pregnant women. However, some never develop toxicosis.
- The breasts change - they hurt and ache, the nipples enlarge along with the areolas and become hypersensitive, veins appear.
- Vaginal discharge increases, and panty liners sometimes have to be changed several times a day.
If, in addition to all these signs, you really want to sleep, it means you are pregnant. As a result, hormonal changes in the woman’s body began, which are aimed at preparing for gestation and birth. Progesterone, otherwise known as the pregnancy hormone, is also produced. The relaxation of smooth muscles by this hormone, aimed at maintaining pregnancy, which is sometimes prevented by the immune system, provokes a decrease in blood pressure and causes hypotension.
This is the scientific explanation for why the first trimester for a pregnant woman in position is marked by a constant desire to sleep. This is normal, and during this time it is not only harmless, but absolutely necessary to get more sleep.
Sleep norms during pregnancy
There are no unambiguous rules that could be useful in every case. American scientists believe that a woman should sleep at least 9-10 hours during pregnancy. In order for sleep to be beneficial, it is advised to go to bed at a strictly defined time and avoid physical exertion before falling asleep.
Domestic researchers also call the 10-hour norm optimal, but they believe that before this it is useful to take a short walk in the fresh air. The early period, with its hypertrophied desire to sleep, which can last the whole day, just like the late period, when the load increases significantly, suggests that in the middle of the day you can allocate additional time and rest for 1.5-2 hours.
Sleeping too much is not recommended, especially if it is sleeping before noon, followed by further lying in bed. This method of compensating for the costs of pregnancy is harmful for a woman, because it leads to a disruption in the biorhythms of two people and disrupts blood circulation, causing a depressed state.
Main causes of drowsiness
Although the main reason for the sleepy state during the period of bearing a child has been determined (this is the pregnancy itself), there are specific reasons for the desire to want to sleep in different trimesters.
First trimester
The visceral theory suggests that during pregnancy you constantly want to sleep due to the restructuring that occurs, which the nervous system controls and regulates. Since the process is intense, the central nervous system requires more time to control and regulate than before.
The endocrinological aspect explains this condition by increasing the level of progesterone in the blood, its role in relaxing smooth muscles and lowering blood pressure. Psychology suggests that the phenomenon is due to the emotional and psychological stress that a woman experiences during pregnancy. An adequate explanation is a combination of three aspects.
Second trimester
Expectations that drowsiness will go away by the 13th week are sometimes not justified. The main justification during this period is that the baby is already grown up. The fetus sets the woman's periods of wakefulness and sleep, which do not always coincide with the mother's, and the close relationship between the two organisms leads to the fact that the mother wants to sleep with the baby.
Sleepiness in the second trimester is not laziness. This is a coincidence of life cycles, which is necessary because at this time the baby’s basic abilities are formed. An additional aspect: the intensity of development in the fetus has increased, more building materials are required, and its mother limits herself in food so as not to spoil her figure. Lack of nutrients can cause a strong urge to sleep.
Third trimester
Explanations constant fatigue, lethargy and the desire to sleep are associated with hormonal status, fetal growth, possible complications caused by increased size, putting pressure on internal organs. The child may behave restlessly at night, looking for a comfortable position, and the immune conflict still requires the body to make efforts to preserve the fetus.
If the doctor examines you regularly and sees no cause for alarm, it means that the woman is pregnant.
Seeing a doctor
Pathological abnormalities can also cause increased drowsiness. The most common of them are:
- anemia;
- hypothyroidism;
- lack of vitamins.
Anemia is diagnosed by hemoglobin analysis, but it also has quite obvious signs: hair becomes dry and brittle, falls out, skin becomes pale and seems thinner, nails peel and break, soles and palms begin to peel. Treatment of the pathology depends on the degree of its severity. The first can be compensated for by diet, while the third requires hospitalization and intensive care.
Hypothyroidism during this difficult period can occur against the background of autoimmune processes or iodine deficiency. Fatigue, forgetfulness, sudden weight gain, dry skin, heart problems, and fluid retention can easily be attributed to a complicated pregnancy. Therefore, if there are a combination of symptoms, it is better to consult a doctor.
A lack of vitamins manifests itself in much the same way as anemia, with increased bleeding gums, blurred vision, dental problems, ulcerations on the mucous membranes, red eyes and swelling. The lack of a particular vitamin or mineral has its own distinctive characteristics, but the overall picture is quite characteristic, and with a complex of symptoms, a doctor is vital.
If drowsiness is natural and not accompanied by pathological signs in the early stages of pregnancy, then there is no reason to fight. But women work even while carrying a fetus. Therefore, this condition becomes a serious obstacle to the performance of official duties.
Drug treatment of pathological conditions will have to be postponed, but vitamins, iodine-containing drugs and a specialized diet will help get rid of the problem if it is diagnosed at the beginning of pregnancy and is overcome under medical supervision.
There will be no harm from the fact that a woman eliminates the state of drowsiness on her own during the working day if she goes to bed on time and at the same time. The body will sleep for the prescribed number of hours and rest productively. If you can sleep for 1-2 hours in the middle of the day, or just lie down and give your body a rest, that would be ideal. After all, drowsiness in the early stages of pregnancy is not a pathology, but a natural consequence of the emergence of a new life.
During pregnancy, women often complain that they really want to sleep, constantly, even if the night passed quite calmly. These complaints are especially often voiced in the early and late stages.
Some women - not the first time experiencing this condition - realize they are pregnant because they begin to fall asleep while walking. Why do you really want to sleep during pregnancy and how is this explained?
Why do you feel sleepy in early pregnancy?
At this time, hormonal changes occur in the body, which affect absolutely all organs and systems.
- Immunity decreases– otherwise the body will simply reject "foreign body". This leads to weakness and decreased blood pressure.
- Vitamin deficiency begins– vitamins and microelements begin to be consumed from the nutrient reserve for the formation of a new organism. Many are exhausted by toxicosis - during it, useful substances are also washed out with vomit, and anemia may appear.
- There is no longer enough time for the necessary rest during pregnancy– the established regime is designed for normal existence, and it is not possible to change immediately. Even the calmest women expecting pregnancy are in a state of stress at first.
- Irritating factors factors that influence the general state of the nervous system are the news itself about a new stage in life, the need to adapt to circumstances, the desire to find out more information about one’s situation, thinking about how to convey the news to others - family and work colleagues. The last task is difficult to cope with - the psychological state largely depends on the attitude of colleagues.
- Some women strive to hide their changed state from others so as not to be “jinxed” - this in turn adds excitement.
- Endocrine shifts knocked out of the working rhythm, and ordinary stimulants - coffee and strong tea - are unsafe for health at this time. Acceptable methods to help during pregnancy and overcome drowsiness in the early stages are good nutrition, a reasonable balance of work and rest, healthy sleep of at least 8-9 hours a day.
It is advisable to find a compromise with colleagues so that they allow short breaks from work to change positions and do a few exercises. They themselves should be uncomfortable if a half-asleep creature is nearby.
The belly is already visible, but the eyes are still closed...
Why do you want to sleep during pregnancy when your belly is already visible?
- After all, already the body has adapted to his condition, a regime was developed in which the work day and visits to consultations were planned, those around him were happy and humbled.
- The body still has to work for two– it weakens. Even with adequate nutrition, there are only enough nutrients, and thoughts come to mind that “You can’t be so upset about how I’ll look after pregnancy.”.
- And not everyone's pregnancy proceeds smoothly.. Swelling may appear, the doctor scolds you for every extra kilogram you gain, it seems that your loved one is repulsed by the change in appearance... At this stage, depression often sets in, and sleep disorders appear.
If the usual measures:
- walks in the open air;
- good nutrition;
- relaxing medications before bed - tea or warm milk with honey - do not help, the doctor prescribes mild sedatives and sometimes antidepressants.
Expectant mothers should know that if they have been advised to drink soothing herbs, they should consult a doctor. During pregnancy, herbal medicine should be used with extreme caution.
The list of soothing herbs for pregnant women is limited:
- motherwort;
- mint;
- valerian.
The dose of the decoction and the course of treatment should be prescribed by a doctor.
Third trimester – at least don’t get out of bed...
The fact that you want to sleep at 32-38 weeks of pregnancy is explained by all the previous reasons, and one more is added - it is very difficult to sleep in this position.
- Your stomach gets in the way until you find a comfortable position - it’s already morning. And you often have to get up to go to the toilet - the pregnant uterus puts pressure on the bladder, making urination more frequent.
- It’s good if the baby is the first – but if there are already children and they need attention, you won't get enough sleep during the day?
- You need to start developing the ability to sleep on your side in the 2nd trimester.. To do this, first place a roll of a folded blanket under your back or stomach - whoever is used to falling asleep - then gradually increase the height of the “roll”.
- It's impossible for pregnant women to sleep on their stomach, but it’s also undesirable to sleep on your back. If you systematically compress large vessels that supply the uterus and lower extremities with oxygen, disrupting the reverse flow of blood, then the fetus develops hypoxia, and the woman herself may experience serious deterioration in her health.
- At 38 weeks it is very difficult to get a full night's sleep.– the body is already preparing for childbirth, and when resting at night, in a relaxed state, heralding contractions appear. One or two minutes and they subside, the tone of the uterus weakens, but then it is impossible to fall asleep.
Other causes of drowsiness
Fatigue and lethargy in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy can be companions adverse changes in the body:
- vitamin deficiency;
- anemia;
- gestosis.
These conditions negatively affect the formation of the fetus.
Additional signs of adverse changes:
- nausea;
- pale skin;
- hair fragility;
- swelling of the limbs.
The deterioration of the condition is reflected in blood and urine tests, so it is very important that the woman regularly visits the gynecologist and follows all recommendations.
Correction of anemia and vitamin deficiency is possible by prescribing vitamin and iron supplements, which are administered by injection - this makes it easier for the body to absorb them.
In case of gestosis - the so-called toxicosis in the later stages - hospital treatment may be required. You should not refuse hospitalization if it is offered. If intoxication of the body occurs, a frozen pregnancy may occur.
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 the physiological characteristics of the female body during the “waiting” period. 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 large amount of emotions and new information, the receipt of which makes a woman tired;
- Stress and severe mental shock;
- Constant physical and emotional stress;
- Poor poor quality nutrition;
- A pregnant woman spends little time outdoors.
Even if you exclude all these factors, 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 fetus is already formed, the hormonal background is stabilized, so much less energy is spent. 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 goes to the formation of 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 frequent urination, swelling of the limbs, and a large belly occur. 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. Clothing should also be comfortable, not tight, not 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 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, and 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.
