Sunday, November 20, 2011

Pregnancy and Sleep Issues

By Marilynn Nelson


Lots of people joke about not sleeping when the baby is born, but pregnancy brings its own host of sleeping problems. Obviously women expect to be uncomfortable by trying to sleep with a growing belly, but there can be many other unexpected sleep issues. A woman's body undergoes many incredible changes when she becomes pregnant and some of those are unexpected the first time you experience them. Many women are shocked to experience the many different and challenging side-effects of going through pregnancy.

Nighttime leg cramps: Changes in nutritional needs, dehydration and the quick weight gain of becoming pregnant may often be reasons for nighttime leg cramps. Many women suffer from unexpected bedtime leg muscle cramps. There are a number of cures for muscle cramps, but be sure to check with your doctor before using them. Leg muscle cramps may strike at any time during the pregnancy, but they are most common in the third trimester.

Digestion issues: The stomach and other bodily organs are being pressed together to make room for the expanding baby and that pressure often impacts the digestive organs the most. It is no surprise that many women should have issues with digestion during pregnancy. Pregnant women can not always be able to avoid heartburn and constipation problems because some medications designed to alleviate these symptoms are not safe for pregnant women.

Unexpected urination problems: Some pregnant women suffer through 1 or more unexpected nighttime bed wetting episodes during their pregnancy. Almost all pregnant women experience an increased need to urinate much more often than they are used to. Tightness against the urinary system and added pressure on the kidneys can cause some women to urinate three to six times each night.

Many doctors advise pregnant women to sleep with pillows around them for comfort and to lay on their left side to help alleviate some of these sleep issues. Different sleep problems will come and go during the course of a pregnancy, and not all women have the same sleep challenges. Pregnant women should be forewarned about sleep issues by their doctors in advance.




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