May stands for bliss, sunshine and nature that is becoming more lush by the day. More and more plants grow leaves and begin to bloom. The days are getting longer and you can already feel the summer approaching. It is believed that the name of the month is derived from Maia, a female deity from Roman mythology who is associated with fertility, creation and spring.
Although May is not the month with the highest birth rate – in fact, midsummer with July, August and September are ahead in this respect – many pregnant women enter their third trimester in May and therefore enter a phase in which complaints such as sleep disorders are particularly common. Even in early pregnancy, many women are affected by sleep problems. You can find out why this is the case and what pregnant women can do about it in this article on the topic of sleep disorders during pregnancy.
Why do you have sleep disorders in early pregnancy?
The first few weeks of pregnancy are characterised by an immense change in the hormones in a woman’s body. The messenger substances oestrogen and progesterone in particular cause problems with sleeping in the early stages of pregnancy. While some are unable to fall asleep as quickly as usual or keep waking up at night, others are affected by acute insomnia and lie awake for hours on end.
During the day, many pregnant women in the first twelve weeks, also known as the first trimester, suffer from great tiredness, are listless and listless. However, it is not just the two hormones mentioned above that affect the female body, but many more. These can cause nausea and vomiting – not only in the morning -, trigger migraine attacks or cause back pain and thus have an additional negative impact on night-time sleep.
Sleep problems in the third trimester
In the second trimester, pregnant women often only experience a few complaints. Sleep is usually relatively good at this stage of pregnancy and nausea and daytime tiredness also increasingly subside. In contrast, the third trimester is often characterised by a variety of pregnancy complaints, which are mainly caused by the physical changes and the growing belly. The baby has now reached a certain size, the internal organs are shifting and the uterus eventually fills almost the entire abdominal cavity.
For this reason, many pregnant women suffer from numerous complaints in the last few weeks before the birth, such as heartburn or an increased urge to urinate because the baby is pressing on the stomach and bladder. Pain in the back and pelvic area is just as common and is also caused by hormones, as the ligaments and tendons become softer and looser and therefore less stable. Water retention, cramps in the calves, increased labour movements or worries and anxiety – for example about the impending birth or the future in general – can also have a negative effect on sleep. Due to the large belly, it is not easy to find a suitable and comfortable lying position.
What is the best way to sleep during pregnancy
Doctors recommend sleeping on the left side of your body in the last trimester of pregnancy. On the one hand, this position naturally prevents heartburn, and on the other hand, the blood circulation is not disturbed in this sleeping position, which can certainly happen when sleeping on your back. The Sinus side sleeper pillow can be wonderfully supportive when sleeping on the left (or right) side of the body. When placed between the knees, its ergonomic wave shape stabilises the body in this position. The tummy can be placed on the side of the pillow, which is particularly comfortable. This allows pregnant women to find a comfortable and cosy sleeping position, even with an ever-growing belly.
What helps against sleep disorders during pregnancy?
Medication should not be taken during pregnancy, apart from medically necessary medication prescribed by a doctor. Therefore, caution should also be exercised with sleep problems during pregnancy and, if in doubt, seek medical advice.
In our blog posts Better sleep with relaxation exercises and Sleep aids and home remedies for better sleep through the night, you will find numerous tips and suggestions for counteracting sleep disorders during pregnancy in a completely natural way.
We wish you all the best for your pregnancy and will be happy to advise you if you would like to improve your night’s sleep during this special time.
