How to deal with Insomnia in Late Pregnancy

Insomnia is a common affliction. On its own it is a bad enough condition, but if you suffer from insomnia while pregnant, it can be especially difficult to handle. Late pregnancy brings its own difficulties. Sometimes one of these is insomnia. This article will deal with the question of insomnia in late pregnancy.

 

Types of insomnia

Insomnia in late pregnancy usually has two types of manifestations. One is sleep onset insomnia, which means that it is difficult to fall asleep, and the other sleep maintenance insomnia, which means that you wake up too early and cannot get back to sleep.

 

 

Why is Sleep Difficult to Achieve in Late Pregnancy?

Pregnancy brings about a condition where you need to urinate frequently, you get hungry suddenly or you are hyperactive. All of these reasons can make it difficult for you to get to sleep. Therefore, you start suffering from insomnia. Relaxation is one of the most important requirements for sleep. The difficulties that pregnancy brings can increase discomfort so much that relaxation cannot be achieved.

 

Remedies for Late Pregnancy Insomnia

If you suffer from late pregnancy insomnia it is not advisable to take medications in order to fall asleep. It is better to try to concentrate on psychological ways in dealing with the condition. This means that you should find out and learn how to ease discomfort. This can be done with talking to a therapist, preferably a one specializing in sleep disorders. They can help to find ways to relax when going to sleep.

 

What you can do about it?

• Sometimes it is sleep maintenance insomnia that is the problem in late pregnancy insomnia. Discomfort caused by the need to urinate for example is something that cannot be avoided. However, it is important to find ways to fall asleep again after waking up. There are psychological techniques that can help you with this. One of these techniques is sleep hygiene, which refers to the elimination of obstacles to sleep like coffee and finding ways to associate sleep with relaxation, for example using the bed only when properly tired. These and other ways are included in sleep hygiene and other psychological ways in dealing with insomnia.
• Don't worry. Insomnia can't hurt you or your baby. Plus, sometimes just letting go of the worry is all it takes to help you sleep.
• Clear the emotional decks. If you have persistent worries that are keeping you up nights, talk about them with a friend or your partner and try to sort them out during daylight hours — or try writing them down.
• Take your time at dinner. Don't wolf your food down, and keep the pace leisurely so that heartburn doesn't keep you tossing and turning. And try not to eat dinner too close to bedtime (a full tummy can make you too energized — or too uncomfortable to sleep).
• Avoid caffeine and chocolate in the late afternoon or evening, since they can keep you awake. A light snack will tide you over until breakfast, but choose it wisely — a whole-grain muffin and a glass of milk (warm it if you like; it could help you get to sleep), or a cheese stick and a few dried apricots.
• Fill your daily requirement of fluids during the early evening to cut down on bathroom runs after you've hit the hay.
• Get some daily pregnancy exercise, but not too close to bedtime (a post-workout buzz can keep you awake).
• Make a bedtime routine. Try to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day. Every night, read a book, listen to soothing music, or watch TV until drowsiness sets in.
  Try lulling yourself into a sleepy state with a warm bath and a cup of warm milk, or solicit your partner for a relaxing prenatal massage.
• If you're uncomfortable, you won't sleep. Is your bedroom too cold? Is it a sauna? Check the temperature, and make sure you're using a mattress and pillows that provide solid support without feeling like bricks. A body pillow can help you get comfortable, and help you get the sleep you need. Open a window to keep the room from getting stuffy — you're sure to heat up during the night.
• If you're doing daytime activities in bed, you might be unwittingly associating that part of your home with being awake — and with stress. Pay your bills in the kitchen, and save the bed for its more traditional purposes — lovemaking (if you and your partner are still interested) and sleeping.
• Don't use sleep aids (over-the-counter, prescription, or herbal) or alcohol to help you sleep. These are dangerous during pregnancy.
• If you're not sleeping, get up. Conquer a small task that needs to be done (think bill paying for 15 minutes, not scrubbing the toilet) — and then try to go to sleep again. You may just be tired enough by that point to get the rest you need.
• Don't count the hours — though most people do best on eight hours of sleep, some do fine on less and some need more. So instead of aiming for a particular number of sleep hours — ask yourself how you're feeling on the hours you're sleeping during pregnancy. If you're not chronically tired, you may be getting enough rest.