Pregnancy affects everything: your mood, your appetite, and yes, even your sleep cycles. Whichever stage of pregnancy you’re in – first, second, or third trimester, pregnancy affects sleep in profound ways, including your ability to sleep and how often you sleep. While this can be due to the baby bump, it’s more commonly linked to the hormone changes caused by pregnancy.
If you’ve had pre-existing sleep difficulties before, pregnancy can worsen them. The good news is, a sleep medicine physician may be able to help you find safe, healthy, and effective ways to improve your quality of sleep while you’re pregnant and following labor.
Common Sleep Difficulties Pregnant Women Experience
Women who are pregnant, regardless of the stage of pregnancy, can experience changes in the quality, quantity, and habits of their sleep. Some women are unaware that they have an underlying sleep disorder until their symptoms and conditions worsen with pregnancy. It is also possible for women to develop sleep disorders through different phases of pregnancy – just as they’re starting to adjust to a different sleep pattern, their body introduces a new challenge.
Most women notice increased nighttime awakenings, and it can become more prominent during their third trimester. There can be physical discomfort, psychological adjustments, insomnia, even back pain- all of this can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue.
How Pregnancy Hormones Affect Sleep
The dramatic hormonal changes from pregnancy affect many aspects of the body and brain, such as mood, physical appearance, metabolism, and more. They are also a major culprit of changes in sleep patterns or sleep architecture.
Progesterone
Progesterone is a hormone that contributes to relaxed muscles, frequent urination, heartburn, and nasal congestion. It reduces the amount of time it may take you to fall asleep and wakefulness during the night. Studies also show that the amount of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the stage of deep sleep, is reduced with higher levels of progesterone. So you may fall asleep quickly, and sleep through the night, but you will likely not have vivid dreams.
Estrogen
Estrogen is an important hormone for a healthy pregnancy, but the effects can prevent quality sleep. Estrogen increases the size of blood vessels (vasodilation). This can cause swelling in the feet and legs, as well as congestion of the nose, and disrupt breathing during sleep. Estrogen can also decrease the amount of REM sleep.
Other hormones that fluctuate during pregnancy, include melatonin and prolactin. The levels of these increase during pregnancy, which can lead to more slow-wave sleep. Oxytocin levels can also increase, especially at night, and can lead to more contractions that disrupt sleep. This can lead to a higher incidence of labor and delivery during the night.
How Pregnancy Affects Sleep Through the Trimesters
Whether this is your first pregnancy, or you are expecting your 3rd or 4th child, the effects of pregnancy on sleep can hit you like a train. Here’s a summary of what you might expect through your trimesters.
First Trimester (Week 1 – Week 12)
Most changes are not noticeable until around week 10 of pregnancy. At this point, you may notice you’re needing more sleep. Typically women have a longer sleep period at night and take frequent naps during the day. You may experience frequent awakenings as your deep or slow-wave sleep decreases.
Second Trimester (Week 13 – Week 28)
At the beginning of the second trimester, most women experience better sleep quality and are awake for less time at night. However, toward the end of the 2nd trimester, you may notice you are waking up multiple times throughout the night again.
Third Trimester (Weeks 29 to Term)
In your 3rd trimester, you will likely notice more nighttime awakenings and find it difficult to go back to sleep. You may find yourself extra tired during the day, and opting for more daytime naps. Your sleep is often much lighter, and you can easily be awakened despite how tired you may feel.
During your pregnancy, it’s normal to feel tired, but if you’re feeling that you’re losing too much sleep or if you are concerned about your sleep habits, you may need to see a sleep medicine specialist.
Find a Sleep Medicine Doctor Near You To Get Better Sleep Through Pregnancy
If you find that you are struggling to sleep during pregnancy, speak with your obstetrician. In some cases, a board-certified sleep physician may be helpful to discuss the treatment of sleep disorders during your pregnancy. If you’re suffering from a significant lack of sleep, get the help you need to improve your sleep with Gingras Sleep Medicine and Dr. Jeannine Gingras.
Dr.Gingras is a board-certified sleep medicine physician with over 20 years of sleep medicine-focused experience. At Gingras Sleep, we provide sleep aid and treatment for adults, teens, young children, and seniors. We can help you and your growing family get the best sleep. Visit our website to learn more or contact our office at (704) 944-0562 to speak to a friendly member of our staff or book an appointment. Better nights make for better days – we look forward to helping you get there.