Pregnant Women Usually Have Difficulty Sleeping

Many people joke about not getting sleep when the child is born, but being pregnant brings its own collection of sleeping issues. Obviously women expect to be uncomfortable by trying to sleep with an expanding belly, but there may be lots of other surprising nighttime issues. A woman’s body goes through many amazing changes when she becomes pregnant and many of those are surprising the first time you experience them. Many women are surprised to learn of the many different and uncomfortable side-effects of going through pregnancy.

Nighttime leg cramps: Changes in nutritional needs, dehydration and the quick weight gain of becoming pregnant can often be reasons for charley horses. Many women suffer from unexpected bedtime leg cramps. There are many cures for muscle spasms, but be sure to ask your doctor before using them. Leg muscle cramps may strike at any time during the pregnancy, but they are most commonly experienced in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Constipation issues: It’s no surprise that many women should have problems with digestion during pregnancy. The stomach and other internal organs are being squeezed together to make room for the expanding baby and that pressure often affects the digestive organs the most. Pregnant women may not always be able to avoid digestion issues because some drugs designed to alleviate these symptoms are not pregnancy safe.

Unexpected urination issues: Some pregnant women suffer through 1 or more unexpected nighttime bedwetting episodes during their pregnancy. Almost all pregnant women experience an increased need to urinate much more frequently than they are used to. Tightness against the bladder and added pressure on the kidneys may cause some women to urinate three to six times each night.

Different sleep problems will come and go during the length of a pregnancy, and not all women suffer from the same sleep challenges. Pregnant women should be ready for sleep issues by their physicians in advance. Many doctors advise expectant women to sleep with pillows around them for convenience and to sleep on their left side to help alleviate some of these sleep issues.