Angina

Daytime sleep during pregnancy. Insomnia during pregnancy: causes and treatment

Pregnancy progresses in different ways; during this period, women face difficulties. Many people complain that they experience unreasonable insomnia during pregnancy, which causes weakness, drowsiness, lethargy, and overall poor health.

Carrying a fetus causes hormonal changes; proper sleep at such moments is simply necessary. If you periodically do not get enough sleep and do not rest during the night, over time, irritability, nervousness, and exhaustion of the body will appear, which negatively affects the development of the baby. This condition is dangerous and can provoke psychological and physical problems, so you need to fight insomnia.

Types of insomnia during pregnancy

Depending on what specific time of night there is poor sleep, or its complete absence, insomnia is conventionally divided into three types:

Evening (starting). Sleep does not come, the woman tosses and turns in the evening, turning from back to side. He lies for hours without closing his eyes, going over in his head what happened during the day, what will happen tomorrow. Usually, at such moments, a woman immediately feels that she will not be able to fall asleep, sleep will not come.
Loss of sleep state. In the evening, as if nothing had happened, the pregnant woman falls asleep. She sleeps peacefully, nothing seems to bother her or bother her, but after a certain time she wakes up. She just opens her eyes and it’s as if she hadn’t slept at all before. It’s impossible to sleep until the morning; some people manage to sleep for two hours, others a little more – 5, 6 hours throughout the night.
The final phase of morning insomnia. It’s almost dawn, the night is ending, I still haven’t been able to fall asleep, and in the morning I don’t feel drowsy. You feel weak, lethargic, and overwhelmed. Sometimes, on the contrary, severe drowsiness sets in in the morning, which is very difficult to fight.

During pregnancy, expectant mothers most often complain of evening insomnia. They complain that the very state of pregnancy, discomfort, and a large belly prevent them from falling asleep. Sensation of fetal movements. Regardless of what type of insomnia progresses, you need to cope with the unpleasant phenomenon, properly and sufficiently rest. It is believed that you need to sleep at least 10 hours during the day, so “lack of sleep” must be compensated at other times, for example, in the morning or afternoon.

Causes of insomnia during pregnancy

Anxiety caused at night, first of all, has the nature of a woman’s internal state. No matter how it looks from the outside, the expectant mother, somewhere inside herself, worries deeply in her soul and constantly thinks about what is to come. Many cannot get used to their situation at all, hence the nightly torment. Analyzing the general condition of women at one or another stage of development of the gestating fetus, several reasons are identified that cause sleep disturbance during pregnancy:

hormonal imbalance caused by ongoing slow changes in the body;
emotional stress, nervousness;
physical discomfort associated with the development of certain diseases (heart, digestion);
mental disorder;
difficult pregnancy;
development of chronic pathologies;
discomfort caused by an uncomfortable bed, sounds, noise, or lights on;
the room is stuffy, hot, cold, too humid air, damp, dust;
at night a lot was eaten, tonic drinks were drunk;
the woman has been taking some medications that affect sleep for a long time;
frequent urge to go to the toilet;
sleeps a lot during the day;
My sides hurt from constantly lying in front of the TV and reading while lying down.

Along with this, we can note other single factors that can excite the nervous system and cause insomnia, for example, frequent viewing of horror films. Hectic work life, unsettled family life.

Poor sleep during pregnancy in the first trimester

Most women do not sleep well during pregnancy due to hormonal changes in the body. Usually this is noted in the early stages and is considered the first sign of an “interesting” situation.

This phenomenon provokes anxiety and discomfort at night. Heartburn and shortness of breath occur. The frequency of changes in body position causes lumbar pain and limb cramps. All this leads to chronic fatigue and lethargy. Terrible thoughts come to mind, fear of the upcoming birth. At such moments, women are irritable, prone to nervousness, and prone to stress. Some people are not at all happy about what is happening.

In the second trimester

Closer to the second trimester, the main cause of insomnia remains a woman’s emotional imbalance. Anxiety increases, and along with it irritation. Women, pondering the upcoming events of motherhood, still remain restless. It’s impossible to rest properly at night; everyday issues take over the excitement.

The majority of women complain of shallow sleep, an overly sensitive state during sleep, and a clear perception of what is happening around them. The stomach, as a rule, does not yet interfere with sleep, but the tension is increasing. Given the characteristics of pregnancy, sleep disorders may be associated with them.

In the third trimester

Poor sleep in the third semester provokes nightmares. Some are tormented by dreams about the upcoming birth, obstetricians. Restless sleep provokes profuse sweating; a woman in a dream seems to be experiencing a parallel reality, waking up in sweat, complaining of chills and discomfort. This happens as a result of the mental state of the pregnant woman at this stage, apprehension, fear of the upcoming birth. Constantly thinking about the future, many people cannot sleep under such emotional influence, especially during pregnancy, because there are other unpleasant factors in family life.

Physiological causes of poor sleep begin to appear. In the third trimester, the uterus is already significantly enlarged, the stomach becomes quite large. Difficulties arise with how to lie down comfortably, especially in the 8th and 9th month. Lying on your back is uncomfortable, and in some cases it is generally undesirable. The fetus puts more and more pressure on the bladder, causing frequent urges to go to the toilet. It becomes difficult to breathe as the fetus puts pressure on the respiratory organs. Increased sweating and fever occur.

The child begins to move more and more often, and the movement is increasingly reflected by discomfort, even pain in some organs. In addition, if the fetus becomes very active during sleep, you need to change the position of the body, since, most likely, the woman is lying down uncomfortably and the child is uncomfortable, something is squeezing him.

What to do

Realizing that you have not been able to sleep properly for a long time, the state of sleep deprivation is chronic, you need to learn to control your sleep. It is important to understand that the phenomenon cannot be treated in this situation, nor can you take any medications (sleeping pills), even if you were constantly taking them before pregnancy.

First, you need to visit your doctor, consult, tell him how the phenomenon manifests itself, and what worries you. Together with a specialist, try to find out the cause of the phenomenon, and then he will tell you what to do. Sometimes, in extreme cases, it is permissible to prescribe a certain number of drugs to improve the condition of the body and regain lost sleep.

In such cases, it is recommended to drink soothing decoctions prepared from medicinal herbs: valerian, mint, chamomile, thyme, motherwort, licorice. Dry ingredients must be steamed and brewed strictly following the manufacturer’s recommendations. If you have a bad reaction to the decoctions, stop taking it.
It is necessary to eat little in the evening, trying not to overload the stomach, which provokes poor sleep during pregnancy. Include fresh salads, radishes, black currants, asparagus, beets, and melon in the menu; these products are believed to promote sound sleep. In general, reconsider your daily diet.
Avoid drinking tonic drinks, especially at night. In general, drink less fluid so as not to increase the urge to go to the toilet at night.
During the day, and especially in the evening, do not worry, do not get irritated, and avoid stressful situations. In general, a person who is “ruffled” by the evening will rarely be able to sleep peacefully, and even more so in this state.
If your heart rate begins to increase in the evening and shortness of breath appears, it is enough to drink a mug of sweet tea, but warn your doctor about such symptoms, especially if they are constant. Most likely there is a lack of sugar in the body, hence the reasons.
It is useful to eat a spoonful of natural turnip juice shortly before bed. It is prepared simply by squeezing the turnips into pulp and adding an equal amount of honey. Leave for a couple of days before taking and store in the refrigerator.
Take a contrast shower shortly before rest. Warm your feet in warm water.
In the morning you need to get up earlier, walk more in the fresh air, move, and not lead a passive lifestyle.

When faced with restless sleep and insomnia, you need to think about whether the pregnant woman’s overall lifestyle is correct. Perhaps the woman sleeps a lot during the day and gets up late in the morning. Perhaps, in general, throughout the day, a woman is inactive, passive, practically does not expend energy during the day, so sleep does not occur.

Creating a favorable atmosphere

Only in the most favorable conditions will a night's rest become useful and comfortable. Therefore, before going to bed, you need to:

ventilate the room;
wear appropriate pajamas to stay warm or, conversely, not to freeze;
it is convenient to put pastel accessories, purchase a special orthopedic pillow for pregnant women;
It is better to turn off the light, the room should be calm and quiet.

When going to bed, you need to emotionally tune in that today you will have a good dream, try to fall asleep.

In general, when a woman decides to give birth to a child, she is emotionally in the right mood, does not worry too much about anything, does not have problems with sleep, but if the expectant mother increasingly complains about poor sleep, then she needs to tell the supervising specialist about this. No one will immediately say why a pregnant woman can’t sleep at night; sometimes it may even take a series of tests to understand.

A specialist who often monitors pregnancy advises seeking help from a psychologist, neurologist, somnologist and other doctors, who can, after identifying the cause of anxiety, establish a normal, full night's sleep. However, the problem becomes more serious when other symptoms of a slowly developing pathology appear along with nighttime insomnia. That is why we cannot delay dealing with such a phenomenon. You shouldn’t deal with it on your own; in any case, you should first consult a doctor.

Unfortunately, poor sleep is a common companion during the first trimester. During this period, the mind and body may be at war with each other, trying to control your sleep time. Your body will force you to sleep when you don't want or plan to. On the other hand, your mind may not allow you to sleep even when you are physically exhausted. The whole body is being rebuilt, preparing to become an ideal home for the little creature inside you, and this restructuring does not have the best effect on your well-being. Just think about morning sickness, which wakes you up every day at dawn, preventing you from feeling rested and well-slept.

The first trimester also has its advantages compared to subsequent periods. You are not yet tormented by swelling and rapid heartbeat, your legs are not cramping and there is no need to ask the question: “Can pregnant women sleep on their stomach.”

Sleeping in the second trimester of pregnancy

This period is perhaps the most comfortable time for normal sleep. The body has already been rebuilt and lives in a new quality, early toxicosis has stopped, and the child inside you has not yet grown enough to cause you noticeable problems.

Sleeping in the third trimester of pregnancy

Insomnia in the third trimester is like training for expectant mothers for the sleepless nights that birth will bring. make it difficult to find a comfortable position, a full bladder acts as a night alarm clock, and leg cramps force you to periodically jump out of bed with enviable agility. Sometimes women also start snoring during the last trimester. This is normal and usually disappears after childbirth.

Getting comfortable in bed is your biggest problem right now. It seems that there is no position in which you could feel comfortable. The only way to somehow alleviate your condition is to buy a special pillow for pregnant women, the position of which can be adjusted to suit your needs. Many pregnant women note a qualitative improvement in sleep associated with the purchase and use of such pillows.

Did you know that poor sleep can be a consequence that 25% of pregnant women experience in the third trimester?

Exercising regularly, but not just before bed, will help you sleep more deeply.
Try not to take food to bed, especially if heartburn is a problem for you.
Use pillows wherever possible: between your knees, under your hips, under your head, for support.
Give yourself a break whenever possible. Of course, this can be a difficult task if there are children at home, but try to find a way. For example, you can take a nap on the sofa while your child plays nearby. Enlist family support if necessary.
Go to bed early.
Try relaxation before bed. A warm bath or a warm glass of milk, quiet calm music and reading your favorite magazine, meditation and a light massage - choose the best relaxation option for yourself.
If you wake up in the middle of the night or have trouble falling asleep, don't just lie there waiting for sleep to come again. Stand up for a while and read or do something low-effort.
If leg cramps wake you up at night, increase the magnesium in your diet. As a rule, this helps to quickly get rid of cramps.
Try to avoid negative emotions - this is a very important condition for having a restful sleep and a successful pregnancy.

A fairly common and at the same time dangerous phenomenon is insomnia during early pregnancy.

The first trimester is a very important cycle in the development of the child and the health of the expectant mother.

Insomnia is not just a sleep disorder; first of all, it is one of the parameters by which the state of health is determined.

An unsatisfactory quality of night's rest can cause a person many problems associated with physical and mental health.

Problems with night rest can occur in a woman in the very early stages of pregnancy, and lasts until the very beginning of labor. The average duration of sleep for a physically healthy person varies from six to nine hours a day; if there is a significant deviation in time, then a sleep deficit occurs that can cause noticeable deterioration in well-being.

According to statistics, approximately 80% of women have problems sleeping.

There can be a huge variety of reasons that cause this symptomatology, ranging from psychological problems to physiological ones - related to the health of the expectant mother.

Some women complain of feeling unwell in the first trimester, others in the second or third.

Some experts argue that poor sleep is one of the earliest signs by which one can determine the birth of a new life in a woman’s womb. This manifestation is due to hormonal imbalance.

However, in the early stages, sleep problems are quite rare. Constant worries about the upcoming birth, active movements of the baby, shortness of breath, pain in the side, etc. t. - these are symptoms that appear in the later stages and they are quite natural.

Insomnia during pregnancy occurs in almost 80% of expectant mothers. Follow the link to learn everything about how to restore healthy sleep in pregnant women - from establishing sleep comfort to using medications.

Common Causes

Causes of insomnia during early pregnancy:

hormonal imbalance of the body;
depression (may occur due to an unplanned pregnancy or related problems in your personal life);
chronic fatigue;
physiological accompanying symptoms manifested by: heartburn, nausea, cramps of the lower extremities, etc.;
psycho-emotional shocks: possible fears of childbirth, increased sensitivity, disturbing and unpleasant dreams;
headache;
pain in the lower abdomen associated with the growth of the uterus;
elevated temperature associated with a health condition: colds, acute respiratory viral infections, acute respiratory infections.

Insomnia can be caused by one or several factors in combination.

Types of insomnia during early pregnancy

Some women constantly want to sleep during pregnancy, regardless of the intensity of physical activity, while others, on the contrary, cannot fall asleep for a long time, but if a miracle happens, it does not last long at all: only a few hours a day.

Depending on the causes of sleep disturbance, three stages of insomnia can be distinguished:

Starting. At this stage, the natural process of going to sleep is disrupted. Women toss and turn for a long time and cannot fall asleep, but if they still manage to immerse themselves in the desired state, then often even the slightest rustle can interrupt a good rest. This stage is characterized by increased motor activity before plunging into a night's rest: it is difficult to find a comfortable position for the body, various kinds of disturbing thoughts creep into the head.
Middle. Unlike the first phase, everything here is much more complicated. Not only is the woman unable to fall asleep due to her long hours, but she also often wakes up at night. Waking up can occur every half hour and there is practically no complete rest at this stage. Nightmares and anxious experiences are frequent companions encountered at this phase of the disease.
Final. The most difficult phase, very difficult to treat. Characterized by abnormally early morning awakening. For an ordinary person, the morning hours of sleep are considered the deepest and most complete; pregnant women suffering from insomnia wake up at this time and are no longer able to prolong their night's rest. This problem can cause irritability, headaches, drowsiness, and in some cases even hallucinations.

The second and third stages most often occur in the last stages, and the problem requires urgent medical intervention. Such types also occur in the early stages and this phenomenon is associated with a hormonal surge as a result of new emotions and experiences.

Along with the emotional state, toxicosis can occur, and the pregnant woman’s condition can worsen even further.

How to deal with the disease

The main ways to combat insomnia at home are given below:

Plant herbs. The main thing you should know is that no drug interventions are acceptable, especially without a doctor’s prescription. The doctor will also most likely try to do without medications or prescribe them in the most urgent case. You can calm the nervous system only with herbs and infusions: chamomile, valerian, motherwort. These herbs have side effects and should be taken in small portions according to the doctor's recommendations.
Foodstuffs. To restore and normalize sleep, you should pay attention to your daily routine and diet. At night you should not eat heavy foods: dinner should not be late, and always light. It is not recommended to drink tonic drinks, tea, or coffee at night. To avoid frequent urination and frequent trips to the toilet, you should not drink a lot of liquid in the evening. Warm milk with honey is perfect for your last drink before going to bed. Milk has soothing properties, and honey normalizes the functioning of the nervous system.
Daily routine. If you are used to daytime rest, you will have to give it up for a while. You should go to bed immediately before going to bed, and not just to lie down or watch TV while lying down. Walking in the fresh air has a positive effect on your psycho-emotional and physical state.
Personal hygiene. A warm shower or bath with aromatic oils or herbs will help you relax and prepare for relaxation. You can perform a light massage of the legs and lower back. Many women expecting the birth of a baby are helped to fall asleep by additional pillows in the bed, which can be placed under the stomach or legs. Near the bed you can hang geraniums, immortelle, and pine branches, dried and tied into a bunch.
Mental harmony. You should not watch negative programs on TV, worry about the upcoming birth, or get nervous about trifles. Communication with family and friends, aromatic treatments, evening walks - these are just some of the positive moments that you can afford. If there are no contraindications from the leading gynecologist, you can relax through sex. The temperature in the room is of great importance for a favorable rest. The room should be cool and fresh, so it should be ventilated as often as possible.

By following all the above tips and living with positive emotions, you can enjoy such a happy period of life.

During sleep, our body receives the most complete rest, while cell performance is restored. But the expectant mother does not always manage to fully relax. Increased impressionability, characteristic of women in an “interesting position”, too active movements of the baby, a growing belly that makes it difficult to take a comfortable position - all this can lead to disruption of sleep patterns, which, in turn, sometimes causes some complications of pregnancy, for example late pregnancy. So the ability to organize your sleep is very important for expectant mothers. What “pitfalls” can you encounter along this path?

Dyspnea usually occurs in the supine position; To prevent this phenomenon, you need to lie on your side, placing an additional pillow under your head so that the upper body is in an elevated position.

If the baby’s movements are preventing you from falling asleep, try changing the position, since active movements may be associated with insufficient oxygen supply to the fetus caused by the woman’s uncomfortable position (on her back or on her left side). If the baby continues to move actively after this, you will have to wait until he calms down...

It is best to sleep on your side with one pillow under your stomach, another under your head, and a third between your knees. You can place a cushion under your lower back: in this position, the load is removed from the spine. Many women feel dizzy when lying on their back because the pregnant uterus puts pressure on the inferior vena cava, reducing blood flow to the heart and brain.

Aromatherapy is also successfully used to improve sleep in pregnant women. Make a “sleeping pill” by filling it with buckwheat husks or thyme, bay laurel or hazel leaves, immortelle flowers, pine needles, hop cones, geranium grass, rose petals. Place it at the head of the bed and you will sleep better.

If you wake up at night, there is no more reliable way to drive away sleep than the annoying thought that you need to fall asleep at any cost. Therefore, you should not toss and turn in bed from side to side; it is better to get up and do something calm and pleasant, for example, inserting photographs into a photo album or knitting. Sometimes it is useful to walk around the apartment listening to calm music (preferably through headphones, so as not to disturb anyone). Remember that your peace of mind and good mood are the key to good sleep, and therefore health.

Elena Shamova
Obstetrician-gynecologist,
Gynecological Hospital No. 2, Novosibirsk

When we found out that we were going to have a baby, I decided that it would be simply a shame if I had any problems - after all, the doctor himself should implement his recommendations. I worked, walked, did gymnastics, but there was one “but”: increased drowsiness appeared.

It was clear that as pregnancy progresses, hormonal changes occur in the body and progesterone levels increase. This hormone is produced in the corpus luteum of the ovary. It prepares the uterus for embryo implantation, stimulates the development of the mammary glands, maintains the dominance of pregnancy in the central nervous system and suppresses the immune system. Progesterone also promotes the retention of salts and fluid in the body and depresses the psyche, and this is manifested by depression, irritability and drowsiness.

True, this condition is usually not so long-lasting: starting from , the active hormone-producing function of the placenta begins.

“In accordance with the increase in pregnancy and fetal growth, in addition to progesterone, the level of estrogen increases, which has a stimulating effect on the psyche, and drowsiness goes away. But I couldn’t wait!

After I fell asleep at work like a sleeping beauty, I had to take action. My favorite strong coffee had to be rejected. He was replaced green tea which has an excellent tonic effect , And contrast shower, ending with cool water. Regular morning exercises, walks, and also 1 tablet of Aralia Manchurian (Eleutherococcus). 2 times a day - all this gave me back my vitality.

The pregnancy progressed well, the baby began to move, and I began to have amazing, beautiful dreams.

From institute lectures, I remembered that in a dream the processes of accumulation of energy reserves, regeneration, plastic metabolism occur, and resources depleted during the day are restored. During sleep, temperature, pulse, pressure, the nature of nervous activity change, and sleep has several phases, which change cyclically with a frequency of 90-120 minutes.

“When recording the biocurrents of the brain of a sleeping person, alternating phases of slow, or orthodox, and fast, or paradoxical, sleep were discovered. Such cycles are repeated 4-6 times per night.

In turn, the phase slow sleep consists of four stages. The first stage corresponds to drowsiness. The muscles relax, but the consciousness is still working. Brain biorhythms are irregular and fast. The second stage represents the beginning of sleep proper. The third and fourth are deep, or delta sleep. During it, the rhythms of the brain gradually slow down, the reaction of the eyes to external stimuli stops, and the body plunges into a state of deep peace. The senses do not react to the environment.

Then all changes occur in the reverse order, but not until complete awakening, but before the phase REM sleep. The pupils of the eyes begin to move quickly, body temperature and blood pressure rise, breathing becomes more frequent and less regular, gastric juice and adrenaline are released faster. If you record an encephalogram at this moment, the electrical impulses of the brain will be similar to the biorhythms reflecting daily life. But this is a special state of the body, as if turned inward. This is why REM sleep is called paradoxical sleep. During this stage, dreams occur. It lasts about 10 minutes, again giving way to deep sleep.

“When we sleep, the body begins to produce various hormones.

Some of them are stored for waking hours, others are spent during sleep. The supply of biologically active substances of the amine family increases; they accumulate in various cells and cell groups of brain tissue. That is why, when you are sick, you need to get enough sleep so that the body can focus on recovery processes.

Time passed. I easily carried my treasure, which periodically pushed sensitively under my liver, but I began to have trouble sleeping.

In total, doctors distinguish three main types of insomnia.
The first is the so-called starting insomnia, when a person cannot fall asleep for a long time, remembering the events of the day, experiencing thoughts about what he should have done or said, or worrying about the future.
The second type is the inability to maintain the sleep state. Such a person wakes up repeatedly throughout the night and for varying periods of time. This condition leads to divided sleep and does not allow deep rest.
And the third type, in which a person wakes up early in the morning and is unable to fall asleep again, is final phase insomnia.

"During pregnancy, problems with falling asleep, or initial insomnia, are more common.

I couldn’t manage to fit my growing belly comfortably. I was worried about pain in the back and lower back, cramps in the calf muscles and a frequent urge to urinate at night (as the enlarged uterus began to put pressure on the bladder). It's good that I didn't have heartburn, shortness of breath and itching in the abdominal area due to skin stretching, which bother pregnant women. However, these problems can be eliminated: with a diet, an additional pillow under the upper body, and lubricating the skin of the abdomen with cosmetic oil or cream.

After three sleepless nights, thoughts about research that were carried out to clarify the daily need of the human body for sleep began to persistently creep into my head. People who were not allowed to sleep ate more than usual, and although they initially gained weight, they then began to lose weight. After 2-3 days of insomnia, the subjects’ body temperature began to decrease by about 0.5 degrees per day, concentration was lost, visual and speech abilities changed, and on the 4th day hallucinations and hand tremors appeared.

It has been experimentally established that The human body's daily need for sleep is 10 hours.(that’s how long apes sleep).

“It is important to remember that different people require different amounts of sleep, depending on their physical condition and personality type. In our conditions, a person sleeps on average 7.5 hours. At the same time, sleep deprivation is 2.5 hours.

Only two or three full (10 hour) sleeps can compensate for the “sleep debt”. A lack of sleep of 7-8 hours per week can cause feelings of anxiety, depression, itching or burning in the eyes, blurred vision, chills, fatigue, increased appetite, reluctance to communicate, and irritability. As a result of constant lack of sleep, immunity decreases, since antibodies that fight infection are produced in large quantities during sleep. Neuropsychologist Stanley Coren believes that chronic lack of sleep can lead to premature death.

All this information was not very life-affirming. The only consolation was that I was not alone in my problem. As pregnancy progresses, the subcortical structures of the brain are gradually activated, inhibition of the cortex occurs, and a labor dominant is formed. Women become calmer, but many are prevented from falling asleep by nervous tension due to fear of childbirth and chronic fatigue.
Psychological causes of insomnia can be eliminated by daily routine, physical activity (gymnastics for pregnant women, swimming, walking), and refusal of daytime sleep. .

"Sometimes pregnant women have nightmares, reflecting hidden fear and anxiety about the course of pregnancy. Understanding and knowledge of what is happening to you and how the child is developing also relieves anxiety. Courses for expectant mothers can help with this.

You can discuss a “bad” dream with a loved one. Talking about the problem makes it easier to deal with it. Sessions with a psychologist will also help relieve stress. As for the interpretation of dreams, as L. Shepperd writes in the book “Look into Your Dreams”: “Dreams about birth come to us at turning points, when we begin a new round of life or discover new aspects of ourselves.”

From medicines The attending physician recommended glycine, 2 tablets under the tongue before bed. Sleeping pills were rejected due to side effects, the ability to accumulate in the body, and impair liver and kidney function. Chemical hypnotics, sedatives and tranquilizers, to one degree or another, disrupt the structure of sleep, depriving it of its natural depth. This reduces the restorative effect of sleep. These negative effects are largely absent from plants, of which motherwort and valerian can be used during pregnancy.

A good tea consists of orange, lavender, lemon balm, licorice or savory, thyme and mint. It is undesirable to use hops in decoctions, as they are poisonous.
Among food plants, garden lettuce, asparagus, and melon are used to reduce nervous excitability and improve sleep.
Turnip juice with honey, radish juice with honey, 1 tablespoon 3 times a day.
Beetroot juice with honey, ½ cup 3-4 times a day.
Infusion of celery herb: 20 grams of crushed raw material per 1 cup of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes, strain and take ½ cup 3 times a day.
Blackcurrant fruits and pumpkin juice with honey, 1/3 cup at night, are also used in folk medicine as a sedative.

It is advisable not to overeat before bed. At the same time, there are two opinions about the quality composition of the evening meal. Some scientists believe that protein foods (meat, cheese, milk, eggs, turkey) promote sleep because they contain L-tryptophan. This substance reduces the time it takes to fall asleep, so eating a light, protein-rich snack will help you fall asleep despite not having enough time to digest it. Others recommend carbohydrate foods at night, which are quickly digested without causing strong intestinal motility and stimulation of the nervous system.

“I tried not to eat at night, but to drink a glass of warm milk or chamomile (mint) tea with 1 teaspoon of honey before bed.

Airing the bedroom, comfortable pajamas, a thirty-minute walk before bed, three pillows: under the side, under the neck and between the legs (unfortunately, I did not have a special wedge-shaped pillow for pregnant women) made the situation easier. To relieve lower back pain and cramps in the calf muscles, my husband massaged my back, feet and ankle joints. Resting on the floor on a carpet with a cushion placed under the lower back and a set of exercises for alternating tension and relaxation of muscles also helped.

I used aromatherapy to improve my sleep. Avicenna recommended: “Chamomile is a sleeping pill. If you smell it fresh, it puts you to sleep.” You can make a sleeping pill by stuffing it with buckwheat husks or thyme, bay laurel or hazel leaves, immortelle flowers, pine needles, hop cones, geranium grass, rose petals. I had it with mint and oregano herbs. A warm bath with the addition of essential oils: lavender, peppermint, chamomile, orange or decoctions of calendula flowers, string herbs, mint, oregano and breathing exercises for relaxation also helped restore sleep.

Now I am a happy mother, and problems with insomnia seem so far away. At night, when I lull my son to sleep and my eyes close on their own, my husband quietly touches my hand and asks in a whisper: “Mom, kitty...” And I, half asleep, again begin to sing the lullaby song: “Kitty, kitty come, put my baby to sleep.” Then I realize that my child can’t speak yet, I open my eyes and meet my husband’s guilty gaze. “Your lullaby helps so much with insomnia,” he whispers to me.

Obstetrician-gynecologist Elena Shamova,
School "Modern Parents"