Adequate sleep is one of the most important aspects of a person’s health, yet for many women, sleep during pregnancy can be anything but dreamy.
It’s very common for pregnant women to experience sleep disturbances, with one study showing up to 76% experiencing poor sleep quality1. This is an unfortunate reality that can be very frustrating and exhausting, to say the least. From frequent night wakings to anxiety and insomnia, to restless leg syndrome and disturbances from heartburn, the list of what leads to sleep issues in pregnancy is quite long.
On top of sleep challenges during pregnancy, this is also a time when many conventional sleep aids are no longer safe to take. It can be confusing to navigate the various recommendations online and know who to trust and what is safe and effective. What’s a mama-to-be supposed to do?
As a hormone, fertility and women’s health naturopathic doctor, the founder of Womanhood Wellness
Related: 12 best pregnancy pillows to help you find maximum comfort
Low melatonin is a common cause for issues with falling asleep.
Along with cortisol, melatonin is one of the main players in our circadian rhythm, the daily hormonal rhythm that rules our sleep and wake cycle. We naturally produce melatonin before bed and during the night in response to darkness. In regard to pregnancy, some animal and early human studies show melatonin may play a role in developing the fetal circadian rhythm and other key developmental stages, and may potentially reduce the risk of preeclampsia.2
Device screens emit a type of blue light that blocks melatonin. Staying up late watching shows or scrolling at night not only increases our stress hormone cortisol which can reduce melatonin, the light emitted from those screens can reduce this essential sleep hormone.3
Since we don’t have strong safety evidence on taking melatonin as a supplement in pregnancy, the best thing we can do is support our natural production of it.
Related: 6 highly effective sleeping masks that wrap you in a cocoon of darkness
A drop in blood sugar is a common cause for waking up in the middle of the night.
Your blood sugar is the amount of glucose you have in your bloodstream at any given time. Glucose comes from the foods you eat and the stores you have in your body from past meals. Your brain, and many other organs, require a steady amount of this blood sugar to function properly. If your brain suspects a dip in blood sugar, it will try to alert you to remedy the situation. A drop in blood sugar is often what leads to symptoms such as fatigue, shakiness, nausea, cravings, irritability, feeling hangry… and sleep issues.
If your blood sugar dips at night, your brain will wake you up, attempting to get you to refuel. This can happen even if you don’t feel hungry, and it is a classic contributor to the 2 am to 4 am wake up.
Low magnesium is a common contributor to sleep issues paired with stress, anxiety or restlessness in the mind or muscles, including leg cramps.
Magnesium is a very important mineral that is needed at every life stage, but it is especially important in pregnancy. It is required for almost every cell in your body to function, and we are learning more and more how deficient we are as a population. Many women in particular get less than the recommended dietary allowance (RDA), maybe in part to the overprocessing of food in today’s world.4
Magnesium is not only safe in pregnancy, but certain studies are showing that magnesium may improve outcomes in pregnancy including supporting intrauterine growth restriction, preterm labor, pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, and leg cramps.5
On top of all of that, magnesium has been shown to be very helpful for sleep.6,7
Outside of the role magnesium may play in reducing anxiety to support sleep, magnesium helps with calming down the nervous system and supports muscle relaxation, two key processes needed for sleep. In addition to that, there may be a connection between magnesium deficiency, leg cramps,8 and restless leg syndrome.9 An estimated 30% of pregnant women experience leg cramps and 26% experience restless leg syndrome.10 With magnesium being a potential player in supporting many of these conditions, I believe it’s worth recommending for those suffering with these forms of sleep disturbance.
Related: Tired, achy feet? These comfy compression socks can help
Although there are many root causes to sleep issues and it’s always ideal to investigate your unique root cause with your doctor, these sleep practices and sleep aids are safe, effective and supportive for your journey through pregnancy and beyond.
Original Article Source | Author
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