As the pregnancy progresses, it is very difficult for sleeping during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester. The increases belly size makes it really hard to get proper sleep position. For women who sleep on their back or stomach, it will be even difficult to sleep on their side.
There are various causes that can make sleeping during pregnancy a difficult task, such as:
1. Leg cramps and backache: Increased body weight can cause pain in your back and legs. Relax in is a hormone released during pregnancy to prepare your body for child birth. This hormone can cause loosening of the ligaments throughout the body. This can cause a pregnant woman less stable and more susceptible to injuries, particularly on the back.
2. Shortness of breath: Increased levels of pregnancy hormones can affect your breathing and can make you breathe in more deeply. It can even make you breathe hardly. As the pregnancy progresses, the enlarged uterus leaves less space and presses more against the diaphragm.
3. Heartburn and constipation: Heartburn is the condition in which stomach contents reflux back up into the esophagus. Pregnancy slows down your digestive process, so food remains in the stomach and intestines for a longer period, which can cause heartburn and constipation. These symptoms are more severe in the night and thus make sleeping during pregnancy very difficult.
4. Increased heart rate: During pregnancy, your heart needs to pump more blood to satisfy you and your baby’s needs. This process will increase the heart rate thus making your heart work harder and also making it difficult to sleep.
5. Frequent urination: The increased blood content puts more work on the kidneys to filter the blood and results in more urine. Also, the growing uterus puts great pressure on the bladder and causes more frequent visits to the bathroom. This can cause sleep disturbances during the night.