In answer to the question, “How many hours should a pregnant woman sleep?” most doctors recommend eight to 10 hours per night.
How Lack of Sleep Affects Pregnancy. Lack of sleep is more than an inconvenience. New research suggests that women who don't get enough sleep during pregnancy may have higher risks of developing pregnancy complications including: Preeclampsia, or high blood pressure.
Sleep deprivation during pregnancy has been associated with longer labor, elevated perception of pain and discomfort during labor, higher cesarean rates, preterm labor, and higher levels of pro-inflammatory serum cytokines.
But it's vital to make sleep a priority now: Research has shown that pregnant women who average less than six hours of sleep a night have significantly longer labors and are 4.5 times more likely to have Cesarean sections than those who get seven hours or more nightly.
Can lack of sleep increase the risk of miscarriage? They found that after 8 weeks of pregnancy, women who worked two or more night shifts the previous week had a 32% increased risk of miscarriage compared with women who did not work night shifts.
In answer to the question, “How many hours should a pregnant woman sleep?” most doctors recommend eight to 10 hours per night.
Yes, you read that right, sleeping for more than nine hours can pose a risk for your baby's health. What can lead to oversleeping during pregnancy? Physical discomfort due to the growing belly and anxiety can lead to disrupted sleep among pregnant women, which can increase the overall sleeping hours.
Your nausea and vomiting may be worse than ever: Morning sickness peaks around 9 or 10 weeks of pregnancy for many women. That's when levels of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) are highest (morning sickness is thought to be linked to rises in hCG and estrogen).
Most moms will tell you that the first and last months of pregnancy are the hardest. The first eight to 12 weeks can certainly present some debilitating symptoms: morning sickness and nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, and fatigue so strong it sentences you to the couch for days. Challenging, no doubt.
First Trimester (0 to 13 Weeks)
The first trimester is the most crucial to your baby's development. During this period, your baby's body structure and organ systems develop.
The fetus is most vulnerable during the first 12 weeks. During this period of time, all of the major organs and body systems are forming and can be damaged if the fetus is exposed to drugs, infectious agents, radiation, certain medications, tobacco and toxic substances.
Pregnant women carrying girls have a greater chance of experiencing nausea and fatigue, according to the results of a study from the USA's Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. In fact, a mother's immune system is thought to behave in different ways depending on the sex of their baby.
Even in your third trimester of pregnancy, bending is still considered safe for your baby. You'll probably find it becomes increasingly difficult for you, though, if not impossible. Apart from your extra body weight, the size of your belly is increasing.
There are some studies that have found a small link between stillbirth and sleep position, but overall, there is no compelling evidence that occasionally or accidentally sleeping on your baby during pregnancy will hurt your fetus.
Most women wake up 3 to 5 times a night, usually because of such discomforts as back pain, needing to urinate, leg cramps, heartburn, and fetal movement. Strange dreams are also common in the last few weeks of pregnancy. The need to take daily naps may return as your due date approaches.
Background. Many physicians advise pregnant women to sleep on their left side. Previous studies have linked back and right-side sleeping with a higher risk of stillbirth, reduced fetal growth, low birth weight, and preeclampsia, a life-threatening high blood pressure disorder that affects the mother.
Even though you might not feel up to it, exercising can actually help beat fatigue. Getting in a daily walk or swim can also help you sleep more soundly. Relax. Practice deep breathing, take a warm bath, or ask your partner to give you a massage to help you wind down before bed.
Thanks to an increase in your levels of the hormone progesterone at 9 weeks pregnant (and throughout the first trimester), you may find yourself feeling sleepier than usual or having headaches due to fatigue. Rest as much as you can during the day, particularly if you're having trouble sleeping. Feeling moody.
Resveratrol toxicity. The outer skin of grapes is rich in a compound called resveratrol. Although scientific research identifies resveratrol as a healthy nutrient, it could be toxic to pregnant women. This is because resveratrol can react with disproportionate hormone levels a pregnant woman might have.
From a medical point of view, at 12 weeks a pregnancy is generally considered to be "safe". While a miscarriage (or later, stillbirth) can happen at any point during gestation, the odds are highest in the first trimester.
The good news is that your risk of miscarriage goes way down at the end of the first trimester, according to Michele Hakakha, M.D., FACOG. So, once you reach 14 weeks, the risk of a miscarriage drops dramatically. That's why most people wait to announce their pregnancy until after 13 weeks' gestation.