Sunday, June 19, 2011

Sleep disorders and pregnancy

As you probably know men have a better chance at having sleep apnea than women. The number one reason for that is more men go to the doctor for this ailment than women. But the things that lead to sleep apnea such as being overweight, an enlarged tongue and a narrow airway in the mouth are common in both men and women.  Although with women there is one factor that exclusively causes sleep disorders and sleep apnea, and that is pregnancy.
Why are there issues with sleep disorders and pregnancy?
One of the biggest reasons is hormonal changes which can bring about sleepiness during the day.  Plus the emotional aspects of pregnancy can also cause insomnia and that is certainly understandable. Frequent urination which causes you to get and down during the night interrupts your sleeping as well. And if you are already overweight you’re the likelihood of having sleep disorders is also greatly increased.
What is there to do about it?
That is the tricky part because you don’t want to hurt the fetus by taking medications while you are pregnant.  Practicing good sleep hygiene is one way to at least curtail the problems associated with being pregnant and having sleep disorders. Make sure you talk to your doctor first if you are having sleep issues.
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