Parents: How to Cope With Pregnancy Insomnia

Parents: How to Cope With Pregnancy Insomnia

Pregnancy-induced insomnia is a problem for many pregnant women. OBHG Site Director Dr. Chasity Jennings-Nunez recently spoke with Parents about the causes of insomnia during pregnancy and how to treat it.

Select quotes from Dr. Jennings-Nunez are below and you can read the full article here.

There are many possible causes of insomnia during pregnancy, says Chasity Jennings-Nunez, M.D., OB-GYN and hospitalist site director for OBHG at Adventist Health-Glendale in Glendale, California.

"Some causes are related to common symptoms of pregnancy, like nausea, urinary frequency, fetal movements, and difficulty finding a comfortable position," says Dr. Jennings-Nunez. "Mental health concerns, such as anxiety and depression, can also cause insomnia. And more serious problems, like obstructive sleep apnea, can begin or worsen due to excessive weight gain in pregnancy, particularly for a mother who is obese at the start of her pregnancy." 

To treat pregnancy-induced insomnia, the first step is identifying the cause. "Treating nausea and vomiting or pregnancy heartburn and back pain is, for many, helpful," says Dr. Jennings-Nunez. "Addressing mental health and social and family factors that contribute to poor sleep can be challenging, but provides long term benefits—for both the health of the pregnancy and newborn." Establishing a solid bedtime routine is also key.