FAQs
If you don't get enough sleep while you're pregnant, you might find that the physical discomforts of pregnancy as well as the mental stress are more difficult to cope with. In addition, you may have a higher risk for conditions like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes, both of which may be fatal without proper care.
What happens if a pregnant woman doesn't get enough sleep? ›
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. Gestational diabetes.
How does lack of sleep affect baby during pregnancy? ›
Insomnia during pregnancy can cause bad effects as follows: Children are prone to anemia From 11pm to 3am is the time when the body produces red blood cells. If you often lose sleep, it will affect the blood circulation process, making the fetus prone to anemia right from the time it is in the mother's womb.
What happens if you don't enough during pregnancy? ›
Undernutrition can lead to many pregnancy-related complications, including poor fetal growth, low birth weight, and maternal weight loss. It's also associated with lower mental function and behavioral problems in children ( 29 , 30 , 31 ).
What happens if you don t sleep for 24 hours while pregnant? ›
Specifically, women who are sleep deprived during pregnancy may experience longer labor, more pain and discomfort during labor, higher rates of preterm labor and cesarean section.
Is 6 hours of sleep enough when pregnant? ›
Between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each day is recommended at the age most women find themselves pregnant. (Genetics and quality of sleep can affect these numbers, but this is a good general guideline for how much shut-eye is needed.)
Does lack of sleep affect getting pregnant? ›
So, the tried and true eight hours of sleep wisdom still holds. Research has found that women getting less than seven hours of sleep are 15% less likely to get pregnant than women who got seven to eight hours.
What happens to the baby if you dont get enough sleep? ›
Sleep loss, and sleep apnea in particular, can also have a direct effect on your baby's future health. Women with untreated sleep apnea are more likely to have children who suffer from metabolic syndrome, and the recurring loss of oxygen during sleep may also lead to developmental disabilities in children.
In what trimester of pregnancy is lack of sleep most common? ›
Second and Third Trimester
During the third trimester, the majority of women have sleep difficulties. Less than 2% report no nocturnal awakenings.
Can tiredness affect unborn baby? ›
Feeling tired will not harm you or your baby, but it can make life feel more difficult, especially in the early days before you've told people about your pregnancy.
For most normal-weight pregnant women, the right amount of calories is: About 1,800 calories per day during the first trimester. About 2,200 calories per day during the second trimester. About 2,400 calories per day during the third trimester.
Does an unhappy pregnancy affect the baby? ›
Infants born to mothers who are depressed during pregnancy are more irritable, less active, and more likely to experience developmental delays. Prenatal depression also raises the risk of postpartum depression, and the infant's health and growth may be harmed if the mother is depressed for an extended period.
What happens to my baby if I don't eat enough? ›
Women who engage in disordered eating behaviors while pregnant, such as caloric restriction, extreme exercising, or dieting behaviors, risk consequences for their developing baby, such as birth defects, prematurity, congenital malformations and even prenatal death.
Will lack of sleep hurt my unborn baby? ›
As a result, there is an increased risk of premature delivery, growth restriction, and potential for health problems in, or death of, the newborn infant. For many people, these issues may persist into the first few weeks after delivery, especially because the child's nighttime feedings may continue sleep fragmentation.
Will lack of sleep affect baby's development? ›
Insufficient sleep means not getting enough sleep at night, which can cause several problems including decreased brain development, learning problems and more frequent negative emotions. It can also contribute to weight management problems, growth issues and increased frequency of illnesses.
Can you miscarry from lack of sleep? ›
Sleep deprivation especially during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy dramatically increase the inflammatory response and trophoblast invasion in the uterus (26). The fact that snoring and difficulty breathing cause sleep deprivation, it can be concluded that low sleep quality can lead to abortion (27).
How many hours of sleep is enough for pregnancy? ›
Taking care of yourself and your baby is vital for your family's mental and physical health! And the answer to the question of how many hours should a pregnant woman sleep is as close to eight to 10 hours as she can. Follow the tips on this list to get as much sleep as possible while you're pregnant.
How many hours should a pregnant woman sleep in a day? ›
Just do your best to spend at least eight hours in bed with the aim of getting as much sleep as you can. If you find yourself only getting seven hours of sleep each night, don't get discouraged — just do what feels right for your body and your baby, and everything will be fine.
How can I deal with lack of sleep during pregnancy? ›
Exercise can help you feel less tired, so try to do some activity, such as a walk at lunchtime or going swimming, even if you feel tired during the day. If lack of sleep is bothering you, talk to your partner, a friend, doctor or midwife. Read about sleep problems and insomnia on the Every Mind Matters website.