Sleep disorders plague one-third of all adults in the U.S. This includes pregnant and postpartum women who may or may not have a previously diagnosed sleep disorder before pregnancy.
When a woman becomes pregnant for the first time, she will develop a sleep disorder, and for multiple reasons. Spark Sleep Solutions wants to help you understand what may cause you to develop a sleep disorder during pregnancy and/or the postpartum days that follow.
Extra Weight
Women are told that they need to gain weight during pregnancy for a healthy baby. Women who are underweight or are at the correct weight for their body type, age, and height typically gain the right amount of weight for the pregnancy. Women who are already overweight or morbidly obese should gain less weight but often end up gaining even more.
Being overweight or carrying extra weight during pregnancy causes you to develop sleep apnea. The weight forces your lungs and heart to work harder to get oxygen into your body and transfer that oxygen to your growing baby. As such, you may breathe heavier, stop breathing if your lungs and diaphragm are compressed by the weight, snore, or stop breathing several times an hour.
Additionally, during postpartum, much of the weight you gained to support your pregnancy is still present. Hence, the sleep disorders that began with pregnancy remain. Sleep apnea treatment in Santa Cruz can help you sleep better during pregnancy and postpartum.
Breathing Issues in General Develop
Many women in general experience upper respiratory issues during pregnancy. If you already have allergies and/or asthma, you may find that the swelling of sinus tissues during pregnancy increase and aggravate these conditions.
All that sinus swelling causes you to snore too. Santa Cruz snoring treatment can help if it is causing you to lose sleep. Specialists that help with Santa Cruz snoring treatment know that these symptoms in pregnancy are common.
Increased Blood Flow and Blood Volume
During what is known as “the quickening,” pregnant mothers rapidly produce greater blood volume to accommodate the baby and carry oxygen to the baby. This causes women to increase their breathing, which is already complicated by the extra weight. Sleep disorders like sleep apnea result.
Hormonal Shifts
There are multiple hormonal shifts during pregnancy and postpartum. They affect your body’s ability to regulate such simple actions as inhalation and exhalation.
If you find that you awaken gasping for air, or you have a harder time breathing when lying down, seek help from Spark Sleep Solutions. Contact for sleep apnea treatments in Santa Cruz that are safe for pregnant and postpartum women to use to get a good night’s sleep and breathe easier.