Why do I have bad dreams during pregnancy? Scary dreams in women while expecting a child: pathology or normal Pregnancy - bad dreams

Many people complain that they don't sleep well. And although bad dreams are mostly experienced by children aged three to five years old, adults are by no means immune from them. And as you know, poor sleep does not allow a person to gain strength and relax before the working day. No one is immune from bad dreams and nightmares. Some of us just dream about them more often, while others are luckier and see them less often.

If you have bad dreams, you cannot ignore it. Any dream that you clearly remember after waking up speaks of unresolved problems in reality. And these don’t necessarily have to be bad dreams.

Initially, you need to learn to distinguish just bad dreams from nightmares. A person suffering from nightmares is afraid to fall asleep. He experiences panic and horror. It is difficult for him to come to his senses for a long time after waking up. The best solution to this problem would be to consult a psychotherapist. Visiting a specialist is a completely normal and appropriate action. This in no way means that you are crazy. A specialist will help you understand yourself and your problems. And you will get rid of nightmares faster.

With bad dreams, everything is a little simpler, because a person can cope with them himself. To do this, you need to understand your state of mind.

Psychologists say that dreams help you get through the difficulties you encounter in reality.

Causes of bad dreams.

Experts identify several causes of bad dreams:

Stress.
. Problems in your personal life.
. Problems at work.
. Unresolved issue.
. Anxiety.
. A hearty dinner.
. Drinking alcohol before bed.
. Taking antidepressants.
. A large number tested during the day.

Why do pregnant women have bad dreams?

With the onset of pregnancy, a woman’s body is completely rebuilt. First of all, the hormonal background changes. As you know, hormones have an impact on well-being, mood, and hence dreams.

Most often, bad dreams are associated with anxiety about the child being born. Fear that he will be born unhealthy, with a defect or crippled. It is not uncommon to have dreams that involve the loss of a child or the fact that there is no pregnancy at all. And the closer it is to childbirth, the more realistic the dreams become. Whatever one may say, all dreams are connected with the birth of a baby. Dreams, as you know, are a reflection of internal experiences. In fact, this is the main topic that worries the expectant mother.

There are often cases when not only expectant mothers, but also fathers complain about bad dreams. And that's completely normal. No matter how brutal a man may be in appearance, deep down in his soul he worries very much about his woman and future heir.

Under no circumstances should these dreams be perceived as prophetic. A pregnant woman's dreams are just a reflection of her fears. Even if the same bad dream is repeated repeatedly. There can be only one piece of advice here - treat them as a mirror reflection of your emotional and mental state. Also try to control your dreams. You need to try to tune in to a positive wave.

Bad dreams in children.

Many parents are frightened by the very fact that something is frightening your little child. Although this is not a pleasant phenomenon, it is strangely useful. Bad dreams are signals. They help you make friends with your emotions and overcome your fears.

A small child who sees something bad in a dream does not remember it when he wakes up. But there are exceptions when a child wakes up screaming and cannot forget what he dreamed. In this case, parents must help their child overcome fear, understand and explain. It is possible to resort to the help of a game where the child overcomes a bad dream.

To help your child cope with the problem of bad dreams, you need to use the following methods:

Before you put your child to bed, talk to him. Discuss what worries him, what happened to him during the day. Calm down if something is bothering the baby.

Come up with a kind of protector who will protect the child while he sleeps. This could be your favorite soft toy or an unusual night lamp.

If your child wakes up in the middle of the night and runs screaming towards you, then first of all ask what he dreamed. Figure it out, discuss it, convince him that it’s not scary at all, and dreams shouldn’t scare him. Then take the child into his room, turn on the light and show him that everything is as before. In exceptional cases, you can allow the baby to stay with his parents.

In the morning, the child tells you his bad dream and does not remember its ending. You can come up with a positive ending to the dream yourself.

To make a child forget a bad dream faster, you need to distract him. Transfer his attention to something that makes him happy.

Remember, no matter how bad or scary a dream is, it is only a signal for action. A kind of warning that is sometimes so needed on our life path.

Pregnant women have at least once encountered nightmares, which leave an unpleasant aftertaste. At the same time, it is difficult to explain the nature of the occurrence, because This requires deep knowledge in the field of psychology. The phenomenon in question, in which bad dreams occur regularly during pregnancy, indicates disorders in the field of neurology.

Interesting facts about nightmares

Often, bad dreams haunt pregnant girls during the first and third trimesters, and the cause, in most cases, is a mental disorder. In the first trimester, such disorders are associated with increased emotionality of the expectant mother. After all, having learned about an interesting situation, one can hardly remain indifferent.

In the third trimester, almost all expectant mothers begin a stressful period associated with the upcoming birth, which is the cause of frequent nightmares at night. However, in addition to mental disorders, physiological processes also affect sleep, incl. toxicosis.

Pathology or normal

Pregnant women are inclined to believe that constant bad dreams are a consequence of a pathological abnormality occurring in the brain. However, considering bad dreams during pregnancy as a pathology is fundamentally wrong. After all, nightmares can torment expectant mothers in only two cases: during natural physiological processes, such as toxicosis, or during mental disorders.

The first phenomenon, during pregnancy, occurs in most of the weaker sex and is considered normal. The manifestation of mental disorders depends on the individual characteristics of the girl’s body, which is also considered normal. Based on this, it can be noted that bad dreams during pregnancy are the norm.

Causes of vivid dreams in pregnant women

Unlike the dreams of ordinary people, the dreams of pregnant women are more colorful and realistic. This is due to the constant awakening of the pregnant woman in the middle of the night (to go to the toilet, eat a night meal or change position). At the same time, short and vivid dreams can be interpreted in different ways.

For example, the birth of a stillborn child is often explained as impending troubles that will arise as a result of some kind of judicial error. Bleeding in a dream is a signal of a possible miscarriage or difficulties during childbirth. However, it is not recommended for a pregnant woman to interpret nightmares and ordinary dreams, because... this will aggravate nervous anxiety.

Physiological and mental disorders are the most common causes of nightmares in pregnant women during the first and third trimesters.

However, there are other factors that influence the occurrence of regular nightmares that do not depend on the stage of pregnancy. And you can consider them in more detail later in the article.

Psychological factors

In addition to mental disorders associated with fear of childbirth, the expectant mother may experience other psychological factors that will influence her nightly dreams. Namely:

• Severe or prolonged stress. After a stressful situation, a poor night's sleep will be considered a reflection of the woman's internal state, and this phenomenon usually lasts about one week. If the nightmares drag on for a longer period, this means that the internal anxiety of the expectant mother has not yet passed.
• Strong emotional outburst. Regardless of whether the outburst of emotions is positive or negative, it will have the same impact on a pregnant woman. After strong emotional arousal, a woman will not be able to sleep normally, and the vivid emotions she experiences will be reflected in her dreams.

Important! Many girls in this position become very irritable, which affects not only their mood, but also their dreams. However, this phenomenon often lasts no more than one month, after which bad dreams stop tormenting the expectant mother.

During such periods, only the support of loved ones can protect a pregnant woman from daily nightmares. Therefore, the expectant mother should pay maximum attention and try to please all her whims.

Physiological factors

As was already said earlier, if a pregnant girl has bad dreams, this may be a consequence of some physiological processes occurring in her body. And among the most common such processes, in addition to toxicosis, we can also highlight:

• Excessive fetal activity. Due to constant shocks in the tummy area, mommy often cannot sleep normally, constantly being in the short-term sleep phase. Well, this, in turn, has a bad effect on her dreams.
• Lack of oxygen. If the expectant mother sleeps in a stuffy room, then during sleep she may often experience a feeling of suffocation. And the reason for this phenomenon lies in the stale air that mommy breathes in her sleep.
• Binge eating. When overeating, a pregnant girl will feel a constant urge to go to the toilet, little by little, as her stomach will put pressure on her bladder. Well, during sleep, such urges can be reflected in dreams (the expectant mother may dream of a tsunami, storm, etc.).

Important! If any pathology occurs during pregnancy, the woman will also suffer from terrible dreams. However, they will be associated not so much with the ongoing pathology, but with the patient’s fear for its consequences (especially for the fetus).

Very often, the cause of nightmares can even be an uncomfortable bed, or an inappropriate temperature in the room. Therefore, such criteria must be monitored very carefully.

Methods for normalizing sleep

In practice, you can only get rid of nightmares during pregnancy on your own, by taking special preventive measures aimed at reducing stress. Of course, banal sedative pills can also help get rid of nervous tension. But taking them in position is strictly not recommended.

Mood

In order for the expectant mother to stop having nightmares during pregnancy, she must first create a favorable atmosphere in the house. Ventilate a pregnant woman’s sleeping area before going to bed so that the air she breathes in her sleep is not stale. Also monitor the temperature in the room (ideally it should not be too high). Don't forget about a comfortable sleeping place and loose pajamas, in which the expectant mother will feel very comfortable.

Gymnastics

Since pregnant girls are not recommended to overwork themselves physically, an evening walk would be an ideal exercise for them. Walking allows you to relieve stress accumulated during the day and ensures sound sleep. In addition to gymnastics, it is recommended to regulate a woman’s diet. A varied menu with useful macro- and microelements, incl. with a vitamin complex is the key to the correct development of the fetus and the normal well-being of the mother.

If the expectant mother is haunted by terrible dreams on a constant basis, and the same picture is repeated in her dreams, then it is recommended to contact a specialist in the field of psychology. This is due to the fact that constant lack of sleep and bad mood resulting from nightmares affects the newborn.

Psychologists advise companions and relatives of a pregnant woman to protect the woman from stressful situations and nervous overexcitability during pregnancy. Confidential conversations about disturbing dreams, fears and speculation will allow the mother to feel protected, supported and supported. In this case, the waiting period for the baby will go well.

Pregnancy is accompanied by many difficulties - difficulties in digestion, surges in blood pressure and frequent insomnia. But such manifestations can and should be fought so as not to overshadow the joy of pregnancy and to ease the course of childbirth.

Causes of poor sleep in pregnant women

There are several reasons for poor sleep during pregnancy, and they depend on the period at which the woman is pregnant. Normal sleep is considered to be the absence of wakefulness between 11 pm and 7 am. If there are problems falling asleep at this time, the woman sleeps shallowly and constantly wakes up, she has insomnia

• First trimester

As a rule, the first three months of pregnancy are usually overcome by drowsiness - the body is being rebuilt. But if it’s hard to fall asleep, emotions are most likely to blame. We may be overly happy or worried about the baby.

• Second trimester

And again, poor sleep should be blamed on emotional intensity and increased anxiety. Many pregnant women have very shallow sleep due to hormonal changes and somewhat tense anticipation of events. A woman may worry before her next ultrasound or hear about a difficult, painful birth. As a rule, the belly is not yet so big that it interferes with sleep. In this case, we recommend reading the article: how not to be nervous during pregnancy, perhaps you will find some useful tips for yourself.

• Third trimester

At the border between the 6th and 7th months, physiological reasons already lead to sleep disturbances. The uterus enlarges, the belly becomes larger - you can’t sleep on your back so easily anymore. The fetus puts pressure on both the bladder and the lungs, so the pregnant woman constantly wants to go to the toilet, and it can be difficult to breathe. Many women also complain of increased sweating, and it is difficult to sleep when feeling hot. Another reason could be that the unborn baby often does not sleep at night and pushes.

How can an expectant mother cope with poor sleep?

There are several ways to overcome poor sleep and “learn” to sleep at night again. It would be better to combine them.

1. Try to go to bed no later than 11 pm, or better if it is around 10 pm. Remember that the recommended amount of sleep is no more than 9 hours, otherwise you will be drowsy all day.

2. You need to sleep a little during the day, you can just lie down for half an hour. But it is undesirable to sleep for too long during the day, otherwise at night the rested body will simply refuse to fall asleep.

3. Don’t drink a lot at night, otherwise the urge to urinate will “exhaust” you all night.

4. Clothes should be made from natural materials, light and appropriate for the season. It is better to be lightly dressed, but covered with a warm blanket.

5. Don’t overeat before bed, otherwise everything you eat together with your now grown baby will put pressure on your stomach. This may cause difficulty breathing.

6. Be sure to give yourself physical activity - yoga, Pilates, swimming in special groups. This, firstly, will help you get tired for a good night’s sleep, and secondly, it will normalize blood pressure and strengthen your muscles. But do it in the morning.

7. Pay attention to auto-training and aromatherapy, especially since aromatherapy treatment for pregnant women is becoming increasingly popular. They will help relieve stress and cope with bad thoughts, and at the same time help get rid of bad sleep. Tell yourself that you and your baby are healthy, talk to him, assure both of you that the birth will go well. And volatile essential oils will help normalize blood pressure, thermoregulation, cardiac activity, and relieve pain.

8. Make your sleeping place as comfortable as possible: a comfortable pillow, a supportive mattress and, of course, the baby’s beloved future dad nearby. Sleep on your side, but not your heart side.

9. Before going to bed, take a warm shower, it will relax your muscles.

Have a safe pregnancy!

Pregnancy is one of the happiest periods in the life of any woman. But it is often accompanied by the emergence of many new problems that the woman has not encountered before. One of these unpleasant phenomena may be sleep disturbance. But it is on proper sleep that emotional mood, physical and mental activity, as well as the overall health of the body depend.

Why is sleep disturbed during this period and how to deal with insomnia? Let's try to figure it out.

Many women experience sleep disturbances already in the first months of pregnancy. The main cause of insomnia at this time is the changes occurring in the body of the expectant mother - hormonal changes, toxicosis, and more. With the onset of the second trimester, sleep returns to normal; insomnia may reappear a couple of months before giving birth.

Sleep disturbance during pregnancy is not as harmless a problem as it might seem. Poor, restless sleep or lack of sleep at night leads to nervous exhaustion, and this is extremely dangerous in the last months of pregnancy. Being a powerful stress, insomnia can cause various pregnancy complications, and sometimes even cause premature birth.

Sleep disturbance is always a symptom, a manifestation of some other problem. Therefore, before dealing with the hardships of the night, you should understand the reason that caused them. The main causes of sleep disturbances include:

• Difficulty getting into a comfortable body position. In later stages, the belly has grown so much that it becomes difficult to lie on your back. You have to take unloved positions - on your left or right side.
• Pain in the lumbar region and back. A woman’s weight is significantly increased, which causes excessive stress on the vertebrae, which causes pain and interferes with sleep. But you can’t take another painkiller pill – such drugs are strictly prohibited during pregnancy.
• Fetal movements. At this stage, the baby moves intensely, often changing its position. The child's restless behavior does not allow the woman to sleep peacefully.
• Frequent urge to urinate. The enlarged fetus puts pressure on nearby organs, including the bladder, causing the woman to want to go to the toilet literally every hour.
• Heartburn, nausea and other problems in the functioning of the digestive system.
• Taking hormonal medications, which contain progesterone, which causes an invigorating effect.
• Itchy sensation in the stomach. They arise as a result of the growth of the abdomen and stretching of the skin. In addition, the skin of the abdomen becomes more sensitive during pregnancy and may react sharply to synthetic clothing materials.
• Cramps in the lower extremities. They appear due to a deficiency of magnesium and calcium in the body, or due to swelling of the legs.
• Dyspnea. Many pregnant women suffer from shortness of breath during sleep. This problem occurs as a result of pressure from the enlarged uterus on the diaphragm.
• Pain in the perineum or on the inner thighs. They appear due to the fact that the child’s head presses on the nerve nodes located in the pelvic area.

The causes of sleep disturbances can also be psychological. A pregnant woman is constantly in a state of stress, worrying about the outcome of the upcoming birth and the health of her baby. Often in the last months of pregnancy, a woman suffers from nightmares.

Insomnia can also be caused by constant unrest in the family and at work, worries about weight gain, loss of attractiveness, and much more.

How to deal with insomnia

To overcome insomnia, it is necessary to develop not only a certain daily routine, but also the right psychological attitude. To combat sleep disorders, the following methods are recommended for pregnant women:

• In the evening, a couple of hours before bedtime, take a walk in the fresh air;
• Take a shower before bed - the water should be warm to relax the body;
• It is recommended to sleep in comfortable clothes made of cotton fabric;
• An hour before bedtime, you should not watch intense movies, news or emotionally “acute” TV shows;
• To improve sleep, you need to exclude spicy, fried foods, as well as sweets and carbonated drinks from your diet;
• When sleeping, you need to choose a comfortable position - you can put a pillow between your legs or under your back;
• Sleep as little as possible during the day;
• It is not recommended to drink a lot of liquid 2 hours before bedtime;
• A chamomile decoction taken shortly before bedtime in a small amount will help normalize sleep; herbs with a pronounced sedative effect are allowed to be drunk only with the approval of a doctor;
• In case of constant stress and increased nervous excitability, it is recommended to visit a psychologist and tell him about your experiences;
• To eliminate cramps, you should take special vitamin complexes, or include in your diet foods rich in magnesium and potassium - hard cheeses, sesame seeds, kozinaki, buckwheat, pine nuts, pistachios, seaweed, walnuts, barley, etc.
• Ventilate the bedroom before going to bed;
• Maintain moderate physical activity.

Resorting to various sedatives and, especially, sleeping pills during pregnancy is highly discouraged. Many of these products contain substances that may be harmful to children. If insomnia continues to plague you even after changing your daily routine and diet, you should definitely visit your doctor and ask him for advice.

Pregnancy progresses in different ways; during this period, women face difficulties. Many people complain that they experience unreasonable insomnia during pregnancy, which causes weakness, drowsiness, lethargy, and overall poor health.

Carrying a fetus causes hormonal changes; proper sleep at such moments is simply necessary. If you periodically do not get enough sleep and do not rest during the night, over time, irritability, nervousness, and exhaustion of the body will appear, which negatively affects the development of the baby. This condition is dangerous and can provoke psychological and physical problems, so you need to fight insomnia.

Types of insomnia during pregnancy

Depending on what specific time of night there is poor sleep, or its complete absence, insomnia is conventionally divided into three types:

• Evening (starting). Sleep does not come, the woman tosses and turns in the evening, turning from back to side. He lies for hours without closing his eyes, going over in his head what happened during the day, what will happen tomorrow. Usually, at such moments, a woman immediately feels that she will not be able to fall asleep, sleep will not come.
• Loss of sleep state. In the evening, as if nothing had happened, the pregnant woman falls asleep. She sleeps peacefully, nothing seems to bother her or bother her, but after a certain time she wakes up. She just opens her eyes and it’s as if she hadn’t slept at all before. It is impossible to sleep until the morning; some people manage to sleep for two hours, others a little more - 5, 6 hours throughout the night.
• The final phase of morning insomnia. It’s almost dawn, the night is ending, I still haven’t been able to fall asleep, and in the morning I don’t feel drowsy. You feel weak, lethargic, and overwhelmed. Sometimes, on the contrary, severe drowsiness sets in in the morning, which is very difficult to fight.

During pregnancy, expectant mothers most often complain of evening insomnia. They complain that the very state of pregnancy, discomfort, and a large belly prevent them from sleeping. Sensation of fetal movements. Regardless of what type of insomnia progresses, you need to cope with the unpleasant phenomenon, properly and sufficiently rest. It is believed that you need to sleep at least 10 hours during the day, so “lack of sleep” must be compensated at other times, for example, in the morning or afternoon.

Causes of insomnia during pregnancy

Anxiety caused at night, first of all, has the nature of a woman’s internal state. No matter how it looks from the outside, the expectant mother, somewhere inside herself, worries deeply in her soul and constantly thinks about what is to come. Many cannot get used to their situation at all, hence the nightly torment. Analyzing the general condition of women at one or another stage of development of the gestating fetus, several reasons are identified that cause sleep disturbances during pregnancy:

• hormonal imbalance caused by ongoing slow changes in the body;
• emotional stress, nervousness;
• physical discomfort associated with the development of certain diseases (heart, digestion);
• mental disorder;
• difficult pregnancy;
• development of chronic pathologies;
• discomfort caused by an uncomfortable bed, sounds, noise, or lights on;
• the room is stuffy, hot, cold, too humid air, damp, dust;
• at night a lot was eaten, tonic drinks were drunk;
• the woman has been taking some medications that affect sleep for a long time;
• frequent urge to go to the toilet;
• sleeps a lot during the day;
• My sides hurt from constantly lying in front of the TV and reading while lying down.

Along with this, we can note other single factors that can excite the nervous system and cause insomnia, for example, frequent viewing of horror films. Hectic work life, unsettled family life.

Poor sleep during pregnancy in the first trimester

Most women do not sleep well during pregnancy due to hormonal changes in the body. Usually this is noted in the early stages and is considered the first sign of an “interesting” situation.

This phenomenon provokes anxiety and discomfort at night. Heartburn and shortness of breath occur. The frequency of changes in body position causes lumbar pain and limb cramps. All this leads to chronic fatigue and lethargy. Terrible thoughts come to mind, fear of the upcoming birth. At such moments, women are irritable, prone to nervousness, and prone to stress. Some people are not at all happy about what is happening.

In the second trimester

Closer to the second trimester, the main cause of insomnia remains a woman’s emotional imbalance. Anxiety increases, and along with it irritation. Women, pondering the upcoming events of motherhood, still remain restless. It’s impossible to rest properly at night; everyday issues take over the excitement.

The majority of women complain of shallow sleep, an overly sensitive state during sleep, and a clear perception of what is happening around them. The stomach, as a rule, does not yet interfere with sleep, but the tension is increasing. Given the characteristics of pregnancy, sleep disorders may be associated with them.

In the third trimester

Poor sleep in the third semester provokes nightmares. Some are tormented by dreams about the upcoming birth, obstetricians. Restless sleep provokes profuse sweating; a woman in a dream seems to be experiencing a parallel reality, waking up in sweat, complaining of chills and discomfort. This happens as a result of the mental state of the pregnant woman at this stage, apprehension, fear of the upcoming birth. Constantly thinking about the future, many people cannot sleep under such emotional influence, especially during pregnancy, because there are other unpleasant factors in family life.

Physiological causes of poor sleep begin to appear. In the third trimester, the uterus is already significantly enlarged, the stomach becomes quite large. Difficulties arise with how to lie down comfortably, especially in the 8th and 9th month. Lying on your back is uncomfortable, and in some cases even undesirable. The fetus puts more and more pressure on the bladder, causing frequent urge to go to the toilet. It becomes difficult to breathe as the fetus puts pressure on the respiratory organs. Increased sweating and fever occur.

The child begins to move more and more often, and the movement is increasingly reflected by discomfort, even pain in some organs. In addition, if the fetus becomes very active during sleep, you need to change the position of the body, since, most likely, the woman is lying down uncomfortably and the child is uncomfortable, something is squeezing him.

What to do

Realizing that you have not been able to sleep properly for a long time, the state of sleep deprivation is chronic, you need to learn to control your sleep. It is important to understand that the phenomenon cannot be treated in this situation, nor can you take any medications (sleeping pills), even if you were constantly taking them before pregnancy.

First, you need to visit your doctor, get a consultation, tell him how the phenomenon manifests itself, and what worries you about it. Together with a specialist, try to find out the cause of the phenomenon, and then he will tell you what to do. Sometimes, in extreme cases, it is permissible to prescribe a certain number of drugs to improve the condition of the body and regain lost sleep.

• In such cases, it is recommended to drink soothing decoctions prepared from medicinal herbs: valerian, mint, chamomile, thyme, motherwort, licorice. Dry ingredients must be steamed and brewed strictly following the manufacturer’s recommendations. If you have a bad reaction to the decoctions, stop taking it.
• It is necessary to eat little in the evening, trying not to overload the stomach, which provokes poor sleep during pregnancy. Include fresh salads, radishes, black currants, asparagus, beets, and melon in the menu; these products are believed to promote sound sleep. In general, reconsider your daily diet.
• Avoid drinking tonic drinks, especially at night. In general, drink less fluid so as not to increase the urge to go to the toilet at night.
• During the day, and especially in the evening, do not worry, do not get irritated, and avoid stressful situations. In general, a person who is “ruffled” by the evening will rarely be able to sleep peacefully, and even more so in this state.
• If your heart rate begins to increase in the evening and shortness of breath appears, it is enough to drink a mug of sweet tea, but warn your doctor about such symptoms, especially if they are constant. Most likely there is a lack of sugar in the body, hence the reasons.
• It is useful to eat a spoonful of natural turnip juice shortly before bed. It is prepared simply by squeezing the turnips into pulp and adding an equal amount of honey. Leave for a couple of days before taking and store in the refrigerator.
• Take a contrast shower shortly before rest. Warm your feet in warm water.
• In the morning you need to get up earlier, walk more in the fresh air, move, and not lead a passive lifestyle.

When faced with restless sleep and insomnia, you need to think about whether the pregnant woman’s overall lifestyle is correct. Perhaps the woman sleeps a lot during the day and gets up late in the morning. Perhaps, in general, throughout the day, a woman is inactive, passive, practically does not expend energy during the day, so sleep does not occur.

Creating a favorable atmosphere

Only in the most favorable conditions will a night's rest become useful and comfortable. Therefore, before going to bed, you need to:

• ventilate the room;
• wear appropriate pajamas to stay warm or, conversely, not to freeze;
• it is convenient to put pastel accessories, purchase a special orthopedic pillow for pregnant women;
• It is better to turn off the light, the room should be calm and quiet.

When going to bed, you need to emotionally tune in that today you will have a good dream, try to fall asleep.

In general, when a woman decides to give birth to a child, she is emotionally in the right mood, does not worry about anything, does not have problems with sleep, but if the expectant mother increasingly complains about poor sleep, then she needs to tell the supervising specialist about this. No one will immediately say why a pregnant woman can’t sleep at night; sometimes it may even take a series of tests to understand.

A specialist who often monitors pregnancy advises seeking help from a psychologist, neurologist, somnologist and other doctors, who can, after identifying the cause of anxiety, establish a normal, full night’s sleep. However, the problem becomes more serious when other symptoms of a slowly developing pathology appear along with nighttime insomnia. That is why we cannot delay dealing with such a phenomenon. You shouldn’t deal with it on your own; in any case, you should first consult a doctor.

When was the last time you had bad dreams? Agree, in the morning they leave not the most pleasant impression. And if nightmares come constantly at night, then normal rest is out of the question. Unfortunately, many expectant mothers experience a similar condition. Moreover, bad dreams during pregnancy do not directly depend on either the period or the physical condition of the woman. So what are the reasons then?

Features by period

Anxious dreams during pregnancy in most cases appear for psychological reasons. Moreover, most often they come in the first and third trimester. But this is not a pattern - bad dreams may not appear at all, and for some they do not allow them to sleep peacefully almost throughout the entire pregnancy. What internal reasons can they be provoked in each period of pregnancy?

First trimester

The emotions that a woman experiences when she learns that she is expecting a child can be different - from a feeling of boundless happiness to absolute horror. But such news will not leave any woman indifferent. And since dreams always reflect our psycho-emotional state, how a woman experiences her upcoming pregnancy will certainly affect their content.

A happy expectant mother may dream of angels, charming toddlers, pleasant and bright dreams. Women who are stressed about the upcoming birth of a child often have dreams about disasters, accidents, and destruction.

This is understandable - the expectant mother perceives what is happening as a personal disaster. In addition, toxicosis is often present in the first trimester, which also does not contribute to a good night’s rest.

Second trimester

During this period, the woman has already fully realized the fact of impending motherhood, and the unpleasant sensations associated with toxicosis are significantly reduced or disappear completely.

Therefore, bad dreams during this period are infrequent guests during a normal pregnancy. If they appear, it is mainly due to physical changes in the body that begin to cause inconvenience.

Third trimester

In the later stages of pregnancy, almost everyone experiences bad dreams. And they are most often associated with the upcoming birth. Although the plots of the dreams themselves are completely different and reflect the main problem only indirectly, in individual symbolism. Women experiencing extreme fear may have dreams of torment and torture, hospitals, operations, etc.

Those who fear for the health of their unborn child are often haunted by visions in which they save or, conversely, lose their babies. In any case, anxiety increases greatly in the last weeks of pregnancy and this is reflected in night dreams.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg. The reasons that can cause bad dreams during pregnancy are much more varied.

Physiological factors

The plots of the dream indirectly reflect the physical condition of the woman. With each month during pregnancy, the load on a woman’s body increases. At the same time, the number of various inconveniences and restrictions that she has to put up with increases. If in the early stages you can sleep in any position, then, starting from the 5th month, a woman cannot spend the night on her stomach.

In the second half of pregnancy, you can no longer sleep on your back, since in this position the greatly enlarged uterus puts pressure on the diaphragm and internal organs, disrupting normal blood circulation.

Sometimes a woman turns around in bed for hours, trying to find the optimal body position for sleep. And as soon as she manages to do this, the baby “wakes up” and begins to become active in the stomach.

The following reasons can provoke poor sleep during pregnancy:

1. Severe or prolonged stress is accompanied by a surge of adrenaline and disturbing dream scenes: fights, chases, nightmares. Moreover, the pictures that appear may not be directly related to the cause of stress - they are only a reflection of the general mental anxiety of the expectant mother.
2. Increased activity of the fetus mainly creates problems with falling asleep. And if you don’t fall asleep on time, then the body does not reach the number of deep sleep phases. Dreams usually appear during the rapid phase of sleep. Accordingly, a pregnant woman wakes up in the morning with a feeling of a complete mess in her head from random fragments of dreams.
3. Emotional overexcitement. Even if the emotions were positive, their excess overloads the nervous system and makes it more difficult for it to switch off in the evening. During sleep, a pregnant woman may continue to experience pleasant or unpleasant significant events, and this will be reflected in the plots of the dream.
4. Lack of oxygen. Sleeping in a stuffy room is often accompanied by nightmares, even in a healthy person. And although pregnancy is not a disease, in this state the need for clean air increases many times over. Stale air in the room can provoke dreams in which a pregnant woman feels suffocated.
5. Various diseases or pains. The same increased sensitivity leads to the fact that during pregnancy a woman can feel an aggravated or reappearing disease even before obvious symptoms appear. Pain is also felt during sleep, but if it is not strong enough, it does not wake the woman, but is only reflected in the dream.
6. Overeating or drinking too much fluid. It is extremely important to observe moderation in everything during pregnancy. Overeating before bed leads to the fact that a woman feels heaviness in her stomach half the night, and it is difficult for her to fall asleep. The enlarged uterus puts pressure on the bladder and reduces its volume. This means that a pregnant woman who drinks too much water will have a restless sleep; she will be awakened by the urge to urinate. She may dream of floods, rain and other water-related subjects.
7. Uncomfortable bed or too tight pajamas. This will prevent your body from completely relaxing during sleep. And since the woman still constantly experiences the inconvenience associated with a large belly, dreams appear accordingly. A pregnant woman may dream that she is lying on the stones, she is tightly tied or her freedom is limited.

Pregnant women need to remember that bad dreams themselves are not at all dangerous. This is just a reaction of the subconscious to the changed physical and mental state of a woman. But we cannot ignore them either.

In particularly impressionable women, bad dreams often become the cause of insomnia - they are simply afraid to fall asleep.

What to do

Healthy, restful sleep is extremely important for a pregnant woman. Moreover, the closer to childbirth, the more the importance of a quality night's rest increases. Therefore, it is advisable to do everything possible to ensure that during this period your sleep is sound and your dreams are only pleasant. Simple preventive measures can help with this:

• provide the pregnant woman with constant support and psychological comfort;
• talk to the woman about to give birth and about what she is afraid of;
• sign up for a prenatal training group - they will not only help you get rid of your fears, but you can also communicate with other pregnant women;
• be sure to ventilate the room before going to bed - the air in the bedroom should be cool and moderately humid;
• calm walks before bed will relieve stress, provide an additional flow of oxygen and speed up falling asleep;
• a comfortable bed and loose clothing will not allow you to completely relax, will not restrict movement, or make breathing difficult;
• distribute food correctly throughout the day - the diet should be as varied and healthy as possible, but dinner should be light;
• do not drink a lot of liquid before going to bed - this will relieve severe swelling and will not provoke the urge to urinate at night.

If you cannot get rid of bad dreams on your own, be sure to tell your doctor about it and under no circumstances use sleeping pills or sedatives. The doctor will definitely find a quick and harmless way to solve the problem for you and the child.

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• Why do I often dream?

Contents of the article

Pregnancy occurs, and this radically changes a woman’s life. The body of the expectant mother is required to work in a more intensive mode. Serious hormonal changes occur in the body, and this affects both the woman’s physiology and psychological state. The very news of pregnancy is already stressful, regardless of whether this event is long-awaited and joyful or a “bolt from the blue.” No one remains indifferent to such news.

Physiological and psychological changes also affect a woman’s subconscious: it independently focuses on internal fears and experiences, which affects sleep. That’s why pregnant women so often complain about nightmares and terrible dreams. This makes it difficult to get enough sleep, and in the morning you feel tired and irritated. Such a vacation cannot be called complete.

Bad dreams in pregnant women

An expectant mother in the second trimester may dream that the child is present in the form of a monster, a cripple, or has some kind of deformity. If a woman has concerns about her health, then the child appears dangerous and threatening. You can often see difficult births and even tragic outcomes for both mother and baby.

A woman may have a bad dream during pregnancy in the first trimester, that there is no pregnancy at all or that it is terminated under some terrible circumstances. The theft of a newborn or its loss is also a constant plot of bad dreams. Often a woman sees how she drops her baby, injuring him, how the child drowns in the bathtub, chokes on formula from a bottle, and dies.

Even an erotic dream can be unpleasant if a woman fears that after the birth of the baby she will be too dependent on him and limited on the love front. Some women have nightmares about themselves being ugly overweight and ugly in appearance. Someone dreams that the husband leaves for another woman, abandons her and the child.

Unfortunately, we cannot influence the script of our dreams. But we can regulate our attitude towards them, soften our reactions, or completely forget about what happened in the morning.

But not all nightmares revolve around pregnancy, family and future birth. A woman in the third trimester may also have difficult dreams that are completely unrelated to her condition, and it is still impossible to list them.

Causes of vivid dreams in pregnant women

Scary dreams are most easily explained by anxieties and worries associated with the upcoming birth, hidden deep in the subconscious. A pregnant woman cannot help but think most of the time about her condition, about the unborn baby, about upcoming changes in family life. She analyzes her condition, plans her future life, and thinks about her future child. She may be afraid and worried. And if this is the first pregnancy, then many things seem strange, the unknown adds excitement and fear to dreams.

While carrying a baby and rejoicing at its upcoming birth, it is difficult for a woman not to think that an inevitable change in her usual life awaits her. You will have to sacrifice a lot for the happiness and well-being of your unborn baby - career, hobbies, personal time, sleep. By contemplating these moments, a woman may find herself in a situation where negative emotions spiral out of control and return at night as nightmares and horrors.

Often, during nightmare experiences in a dream, the expectant mother manages to overcome disappointment, anger, uncertainty in her capabilities, aggressiveness, i.e. all those emotions that during the day she has to suppress in herself and hide from loved ones. Psychologists believe that nightmares help cope with stress. A frightening dream has a protective function, brain cells process unpleasant information, and after a nightmare an emotional release occurs; a person can even subconsciously get used to the frightening event.

Following the recommendations of psychologists, in the morning you should under no circumstances worry about the nightmare you saw at night, but set yourself up for optimism, try to ensure that positive emotions and pleasant thoughts crowd out all the frightening details of the dream. There is no need to remember them over and over again and consider them as harbingers of future troubles. You need to learn to switch your thoughts and drive away what you saw in a nightmare, imagine the unborn child only as healthy, and a successful birth.

In fact, bad dreams during pregnancy cannot be called a danger. They are the body's response to psychological and physical changes. There is no need to be afraid of difficult dreams, consider them a bad sign, or make some predictions based on them. It is important to try not to pay attention to what you see, to reconsider your lifestyle in order to help yourself cope with difficult dreams. Nightmares during pregnancy are not a pathology, but the body’s response to its new condition. There is no need to sound the alarm if they are not too frequent and do not provoke insomnia, which can deprive the expectant mother of proper rest and recovery at night.

Psychological factors

Nightmares are a reflection of anxieties and fears experienced deep in the subconscious. These factors interfere with restful sleep. The “not knowing” characteristic of women becoming pregnant for the first time exacerbates anxiety.

Women who are nervous, anxious, and tend to take any, even minor, troubles to heart are more susceptible to nightmares. If we are talking about a nervous disorder, then it is better to immediately contact a specialist - a doctor or psychologist - to find the appropriate therapy.

A nightmare can be caused by watching a horror movie or a heavy psychological thriller. But, fortunately, this reason, as a rule, can cause a bad dream no more than once. Don't panic, it's better just not to repeat such mistakes.

In general, any excess of emotions, even positive ones, can overload a pregnant woman’s nervous system, and by nightfall it will be difficult for her to get ready for rest.

Physiological factors

The main physiological factor is the changed hormonal background. For this reason, the so-called fast phase begins to predominate in the nature of sleep. This phase is characterized by realistic, very vivid dreams, reflecting all the main daily thoughts and experiences of a woman. Anxious, restless thoughts during the day directly affect dreams.

In later stages of pregnancy, the baby actively grows in the womb, this causes increased stress on the back, legs, and pressure on internal organs. The baby's movements with his arms and legs can sometimes cause discomfort.

It is difficult to relax and enjoy sleep in an unusual position. Over time, a pregnant woman develops restrictions in choosing her body position, which causes inconvenience. If a woman experiences morning sickness during pregnancy, this can also affect the quality of her sleep. During pregnancy, illnesses often worsen. The discomfort or pain that accompanies them may also affect sleep and dream patterns.

A few more reasons that can cause discomfort, but are easily eliminated:

• conditions in the bedroom (stuffiness, lack of oxygen, uncomfortable place to sleep);
• too heavy late dinner (stomach pressure on the diaphragm makes breathing difficult);
• excess fluid (a full bladder will be compressed by the uterus);
• Uncomfortable nightwear (squeezing, tight, synthetic, too warm).

Methods for normalizing sleep

If you follow simple rules, you will avoid bad dreams, or at least significantly reduce the likelihood of their occurrence.

• be sure to ventilate the bedroom in the evening;
• if possible, take a short walk to saturate the body with oxygen and set it up for sleep;
• choose cotton clothing that does not restrict movement;
• make the bed as comfortable as possible;
• do not drink a lot of fluids at night (this will avoid painful sensations from the pressure of the uterus on a full bladder);
• do not eat immediately before bedtime;
• It is advisable to train yourself to go to bed at the same time;
• you can take a warm bath (herbal infusions, such as lavender or linden, will help you relax) or shower;
• It is advisable not to watch TV, not to sit on social networks, not to work at the computer;
• you can listen to pleasant music or read;
• starting from the second trimester, it is better not to sleep on your back - this body position disrupts blood circulation;
• don't forget to visit the toilet.

You can come up with calming rituals before bed and stick to them every day. These are actions that do not require stress and can be performed on “autopilot”. For example, a leisurely, calm, gentle makeup removal in front of the mirror, applying cream and a light massage. It will relax you, like a sleeping pill. Just before going to bed, it’s a good idea to change or turn your pillow over - it’s easier to fall asleep on a cool one.

And it is very important to prevent the exchange of barbs or complaints with family members. If you postpone a quarrel until the morning, a calm conscience will not allow you to have nightmares, and by the morning the reason for the conflict will be forgotten.

Prevention

No matter how trivial it may sound, the importance of long walks in the fresh air and a healthy lifestyle are the key to preventing nightmares. Beautiful music, art therapy, good films, favorite treats - why not pamper yourself if it will please you, calm you down, and bring you peace of mind. Everything that does not harm the baby can and should be done. The emotions and mood of a pregnant woman directly affect the condition of the baby, his well-being - no need to forget about this.