What is Postpartum Insomnia?
Postpartum insomnia is a condition that affects a significant number of new mothers. It’s a type of sleep problem in which the person can’t fall asleep or stay asleep for more than a few hours at a time. The most common symptoms are difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, feeling tired during the day, and waking up repeatedly during the night.
Causes Of Postpartum Insomnia?
Postpartum insomnia is a common sleep disorder in new mothers. It can be caused by hormonal changes, stress, anxiety, and fatigue.
Here are some of the most common causes of postpartum insomnia:
Hormonal changes: After giving birth, women’s bodies go through several hormonal changes that can cause disruptions to their sleep patterns. These include an increase in estrogen, which can lead to increased levels of anxiety and stress, and a decrease in progesterone, which can cause fatigue.
Stress: New mothers often feel a lot of stress and anxiety due to the new responsibilities of being a parent. This can lead to disrupted sleep patterns and an increase in symptoms such as insomnia.
Anxiety: As mentioned earlier, many new mothers feel a lot of anxiety due to the demands of parenting. This can lead to disrupted sleep patterns as well as increased levels of anxiety.
Fatigue: After giving birth, many women feel exhausted and unable to get enough rest. This can lead to disturbances in their sleep patterns, including postpartum insomnia.
Symptoms of Postpartum Insomnia?
Insomnia and postpartum sleep deprivation are common complaints. Insomnia is a sleep disorder defined as difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep. It can be caused by a variety of factors, such as stress, anxiety, medication, family history, and illness. Postpartum sleep deprivation is a term used to describe the difficulties new mothers experience in getting enough sleep after giving birth. Symptoms may include irritability, increased appetite, mood swings, and decreased concentration.
How to Treat Postpartum Insomnia
Insomnia, or difficulty falling asleep, can be a common problem after giving birth. It’s usually temporary and goes away on its own within a few weeks. But if it doesn’t go away, there are some things you can do to help treat it. Here are some tips:
Get plenty of sleep every night: Babies need around eight hours of sleep each night to stay healthy. If you’re not getting enough sleep, your body will start to produce more stress hormones which can lead to insomnia.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bedtime: These substances can increase your anxiety and make it harder to fall asleep.
Make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet: Exposure to bright light in the morning helps promote wakefulness while exposure to noise in the evening can affect your ability to fall asleep.
Try relaxation techniques before bedtime: Some things you can try include reading a book or taking a relaxing bath before bedtime.