Women are more likely to suffer from disturbances in sleep, and thus, sleep disorders. Biological conditions like pregnancy and hormonal changes can affect how well a woman sleeps. For this reason, many women suffer from sleep disorders like insomnia and sleep apnea.
Hormonal fluctuations during menopause and menstruation may cause women to not sleep well at night. They may also cause weight gain during menopause. Weight gain, as we know, increases the risk of getting sleep apnea.
Pregnant women are also susceptible to sleep apnea due to the weight they gain. Pregnant women who have sleep apnea are very prone to developing hypertension and diabetes. During pregnancy, hypertension can cause conditions like preeclampsia and eclampsia.
Preeclampsia symptoms include swelling of the hands and feet. When preeclampsia goes untreated, eclampsia occurs, which can eventually lead to coma and the death of the mother and the child.
Sleep disorders like OSA not only affect the mother but also the fetus. Sleep apnea restricts oxygen to the fetus, which can result in birth defects and developmental disabilities that can last for the child’s lifetime. The outcome of the mother’s oxygen level dropping and oxygen to the fetus being cut off is unpredictable and scary.
Source: Reite, Martin, Michael P. Weissberg, and John Ruddy. Clinical manual for the evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Pub., 2009. Print.
Can pregnant women with sleep disorders take precautions to prevent birth defects in the fetus? Are there safe medications or devices to help with this?
ReplyDeleteTo prevent birth defects in the fetus, pregnant women must reconsider the treatment they are undergoing. Most of the medications for insomnia and other sleep disorders pose a risk for the developing fetus. Therefore, women who are pregnant need to make adjustments to the treatment they are receiving for their sleep problems.
DeleteTo overcome insomnia, the only thing a pregnant women can do is practice good sleep hygiene. This involves eating the right foods, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, and taking naps. The treatment options for sleep apnea are surgery or CPAP therapy. CPAP therapy is safe for the fetus since it only involves the application of pressure to keep the mother's airway open.
How do pregnant women typically deal with sleep disorders?
ReplyDeleteTypically, the only things they can do to deal with sleep disorders is practice good sleep hygiene. The fact medications can harm the fetus restricts how much a pregnant woman can do to manage her sleep disorders. Most insomnia-related problems can be controlled through practicing good sleep hygiene, such as avoiding caffeine, drinking lots of water, and taking naps during the day. To manage sleep apnea, they must use CPAP therapy.
DeleteThis is scary. Did you find any rates in your research around this such as the rate of pregnant women with OSA or the rate of birth defects due to it?
ReplyDelete- Ms. Holtzman
Hello Ms. Holtzman! I did find some statistics. The incidence of sleep apnea in pregnant women is around 10-15%. However, it is not easy to come up with an accurate number since sleep apnea is often underdiagnosed. Another statistic I found was that develop cardiac muscle damage was nine times more likely for pregnant women with sleep apnea.
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