When carrying a baby, everyday life can be quite tiring, especially in the last few months. This is why sleep is so very welcomed! Many women experience difficulty with sleeping due to anxiety of the upcoming arrival, stress, or aches and pains. Knowing that quality sleep is important for many reasons, it still can be challenging to get a good-night’s rest.
Sleep is crucial during pregnancy for various reasons. For one, it is important for the body to have time to rejuvenate itself so you can get through the day without feeling overly tired. This is because even with a good night’s rest, you may still feel tired due to the incredibly immense changes that are taking place inside your body. So, even in addition to a good night’s sleep, you may even need a nap during the day to accommodate for all of the hard work your body is performing to create your little one.
Your immune system depends on a restful night’s sleep. Too many restless nights can cause your body to trigger its inflammatory response. When this happens, cytokines are produced in greater numbers. These molecules (that are being overproduced) signal your cells in an immune response, as if somethingis inflamed. The healthy cells are then attacked by the cytokines, which then destroys the tissue that actually is there to keep sickness away. With all of this (which can be triggered by lack of sleep) your immune system can become significantly weaker and more susceptible to illness.
Even if you are not expecting, sleep is vital to a healthy life. Not enough sleep negatively affects how our body deals with stress, how our bodies regulate our emotions, and how we deal with people and normal day-to-day tasks. Lack of sleep ruins concentration, affects the nervous system, stops cognitive functions, causes high blood pressure, weight gain, and so much more. If you are pregnant, it is extra important that you get the sleep your body needs to nurture the development of your baby.
Pregnancy can pose some challenges in the sleep department, which is well-known. If you are having trouble sleeping and getting the rest you need, talking to your doctor can help you find methods and strategies that can ensure you get the Z’s you need!
Begin your journey of wellness with acupuncture:
Acupuncture for Everyday Health
Free yourself from pain, common health issues, stress and anxiety. For thousands of years, people have turned to the safe, relaxing treatment of acupuncture to heal both mind and body.
Acupuncture is practiced to reduce back and neck pain, digestive issues, headaches, sports injuries and it assists with lowering blood pressure, reducing stress and increasing energy and tissue regeneration.
Acupuncture For Fertility
Acupuncture is one of the most sought after treatments because it is safe and very effective for infertility, with no negative long term side effects. It can also decrease stress and anxiety that can contribute to fertility problems.