New Baby & Problem Snoring
Pregnancy and a new baby can make it hard to get enough sleep — especially if your partner has sleep apnoea.
When your baby arrives you will want to be on top form to give them all the care and attention they need, day or night. Around three quarters of women have difficulty getting enough sleep during pregnancy: leg cramps, heartburn and frequent trips to the toilet all make sleep harder, so you need to make the most of the sleep you can get.
Good habits to avoid insomnia include daily exercise, not smoking or drinking alcohol, avoiding caffeine in the evening, and not eating a big meal close to bedtime.
When your partner’s snoring keeps you awake
It could be your partner giving you sleepless nights if he has a snoring problem — and it could be due to a medical condition. The most common sleep disorder is obstructive sleep apnoea, and men are twice as likely to have it as women.
Sleep apnoea is a disrupted breathing pattern during sleep, caused by the upper airway closing as you relax so that breathing stops for a period. Common signs include loud snoring, daytime fatigue, memory loss, frequent urination and loss of interest in sex. It also carries significant health risks, including high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Getting treated in time
Sleep apnoea can often be treated with small lifestyle changes, but moderate or severe sleep apnoea may need a CPAP machine during sleep — a mask attached to a machine that provides a steady supply of air. If you are concerned that you or your partner may have sleep apnoea, speak to your GP, who can refer you to a specialist for diagnosis and treatment.
When your new baby arrives you’ll need all the rest you can get, so it makes sense to have a sleeping disorder treated well before the birth.
For more information, read Mr Oko’s Guide to Sleep Apnoea.