`Impact of Pregnancy on Sleep`

THE IMPACT OF PREGNANCY ON SLEEP

Sleep disruption during pregnancy

One of the most common experiences that women encounter during pregnancy is the disruption of sleeping patterns . The general causative factor that results in this disruption are dreams that are usually associated with the developing fetus in their womb . Despite its high prevalence among pregnant women , this experience is regarded as a typical feature of pregnancy and thus does not require any kind of scientific investigation , more so any therapeutic regimen to address this condition (Owens 97 . In to fully understand

the pathophysiology of sleep disturbance during pregnancy , it is important to describe the activity of sleep

The term sleep pertains to a circadian activity that is mainly controlled by biologic and environmental factors , such as temperature hormones and sunlight . Sleep can be subdivided into 5 stages based on the depth of the activity and the movement of the eyes . The first two stages are considered as light sleep , while the subsequent two stages are part of deep sleep . Approximately 90 minutes after an individual has fallen asleep , he enters into a sleep stage that is known as rapid eye movement (REM ) sleep . During one evening , an individual will go through several cycles of the light and deep sleep , with a significant decrease in the occurrence of deep sleep as the individual goes through the rest of the evening . Consequently , the frequency of rapid eye movement increases as a person progresses through the night . Several factors can influence the...