1st trimester insomnia? It might be hypoglycemia.
It’s 2 AM and you’re staring at your ceiling wide awake, exhausted. No matter which position you get into, you can’t seem to fall back asleep. Sound familiar?
Insomnia is one of the many reasons pregnant women can feel absolutely exhausted in the first trimester. Of course, there’s a level of things we can’t control during pregnancy. But sleep? Now that’s something we might be able to fix.
There’s a lot going on in the first trimester. Most women know that there’s a baby being made. But they’re also growing an entirely new organ (the placenta).
The first half of pregnancy is a time of incredible anabolism. When something is “anabolic,” it means that it’s growing and building. This makes total sense considering what’s going on in your body!
A caveat is that anabolism requires LOTS of energy and nutrients to support it. Growth and building cannot happen from thin air. It needs proper fuel!
In the case of first trimester (or general) insomnia, meal frequency is key to keep the liver (battery pack) fueled. If the liver runs out of fuel overnight, just like a newborn, your body wakes you up with hunger pangs and/or the sharp alertness caused by an influx of stress hormones (which work to increase blood sugar).
What usually solves this? A bedtime snack! Many of my clients need to eat a well-balanced snack right before bed to keep them sleeping through the night. It helps curb middle-of the night hunger pangs and wake-ups almost every time.
It’s worth noting that women with insulin resistance and diabetes can experience nocturnal hypoglycemia 3X more often in the first trimester than before they were pregnant (Nielsen et al). Meaning if you had blood sugar-driven sleep issues before pregnancy, they may get worse during pregnancy.
What that snack looks like will look different from person to person. It will vary in size, as well as protein, carb, and fat ratio. All it takes is a little experimentation to figure out what works best.
I hear you and see you, and I hope this helps those of you struggling with sleep this first trimester catch some extra Zzzs! 💓
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Not medical advice.
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This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional before pursuing any changes to your personal healthcare regime.
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References
Hellmuth, E. Damm, P. Mølsted-Pedersen, L. Bendtson, I. (2000). Prevalence of nocturnal hypoglycemia in first trimester of pregnancy in patients with insulin treated diabetes mellitus. Retrieved from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11081680/.
Nielsen, L.R. Pedersen-Bjergaard, U. Thorsteinsson, B. Johansen, M. Damm, P. Mathiesen, E.R. (2008). Hypoglycemia in Pregnant Women With Type 1 Diabetes. Retrieved from: https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/31/1/9.
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