Not enough sleep in early pregnancy increases pre-eclampsia risk
Mums-to-be who sleep badly in the first and second trimester have an increased risk of high blood pressure and birth complications
Pregnant women who sleep for less than five hours a night early in their pregnancy are 10 times more likely to suffer from pre-eclampsia than women who sleep for longer, a new study has found.
Researchers looked at the sleeping habits of 1,172 mums-to-be and found the risks of high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia went up with lack of sleep in the early months of pregnancy.
The majority of women slept for more than seven hours a night but 13.7% suffered from sleeping problems that reduced the amount of time they slept to less than 6 hours.
Professor Michelle Williams, who ran the study, hopes these findings will help encourage women to make lifestyle changes to establish a consistent sleep schedule before they become pregnant.
If you’re struggling to catch your 40 winks, check our guide to comfortable pregnancy sleeping and know the warning signs of pre-eclampsia.
More like this
Authors
Create the perfect wishlist for your baby with MyCrib
Are you expecting and don't know where to start? Discover how MyCrib can help you build your dream wishlist. You can add products from any site with just one click and even use MyCrib's buying assistant to help get you started.