When you are pregnant, fatigue is one of the symptoms you'll likely notice in your first trimester. From this point on, you'll have a complicated relationship with sleep. The more you want to rest, the more difficult sleep becomes due to your body changes and racing mind. Sleep apnea, the temporary stopping of breathing during sleep, is a condition of which to be aware during pregnancy.
Causes
The causes of developing sleep apnea while pregnant are twofold. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the normal hormonal changes that occur in your body to support the new life can relax your muscles, which causes snoring. Snoring itself is not necessarily a sign of apnea, but the change in your body's reflexes can put you at a higher risk for developing the problem. The higher levels of estrogen in your body during pregnancy often lead to a chronic stuffy nose; the swelling of your nasal passages also increases your risk of apnea. The weight gain you experience while pregnant also is a possible cause of sleep apnea in expectant mothers. Women who were overweight prior to becoming pregnant are more likely to experience episodes of sleep apnea than pregnant women who were within their target weight range. Excess weight contributes to extra tissue in your throat and is a risk factor for apnea, regardless of your gender or pregnancy status.
Symptoms
Sleep apnea is characterized by a number of symptoms you might not be aware of during the night and most likely will not remember in the morning. Apnea is the interruption of your breathing during sleep; when you begin to breathe again you might sputter, choke, gasp, wake up suddenly for a moment, or snore heavily and loudly. Symptoms might stop and start throughout the night and many times are more disruptive for your partner than you.
Treatment
Pregnancy-induced sleep apnea is treated in the same manner as apnea in non-pregnant adults. The severity of your problem, as diagnosed by a physician, might be managed through a mouth guard that helps your airways stay open during the night, or oxygen therapy. Your oxygen levels decrease during an episode of apnea, which can be harmful to your unborn child. A mask called a CPAP delivers continuous positive airway pressure to you throughout the night to counteract interruptions caused by sleep apnea. Your condition might be reassessed after you have given birth and lost the majority of your pregnancy weight.
Related Complications
Women who suffer from sleep apnea while pregnant might be more likely to experience other complications, such as pregnancy-induced hypertension or delivering babies of low birth weight. The July-August 2004 issue of the "Journal of the American Board of Family Practitioners" reports that each episode of apnea in a pregnant woman can cause the baby's heartbeat to slow down in response to the lack of oxygen. Babies also might suffer from IUGR, or intrauterine growth retardation, due to the oxygen desaturation during apneic episodes.
