Mumbai: Exposure to passive smoking during pregnancy may cause sleep disturbances and you may be have insufficient sleep, difficulty in initiating sleep, short sleep duration and snoring loudly or breathing uncomfortably, according to a study conducted by SLEEP journal.

Study revealed that women who smoked while they were pregnant had the same sleep disturbances and they also experienced excessive daytime sleepiness and early morning awakening.

Dr. Ohida says, "The relationship between passive smoking exposure and some negative health outcomes in pregnant women could be mediated by the ability of passive smoke to disrupt sleep,".

A woman's body goes through drastic changes during and after pregnancy. These changes can be physical, hormonal and emotional. In addition to smoking or being exposed to second-hand smoke, all of these changes can also affect a woman's sleep.

In spite of getting more sleep, most pregnant women experienced daytime fatigue because of the quality of their sleep which tends to be worse. Physical discomfort and awakenings are common. The third trimester tends to be the time when it is hardest to sleep well.

Snoring also increases during pregnancy and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) also develops as the pregnancy progresses. Warning signs for OSA include gasping, choking sounds and pauses in breathing. OSA may develop if a you have a high body mass index prior to the pregnancy.

Two other sleep disorders that are more common during pregnancy are Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) and sleep related leg cramps.

RLS affects nearly 25 percent of pregnant women. RLS may be related to low iron. So women who must take iron supplements during pregnancy may have a lower risk of RLS. Leg cramps occur in about 40 percent of pregnant women. They tend to go away after delivery.

Experts recommend that pregnant women, and other adults, get 7-8 hours of sleep each night for good health and optimum performance.

Those who suspect that they might be suffering from a sleep disorder are encouraged to discuss their problem with their primary care physician or a sleep specialist.