I am the only one who can no longer...

[Mrs P]

......get back to sleep in the middle of the night after a night feed?!?

I am starting to really struggle after night feeds to fall asleep, even though (of course) I am super tired. Sometimes it will take up to 2 hours. Not cool. Fortunately DD usually only wakes once, or twice on a 'bad' night.

I've started moving to the spare room after I do a night feed, because lying there listening to DH sleeping away (and usually farting, snoring, heavy breathing etc and driving me nuts) makes me frustrated. But even in the spare room sometimes I just can't sleep!

Last night DD stirred around 1am but went back to sleep - I had gotten up but not gone into her room yet, so went to the spare room and it still took about an hour to get back to sleep.

Bring back those lovely first 3 month hormones to help me sleep, dammit!!

Can someone tell me if this will get better?

I'm hoping DD may start to sleep through soon and maybe that will help me sleep through, although my 'mummy hearing' means I wake up any time she makes a reasonable noise... Thinking about putting the monitor a bit further away from the bedside table, so that I can hear her if she cries but not if she stirs...

[Taurean]

I was the same, especially when DD started sleeping through. It did definitely get better for me and I'm sure it will for you too. Sometimes I struggle but it's only if DD is up for while or up a few times, like when she's teething.

PS we turned the sensitivity down on our monitor so I wouldnt hear every little wriggle and grunt and it helped a lot.

[Mrs P]

Thanks Taurean - I am sure it will just take time, but I get so annoyed at myself for the sleep I could be having but am missing. Our monitor is already turned right down and I put it face down on the beside table - it's just a super-good one so I still hear everything ha ha!! Think i will try putting it on the tallboy on the other side of the room instead and see if that helps...

[jackrose]

I there too! Middle of the night wakings for no reason are a killer!

And I hear you on the frustrations of a sleeping DH. Making matters worse, I often say to DH "I got barely any sleep last night" only to have him respond with "yeah, I had a really restless night too" (This is after listening to him snoring all night) I will take restless over sleepless!!

I am doing a few things to help, you should give them a go to as sleep deprivation does not make for a happy mummy.

• get up at regular time every day
• go to bed at a regular time too, esp before 10pm
• try to get a good 30 min walk in in the daytime
• keeping the bed for sleeping (and other *ahem* bed activities) only
• soaking the feet in a warm bath before bed (promotes sleep by getting the blood down from the head)
• getting up out of bed in the night if I wake and not tossing and turning. I try to go and do something boring like folding the washing in a reasonably dark room till I feel tired enough to sleep again.
• see a chinese doctor. Acupuncture for insomnia is amazing. I got my first good sleep in MONTHS after a session. My acupuncturist was able to put some pressure stickers in insomnia points in my ears for me to press throughout the day too which are helpful
• you can get a *sleep well* version of rescue rememdy which may be helpful - try the chemist or a health food shop
• try to get the monitor out of direct earshot

Otherwise, know I am awake with you at 3am! - But hopefully not for much longer, I am beginning to see the results of all of the above for me!

[krystals]

what jackrose said!!!

I used to have trouble getting back to sleep after feeding DS as it was just enough time for my brain and body to wake up and think it was 'go' time instead of 'go back to sleep' time. Thankfully DS is sleeping through the night now, but a couple of things jackrose mentioned helped me. Especially the walk, and getting up if I couldn't get back to sleep. I always found I got angry 'trying' to get to sleep and for me, the best way to fall asleep is to try and stay awake!!!

Incidently, one sleep doc recommends scrubbing tiles as an excellent task to make you sleepy. Anything but scrubbing tiles!!!

[Boo Boo]

Brauers Sleep and Insomnia spray really works for me.....I just keep it by the side of my bed and spray it on my tongue when I can't get back to sleep....you can get it in health shops, chemists, etc.