hi, I just read that in 3rd trimester some people have been suffering from insomnia - well ive just started and its driving me nutz! Ive tried camenmile tea but my idigestion is keeping me up with it!
Try not eating within the last few hours of going to bed, set a decent bed time not to early and not to late, remove all caffeinne and sugary drinks, if possible try not to nap during the day or late afternoon, remove books and tv's from the bedroom, use a bedtime routine like having a warm shower a warm drink and climbing into bed. One of the most important things is to remove as much light from the room as possible. Light inhibits the release of the sleep hormones (which pg hormones can conflict with to), so even the alarm clocks should be covered and try covering any window light with a heavy blanket.
My ob always try to reassure me that for the most part antenatal insomnia was more mental insomnia than a physical. While it felt like I had not slept a wink during the night, that my brain was continuing to run nonstop thinking and was sure that I was completely awake, that my body and mind was in fact sleeping in a very light sleep. DH also let me know that there was times were I would say I havent been asleep and he would laugh and tell me that I was snoring my head off.
Having it really does suck, and it can make you feel depressed and anxious but I came to the conclusion it was preparing me for lack of sleep when bubs came and kinda learnt to go with the flow of it. The more anxious you feel about sleeping the worse it can make it.
I forgot to mention that I had gotten a book from my library, sorry I cant remember the name of it, but it was on sleeping problems, and it gave relaxation and sort of like meditation techniques to use while in bed to help promote a better sleep. Maybe try finding out about this sort of thing to.
I have been having it every night for the past 2mths and I have found that its either my legs are very sore and aching or the room is to hot. So if my legs are sore before I go to bed , I get my DH to rub them which helps and if the room is to hot I will turn on the air con for a little bit to cool it down and then turn it off again.
I have restless sleep as it is ,sore hips sore legs cant get comfortable have to get up to wee and get a drink every hour
NOW lol iv been waking up at about 3 each morning with bad acid reflux and i just cant get to sleep- this morning it was bad so i sat up then tried to go back to sleep couldnt just layed there looking at DF wishing i could sleep lol
So i went to the lounge room watched tv, tried some antacid , tired some dry salada tried a drink- nothing worked i couldnt sleep and i had burning acid
finally got back to nap at about 7 this morning anf iv had a few naps today
I get over to sleep fine but wake up at around 2/3am - wide awake with sore hips from lying on my side. Then I start day dreaming about baby and she starts kicking me, so then it's almost impossible to get back over to sleep.
I can totally sympathise! Not sure what the answer is, or if there is any answers - I find having a nap in the afternoon when I get home from work is really helping get me through my tired periods.
I think its so spooky that so many of us are waking around 3am. I wake up, need to pee, usually need a piece of toast and a drink, then after a little mag read or internet surfing toddle back to bed just before 4am. Sometimes its a sore pelvis that wakes me up, but often it appears to be no reason. Once back in bed I fall asleep again straight away and then sleep through until 6.30am. I feel quite calm through this whole process. None of that got to go to work panic I use to get with stress related insomnia.
It might be mumbojumbo, but do you think its the bubs waking us up in what will turn out to be a normal sleep cycle for them?
I had insomnia really bad in the first trimester... accompanied by really weird dreams/nighmares when i did fall asleep. it drove me insane. was so glad i wasn't working at the time. i found that i slept the best from 6-10am. I have dark curtains and it was a bit cooler at that time of the day; which i think helped. also hubby had gone to work by then and normally being a light sleeper i would always wake up when he rolled over or snored. lol
It seemed to have disappeared for second trimester but its back now with the 3rd. both the dreams and the lack of sleep. I have had a couple nights where i deep sleep if i go tobed about 8 till 11 but then the rest of the night i'm constantly waking. I find that baby is waking up alot more during the night and keeping me awake longer after i've gotten up or tossed and turned for a while.
if i dont turn the light on wheni get up to go to the loo i usually fall asleep a bit quicker. back to enjoying my sleepins from 6-8 at the least cuz i now have to get up and work most weekdays which sucks... if you can you may as well nap during the afternoon that way you are at least getting some sleep.
Hugs to all you preggies! I remember I used a homeopathic spray (Brauer's Insomnia Relief) that I got from my health food store, and that seemed to work for me. I had a busy mind too.
As for the restless legs, a bit of a walk helps - I know it seems counterproductive when you want to be sleeping, but wandering about the house used to help me a bit. And I think drinks with electrolytes, but I never tried that, just heard it, so I could be making it up - I'm sure there's a thread or two on that though!
I was the same as Sue. Wouldn't ahve a problem falling asleep, but would wake at about 3am needing to go to the bathroom, and I would not be able to go back to sleep.
The best thing for me was to get up, have a drink of water or milk and sometimes even a snack, and I would be fast asleep in no time. Other times that wasn't enough and I would turn the tv on for a bit (at that time of the night there's only infomercials on, so they put me to sleep. lol) or read a book for a while.
Once I'd finished work and didn't have to get up early anymore, I did crazy things like cleaning and sorting, and if I got tired through the day I could nap.
That's so weird - I'm another who has had a 3am waking time for the past few weeks. It's very hard to catch up on sleep when you have a toddler to keep up with. I have just recently tried a tablet from a chinese herbalist, it's a green tea extract I've only tried it the last two nights but so far it seems to be helping.
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Hugs to all you preggies! I remember I used a homeopathic spray (Brauer's Insomnia Relief) that I got from my health food store, and that seemed to work for me. I had a busy mind too.
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