When the one who can't sleep is you...

Hi There!

I am starting a new job this week, working part time, which is fabulous! I am, however, freaking out immensely as I am just soooo tired all the time. My son is 1 on Wednesday (Happy Birthday sweetheart) and for the last couple of weeks he has started waking again at around 4:30am for a feed. To many, sleeping from 7pm-4:30am is bliss, and not a problem, but for me, I just cannot get back to sleep! I have always had an "active" mind and it takes me up to 2 hours to fall asleep at night (I make sure I'm in bed by 9:30pm) and if I am woken during the night, it takes up to an hour to get back to sleep too. By the time I'm getting back to sleep, I have to get up again. It's so silly as my son is sleeping really well and I am so sick of feeling exhausted all the time. I use the Brauer Sleep Spray, have tried rescue remedy and refuse to take medicated sleeping pills. I also do the counting sheep, relaxation techniques etc. (Also, I can't have day sleeps as my son only has 2 x 50 min naps a day).

Are all mum's this tired? What do you do to get energised? I seriously feel "out" of it! I wonder how on earth I managed in the early days when I was awake every 2 hours feeding! hahaha

What time do you go to bed? Maybe you could go to bed earlier and use the time in the morning to do stuff.
I've turned into a bit of an early to bed person now after years of DH getting up at 4am for work. The wee small hours can be quite constructive for me if I don't go back to bed with the macbook rofl ;)

hello,oh i sympothise with you so much!!Its awful not being able to sleep!I thought i was the only one with this!!!I have always loved my sleep and been quite a good sleeper and once my baby girl was born i was up every 2-3 hours i thought id die haha but from 7 weeks she started sleeping through but i couldnt sleep!!Id lay there waiting for her to wake up!and like you worried i think as i knew that if she woke,id not be able to go back to sleep then id get all in a panick trying to make myself sleep!I am that mad that i dreaded nightime as i knew itd be like would i sleep or wouldnt i?everyone was like lucky you your baby sleeps threw and i was like yep but i dont sleep!Im getting better now but i still have nights like it,sometimes once or sometimes twice a week i just cant sleep or sleep for few hours (after waiting ages to fall asleep)then cant go back to sleep,i also like you have tried all sleeping aids and herbal remedies,sorry im not much help but i just wanted to say your not alone and i feel for you!Someone did mention to me a cd which plays music which aids sleep its called"white noise"but i havent tried it yet but think i will have to!i think too my babys 4 months now and has started waking again at 3 or 4 am so thats thrown me out again argh!

a while ago i downloaded a hynotherapy podcast type thing, it was actually meant to be for weightloss, but i would listen to it on my mp3 player at night in bed and nearly every time by the end of it i was asleep.... maybe you could download something designed especially to aid sleep... failing that i would actually go to see someone (i'm not sure who, depends what you are interested in, hynotherapist, meditation expert - someone that can teach you how to REALLY relax).... it is a true skill and not something we are all born with.....

if i hear any noises while i am trying to fall asleep (barking dog, snoring partner, dripping tap etc) i simply CANNOT go to sleep.... when i wake up in the night and my partner is snoring/breathing audibly, i have to toddle down the hall into the spare room where i fall asleep instantly, but if i were to stay in the bed i would be driven mad by just the simple sound of breathing! quite a problem but not ready to address it at the moment.... i do need to buy some more ear plugs.

I'm very similar. Luckily DD sleeps through BUT DP often has to get up for work between 3-5am and I find it very hard to get back to sleep.

There's two things I do. If I find myself thinking about the day ahead, I tell myself, "there's nothing you need to think about right now, you can think about it later." But I don't tell myself that I have to go back to sleep either - I find that's too much pressure!

The other thing I do is put the radio on to a news channel - like 1026 AM. It means I can half-listen to something and while I'm listening to what's going on in Afghanistan (instead of my day ahead) my mind relaxes and I drift off. Makes for pretty weird dreams but hey, sleep is sleep!

Sleep CDs haven't worked for me in the past because I'm constantly aware that they're not making me sleepy and they just wind me up even more.