insomnia

:mad: Hi my name is Anna and I am 26 weeks pregnant. The past week I have been suffering from lack of sleep, I am averaging around one hr or so sleep. It is driving me mad, crazy and frantic. I don't know what to do, I can't sleep during the day either. During the day I feel irritable and nervous b/c of the lack of sleep. I wake up my husband and he doesn't know what to do either, I sit there crying and trying to sleep. I have tried or the right cupps of teas, hot milks, tv's and books and nothing seeems to work. I have just bought myself a spray for Insomnia/sleepless nights which is all natural ingredients that you spray under your tongue, which I will try tonight. Anyone else feeling the same or am I the only one suffering this insomnia......???? any suggestions on what I can do? [/b]

I've just moved this to Pregnancy General Discussion where you may get more of a response Anna.

I'm so sorry to hear you are going through this, it hit me in patches but nothing as bad as you are describing. Have you tried warm baths with lavender products? One of my ways of at least getting a snooze is to curl up on the couch with a doona and a book, and read until I feel a little snoozy then just put the book down and close my eyes where I am. I at least get a nap that way.

It does pass, unfortunately the more stressed out you get about it, the less likely you are to relax and sleep! Try some prayer or meditation, or anything to zone you out and make you relax. How about getting hubby to give you a back massage at bedtime?

If it doesn't get any better, you might want to ask the pharmacist if there are any herbal aids that you can take while pregnant to relax you.

Kerrie

Anna, I was exactly the same as you, my doctor gave me STILNOX, and it's perfectly fine to take throughout your pregnancy, but still ask you GP or OB.xx

I just wanted to say Anna, that I really do sympathise with the position you are in. I haven't been a great sleeper for a number of years and it can really take it's toll very quickly and it affects all aspects of your life when you aren't well rested. Sleep deprivation is a very cruel thing.

When you are awake during the night, do you get up, or do you stay in bed? I know this might sound like a trivial thing to be asking, but the sleep specialist I saw told me that when I would be lying there awake for hours on end, to get up and do something.....it might be just reading, watching the TV or something, but just GET UP. Basically it's to ensure that the only time you are in bed, is for sleep. He also recommended having regular bed-time and wake-up times (sounds very boring, but does help regulate your sleep). Having a nice warm shower or bath, a nice warm drink etc before bed always helped me a bit too.

Is there anything bothering you at all....quite often when people have worries, they tend to think about them a lot at night time.....during the day you can distract yourself quite a bit with daily activities, but it's not easy to do when it's bed time, so you find yourself laying there in the dark thinking about all the things that are worrying you. If this is the case, try putting a pen and notepad by your bed and when you are worrying or thinking about things, write them down.....sometimes doing something as simple as this means you can sleep a little bit better.

I really hope that you find something that works for you Anna. I know how awful it can be.

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Anna, I was exactly the same as you, my doctor gave me STILNOX, and it's perfectly fine to take throughout your pregnancy, but still ask you GP or OB.xx

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Thanks Nadia for your advice will ask my doctor about stilnox. I have a spray that I bought today which you spray under your tongue, it is called sleep and insomnia relief by Brauer natural medicine homoepathic product.

I know how you feel.I have been struggling with insomnia since I was 23 weeks.Last night was possibly the worst yet.I now get up when I can't sleep and have something to eat and drink and read untill I get sleepy again which normally isn't for hours.And it doesn't help that my girl is happily kicking me while I'm awake!!!!!!I have it good though as I'm fortunate enough to be on maternity leave so I can sleep as soon as the urge hits.I feel bad at night tossing and turning as DH has to get up for work and when bubs comes we need someone to have their wits about them cause at the moment I'm on complete autopilot.

I really don't have any suggestions except what Kerrie said.Sleep when you can whether it be while reading a book on the couch or where ever.Isn't preganncy great 8-[ when we need sleep the most we can't sleep!!!!!!!!!

That sounds awful and I definitely sympathise with you. I don't have it that bad, but there are nights when I will be awake for 4 hours straight. And I never sleep past 5am, just because that's when I wake up and there's no hope I'll sleep again.
All I can suggest is to stop eating and drinking at least 2 hours before bed, maybe more. Im on the chamomile, eldeflower tea but I have one around 6pm so I don't need the loo all night.
The worst part is stressing, and maybe if you just think, at least if you're resting, you're getting some relief. My mum always said resting is better than nothing. So if you relax and think that, maybe sleep will come.
Im also trying some simple meditation. Just breath in saying SO and breath out saying HUM, in your mind. It's really hard and my thoughts go crazy, but it's great practice for relaxation, and birth, and as time goes you get better at it (and it promotes sleep and relaxation)
GOOD LUCK xoxo

I too had the same problem when pg with Paris, I am hoping things won't be so full on this time! Dr gave me tamazapan when I was pg to help with both sleeping and bad dreams, but I probably took only a few as even though I was told it was fine I was super paranoid LOL! But I don't think I'll be so worried this time around LOL! Especially when I have a little girl at kinder that I have to get up for. My insomnia was so bad, I would be awake often till 5 or 6 am, Marc would be getting up for work and I would be going to bed and I'd sleep till about 12 - 2. My whole body clock was upside down it was ridiculous! It did settle down though which was good. I would definitely stay away from valarian though as I know that isn't safe during pregnancy. Have you tried tea a bit of chamomile (don't use sleepytime tea as I know thats not safe in pg)? Some lavender on your pillow (not safe during early pgcy but ok after that - just a drop or two on your pillow an hour or two before you go to sleep)?

Goodluck chook! I know its not fun!

*hugs*
Cailin

Hi I hear you with the insomnia. It is 5am at the moment and I am still awake. The other night I just laid in bed and didn't get any sleep. I think it is just one of the joys of pregnancy, but on the bright side at least we will be acclimatised to no sleep when the baby comes. lol

Not offering any advice here, just having a big whinge!

It's 6:55am and finally it's time to 'get up' for work. Just that I actually woke up six and a half hours ago at 12:30am!

I have had the occasional bout of insomnia in the past but usually it's waking up at 3 or 4...and then I usually am able to get back to sleep by about 5 or six. This time I just couldn't. I cannot believe I have spent the whole night awake and just so worried about how I'm going to cope tomorrow - I mean today. I'm 28 weeks pregnant (with a very wriggly baby) so it's reassuring to find it's a common pregnancy thing. I'm not even tired right at the moment (albiet in a very surreal speedy way) but my poor partner is. He didn't get much sleep either with my alternate raging and whimpering...It is the worst and I just didn't know how to calm myself down. I tried everything, EVERYTHING! I would relax a little bit then when I was close to slumber my breathing would get shallower and shallower and I would start to panic about how much time had passed and be all awake again. Definitely entered the no go 'zone' there. I wonder how today is going to go? I can't not go to work as I only work 2 and a half days and I'm showing my replacement the ropes...ARGGGH!! Maybe I'll say I had gastro all night and get to go home early? I will no doubt look the part!

I just bought a body pillow and it is money well spend. I just bought the cheap pillow kind not the fancy convertible kind, but I have slept every night since. Worth a shot.

Hi Mandy, I am 39 wks pregnant and ahve been suffering badly over the last week or so with insomnia. I am not napping during the day but I am not managing to fall asleep until about 4am-5am in the moring. I told my midwife about it and she told me I could take a tablet called restavit. You have toask the pharmacist for it. NOt sure at what stage of preg you can start having it but I have taken it the past 2 nights and it has worked a charm. I am only taking half the recommended does and it works so well. I am asleep 20min after taking it. Hope you got through today

When pregnant I got something from my local health food store called Brauer's Insomniac Relief - it's a homeopathic spray, and you spray it under your tongue. I was slightly sceptical at first, but each time I use it I'm usually asleep within 30 minutes.
It's worth looking for. Also a bit of self-discipline, I had to try not to daydream and calm busy thoughts. :p

Can I just say that Stilnox is AUWFUL shyte. Please dont take it. I t does have quite severe side affects for most people, that arent always explained properly.

Try a single drop of lavender oil on your pillow and a head rub from your DH. Concentrate on your breathing and allow the thoughts to pass through your head, dont dwell on them, just recognise you are thinking and allow the thought to progress where they will. Eventually you will stop thinking, as you concentrate on your breathing more, your head will stop and eventually you will sleep.

I hope the problem has fixed itself by now, but just wanted to mention about stilnox. GPs prescribe it left right and centre, and having taken it before, there is NO WAY I would take it whilst pregnant.

I feel your pain. I didn't have this during my pregnancy but suffered for it for 4 months having had DD when she was 6 months. I was just obsessed with sleep and how little I was getting. To be honest I still am but just not the same degree. I had 4 months where I was getting only a couple of hours sleep each night - would take 2 hours to fall asleep, would be for two hours, up for 5 hours and then if I was lucky enough I would get an hour before DD started her day. I was a zombie and ended up having to see a psychologist who said I had anxiety issues (which I did). Fortunately talking with her and starting AD for just a couple of weeks kicked the cycle I was in and now I sleep well.

The sleeping tablets didn't work for me as having a young child she was waking up in the night anyway. Often I would take one and be awake on my own accord anyway after an hour. Despite the fact I didn't get much sleep on them I kind of got addicted as they gave me some solace. I didn't like Stilnox either.

Basically I learnt techniques to try and switch my brain off as it was racing from one thing to the other. I was also fearing going to bed at night and got pretty worked up as I knew that I wouldn't sleep. I tried EVERYTHING.

Again my situation is different but just wanted to post it and say that if it continues after the birth seek help asap.