Sleep... well trying to! HELP!

Hi everyone!

I am sure most of you are having or have had trouble sleeping. When I go to bed at night I can't seem to switch my mind off which drives me insane and leaves me lying awake for at least 2 hours. When I do switch off and fall asleep I wake up with my whole leg aching. It doesn't matter what side I sleep on it happens... when I move off my side and on to the other one the ache slowly goes away but it is very annoying! (does anyone know why this happens and if I can prevent it maybe??) It doesn't hurt as such but it doesn't allow me to go back to sleep too quickly. So with that happening, a min of 3 trips to the freezing toilet throughout the night and my mind racing... does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can sleep better? I have tried a relaxation technique they taught us at our antenatal class where you screw up you face then relax it, then make your fists into a ball and squeeze tight and release etc etc... but that isn't seeming to help at all!

HELP PLEASE :pray:

Hey Danielle

I don't have any advice...but just to say that the absolute same thing is happening to me...

I find it really hard to fall asleep...and then experience pain during the night as well...

Sometimes having a warm milo helps before I sleep...but it also adds to the toilet runs in the middle of the night...

Hope you find some relief somehow...take care!

Hi Danielle, You poor thing!

I have been suffering a similar thing for the past 3 months. If I lie down longer then a couple of hours I get pains running from my bottom all the way down my leg & if I turn over the other leg gets it. It was diagnosed as sciatica... seeing a physio helps ease the pain - they also gave me a couple of basic yoga stretches that helped. Last pregnancy I also had accupuncture for relaxation & sciatica. I was told this dissapears as soon as you have the baby. Perhaps a warm honey milk or tea, a hot bath, writing down your thoughts & reading a good book before bed may help you to relax & sleep. I hope you get some sleep soon... all the best!

I took Alans advice and tried panadeine. It takes away the ache and made me sleep right through and Ive been getting average 4 hours a night since 20 weeks! Ive had it 3/5 last nights.

I am close to the end and I feel its important I get some rest before the big event and it is really helping.

Other ideas are lots of pillows, I even have the whole bed to myself as DH is in the spare room.

Hope it gets better for you really soon.

I had this very bad with my first and it has started already with this one. I used pillows as my main problem was hip pain, but it does not help much. At one point near the end I was on the lounge sleeping in a sitting position with my knees bent up.

I must have looked bad as my Ob then asked me if I was sleeping and I said "No", he asked me if I wanted something to help but I refused as I was worried about taking stuff when pregnant.

I am worried this time as it has started already and I have a 3 year old who wakes all the time so between her and the hip pain I am buggered really. Why do we do this to ourselves again?

Well, I am still awake!

Tried to go to sleep but no luck... I tried having a hot drink before I went to bed and it obviously didn't do the trick for me. I just tossed and turned until I got over it and got up!! I wasn't in bed long enough for my legs to start aching but I have had constant BHs from about 8pm and they won't let up!! :cry:

I have tried sleeping with pillows but I feel I don't have enough room and I toss and turn a lot and it is a pain to keep moving them from side to side. My DH takes up too much room in bed for my liking (poor guy, he is a slim build and only uses his half of the bed!!)!! We have a queen size bed, so it's not as if it is smallish like a double but I tell you a bed to myself or a King size would be heaven at the moment.

Sorry to whinge but it feels good to get my frustration out!!!:)

Hi Danielle,

Only just saw your post and thought I may have some advice although it looks like you have tried most things.

I also have all the same probs as you and have had for some time now. What I have done which allows me to get about 5-6 hrs a night (at least I can function a bit in the day with this), is to have a body pillow - available from Spotlight for about $15-$20. It is along pillow that you cuddle into and it supports your hips/legs, belly and arms which overall keeps your whole body much straighter and in line. Also the body pillow moves much easier when you roll over as it will roll with you so you don't have to wake up, move all the pillows and then try to get back to sleep.

Also I generally do some deep breathing with some relaxing music whilst sitting half up in bed before sleep. It is a mediation breath that really relaxes you if you allow it to. Just count to 4 on the inhale and try to get to 6 on the exhale - all through your nose - not mouth.

Writing down any lingering thoughts before bed is also a good idea so that you are not thinking of them when you wake up at 3am.....

Really hope this helps - from one sleep deprived bunny to another :crossfingers:

My warm milo before bed causes excessive heartburn, the pillows no longer give much relief, even if I throw DH out of our queen bed, hips & lower back ache like hell...

So I try to nap on weekends for an hour here & there, I get about 4hours of sleep a night, work Full time & then nap on weekends...

It's the best I can do... 1 more week of work & then i can nap when Indah naps during the days!!!

I'm the same :( I'm SURE it wasn't this bad last time!!!

My main problem is that I can't breathe! I feel like everything is so squashed in there that I can't breathe properly!

As for the hips, I use pillows between the knees also, and find this really helps. And with the thinking, could you go for an afternoon walk? that sometimes works to both clear your mind & to make you a bit more physically tired (like you need that! :rolleys: LOL)