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Pregnancy

HELP ! Insomnia

11 replies

Bellabelloo · 19/11/2016 04:53

I LOVE my sleep and have never had a problem sleeping. It's the one thing I worry about having a baby - how am I going to function on little sleep?! However, I am now 29 weeks, am REALLY busy with work, and am constantly utterly exhausted BUT wake at clockwork at about 2am and then struggle to get to sleep again until about 20 minutes before my alarm goes off when I am ripped from an elusive, delicious deep sleep!
I then feel rubbish all day and count the hours until bedtime.

Anyone else suffered and found any good solutions?

PS I don't normally get my phone out, just lie there in the dark! But I was desperate!!

OP posts:

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Bumbleclat · 19/11/2016 05:08

Yes!! I too work very long hours teaching 30 4-7 year olds.
Deslite this I wake up at 2:30am every night without fail and am awake until 6am then I get an hours sleep before my alarm goes off. It is awful but very common. There's a thread on this preggo board called the moany middle of the night thread, come on over- at least you'll feel less alone in it then!

I think it's some kind of hormonal thing. Maternity leave is good because you can nap during the day.

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Fenced · 19/11/2016 05:19

Mother Nature is breaking you in. You will never sleep again. This is your life now. Welcome to it...

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Bumbleclat · 19/11/2016 05:44

Oh god goodbye nice same old self! I'm so crazy without sleep...
I must reccommend just getting up though. Laying there in the dark wide awake is no fun at all :( If you get up have a cuppa and watch tele, It's better!

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Fenced · 19/11/2016 05:45

Body scans are good to help you rest when sleep eludes you!

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MmmMalbec · 19/11/2016 07:21

I honestly found having a baby easier than pregnancy insomnia. At least someone else can have the baby whilst you sleep for a little bit. I'm sure short bursts of deep sleep are better than the utter shit quality sleep I got when I was pregnant too!

I know how hard it is though so fully sympathies

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Monkeyandthebear · 19/11/2016 07:42

I could have written this post. I used to go to bed, sleep within 20 minutes and then wake up with the alarm. Now I am exhausted when I go to bed, so still fall asleep quickly but can be awake for hours in the night. So frustrating when I already feel exhausted.

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Strawclutching · 19/11/2016 07:46

Pregnancy insomnia is grim & so much worse than a baby (and I have 2 shit sleepers!)

The only thing that helped me was doing hypnobirthing relaxation exercises.

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ToffeeForEveryone · 19/11/2016 07:49

Mother Nature is breaking you in. You will never sleep again. This is your life now. Welcome to it...

^ this!

It does get better. Baby will sleep through one day ... So you will get a guaranteed full night one day. In like, 6-7 years, max.

Seconding getting up. Staring at the dark is miserable, get up, have a hot milky drink and watch some crap TV or read a book. I kept pillows and blanket downstairs and got much of my third trimester sleep on the sofa.

Also, you won't have a chance to snuggle up watching telly for a while either, so might as well make the most of it now!

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Trulyamnearanear · 19/11/2016 08:05

This is me since 21 weeks (now 29). I went to the gp this week and she gave me 3 options. Meds (which I'm trying). They're anti sickness, safe in pg with a drowsy side effect. I'm finding it does help getting back to sleep. Ips (sp?) for some talking therapy or she hinted a sick note wouldn't be hard to come by.
Hth

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pastabest · 19/11/2016 08:16

I'm finding that if I go for a wee as late as possible and really empty my bladder as much as possible and wear earplugs (every tiny snuffle from DP wakes me up now) by doing that I'm just about getting enough sleep to function on.

I also have a sunrise clock so I don't have to look to see what time it is - if it's still dark theres still time to go back to sleep, I don't need to know what time it is.

If I do wake up I don't try and fight it. I get up, go to the loo have a drink and settle back down and get comfortable again. If I start thinking about work I say very firmly to myself 'there is nothing I can do about it right at this point in time' and just start counting and focus on counting loudly in my head.

Counting is boring so often I will sort of doze off again.

But yes, I was complaining the other day about the nights you don't sleep all night and then 10 mins before you need to get up you suddenly start to feel wonderfully sleepy. So frustrating!

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Bellabelloo · 20/11/2016 00:11

Thanks everyone!! To the fellow sufferers and the bearers of doom (!! Just kidding!!). I'll have a look for that other thread. Have just had a lovely hot bath, wee before I've come to bed, milky hot chic and am hoping for a good night's sleep tonight, but will definitely try getting up if I wake up again in a couple of hours.

Being on our phones is most likely a no-no too....!

Night, night all!! Hope we all sleep well. X