I Just cannot sleep-Help

[mum2oliver]

Im 28weeks preg.Im not sleeping and am feeling exhausted.I am a childminder and am finding it hard to cope.I have a 2.9ds.I ccant switch my mind off when the light goes out.My legs are SO restless and it just goes on and on so then have to go downstairs and get myself so worked up and upset.Its dead boring aswell.
Does anyone else have probs sleeping?
I have always been like this but do manage to get off in the end but during this pregnancy its bad.I slept so heavily with 1st preg and was looking forward to doing this again.
PLEASE HELP ME.CANT GO ON......

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

Ah, restless legs....

The bane of both of my pgs.....

It sucks - doesnt it. I used to have to get DP to rub both my legs - particularly from the knee down - with cocoa butter too - which helped. He'd have to do it for about 10 mins every night - i could get to sleep after that.

[mum2oliver]

Its so awful.I cant even sit down for long now on the lap top.Have to keep getting up to walk around just so I annot feel it.DP fast asleep.He has to work long hours.Cant have both of us like this.Thanx for the tip though,maybe at the weekend.

[GooseyLoosey]

Have the same problem. Can't help with the legs but with switching mind off, I do 2 things:

1. have a book by my bed and force myself to read it beyond the point of exhaustion until can't keep eyes open any longer.

1. try playing pointless word games in my head to stop my mind racing. When was pregnant used to think of as many baby names as possible for each letter of alphabet. Almost never got to the end.

Good luck

[ediemay]

You poor thing. I had twitchy legs too and believe it or not had acupuncture in the end which really helped me. I think I might have read somewhere that it can be linked to a slight lack of vitamin B6 or B12 but don't quote me on that. I used to walk up and down in a hot bath, then go straight to bed. Warmth definitely helped, I also wore long loose socks in bed - my lucky DP!

[ediemay]

mum2oliver, I found this

Restless Legs Syndrome

[ediemay]

and another one

RLS again

[mum2oliver]

Thanku so much eceryone.I feel exhausted,frustrated,angry,touchy and bkloddy fed up today and this mood is becoming more frequent.Finding it hard not to get mad with the kids.Poor little loves.Dont get me wrong Im coping with them at the moment.zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[mum2oliver]

sorry-bloody fed up

[LauraGas]

I had sciatica from about 17 weeks which sounds fairly similar and painful. My dad does acupuncture and I was really sceptical about it but it worked SOOOO well. We flew to Cuba for a belated honeymoon the following day (not me and my dad, me and my hubby!) and I don't think I'd have got through the flight without having been needled. I'd definately give it a go.

[mum2oliver]

How much does tis cost? Im skint.

[LittleMan]

Hi Mum2Oliver
I also suffered with restless legs and an over active mind. Like you have always had trouble sleeping but usually go off, during the latter stages of my pregnancy it was a nightmare, soooo tired before ds even arrived. However one thing did work, but you have to do it properly and not go off on another train of thought half way through. For various reasons my dh had to learn self-hypnosis as a chill out method so he kinda taught me too. Basically it involves lying on your back on the bed and trying to make your blank - take yourself to your idylic place i.e. desert island, sea lapping beach etc, then breathe in deeply through nose, fill your lungs so your rib cage lifts and hold your breath for a count of 10. Whilst holding breath tense calf muscles. Release breath slowly through mouth and relax muscles at same time, breath all the way out so lungs empty and you feel like you are sinking into the mattress. Repeat. Then repeat whole thing with other muscles, thigh, then buttocks, arms, shoulders, back etc then do whole body at same time. Takes about 10 mins but you should feel relaxed enough after. Also you could try taking a warm bath before you do it??
Hope this helps a bit and you have my sympathies.

[fizzbuzz]

I had terrible trouble sleeping in pregnancy-3 hours a night, and restless legs.

Was eventually put on amitryptiline to help with sleep (and other things), which did work.

Restless legs are caused by low levels of dopemine in the brain( I think it's dopemine). Anyway it can be helped by low levels of drugs used for Parkinsons disease, which can erradicate it completely. I took a drug called cabaglione, but unfortunately not safe in pregnancy. I was diagnosed with this at Papworth hospital sleep clinic (yes it was that bad) Who also recommended the following for insomnia.

Do not go to bed until really tired. If you do not fall asleep within 20 mins get up and go into another room, and sit relaxing (preferably dim room). when tired go back to bed, if not asleep in 20 mins get up etc etc.

Very hard but does work. Also cut out all choccie, and caffiene incl tea after 2.00pm.

However sleep does change in pregnancy and i had a terrible time which was helped by the amitryptiline. I was sleeping so little I was unable to function at all.

Hope this helps

[mum2oliver]

Fizzbuzz,How did you get to go papworth hosp?
Sorry to be nosey but did you have to pay?
Is it private?Im still not sleeping.Cried evry night for about 8nights and eventually gave in and visited my GP(take alot for me to go as feel never do anything anyway)Gp gave me lots of paperwork and asked wnat I meaant by restless legs?!!!!!! Obviously hadnt heard of it and insinuated that it was me just being anxious.
Read thru all paperwork and it was all common sense.It suggests that there is no cure for insomnia and that you really just have to live with it and that in most cases people become obsessed with how much sleep they have had but really they have probably actually has more than they think.It also says that lack of sleep doesnt effect our performance.

[suziewoo13]

Oh the joys of pregnancy! I had insomnia too and just got up and watched the TV. Luckily the commonwealth games were on so at least there was something to watch. However on the plus side it does mean that once the baby comes 3 hours of deep sleep does seem fantastic. Babies are definetly better out than in.!! Hope you get some relief. I'd try relaxation tapes or imagery. Good luck