sleep

[fruitloop101]

Hello,
I miscarried a week ago (unfortunately it was all very traumatic - after a missed miscarriage found at my routine scan I ended up in A and E a week later.....), and although I'm feeling physically better I just can't sleep. I go to bed and then lie awake for hours before finally dropping off around 2am. Has anyone else experienced this, and has anyone got any magic tips?!
Thank you,
xxx

[LIG1979]

Morning Fruitloop,

So sorry for your loss. It really is an upsetting time and I wouldn't want anyone else to go through it.

I had the same problem - after weeks of exhaustion and sleeping like a baby whilst pregnant I got severe insomnia during the mc. A miscarriage is very stressful and I think insomnia is very common following it.

Here are a few tips:
Get up at the same time everyday even if you are tired from the night before.
Go to bed a bit later so that you are tired when you get there.
Exercise
A little alcohol (too much and you end up waking up when the alcohol wears off - also not very good for you)
Valium (not good if you are TTC again but really relaxes you and makes things feel better - you would obviously need to get it off the doctor)

Things do get better and I am now sleeping well again. I think I just survived for the 1st few weeks on less sleep and then had a big catch up when I started to feel better. x

[varietyisthespiceoflife]

Hi Fruitloop
Sorry to hear about your loss. I think your insomnia is common - friends i know who have miscarried have had similar experiences.
I had an ERPC 8 days ago after a MMC. I am, like you, struggling to sleep and am also sleeping really lightly so find i'm woken up by the early morning light, a car going past...anything really!
I've found that getting up and not just lying there helps. Am walking around, having a wee, just trying to get out of the mindset so i can get back into bed and fall asleep.
Am trying not to get too stressed about it, have a very stressful job so hoping now i've gone back to work i'll be extra tired and stop waking up.
Good luck, stay strong and lets hope it gets better soon xx

[Catsycat]

I'm so sorry you lost your baby. I'm going through a MMC now too and it is the worst thing I've ever experienced.

I have CFS/ME and Sleep Apnoea (I'm a bit of a mess really) and my occupational therapist said that if you can't sleep after 15-20 minutes to get up and go into another room and do something relatively boring until you feel tired, then try again. Also, not sleeping during the day, and keeping regular bedtimes / getting up times is meant to help. I also find writing stuff down helps - whether it is lists of things you need to do, or your feelings over the baby.

I'm not actually that serene, so sorry if the above sounds smug. I've just been out in the garden chucking insect netting and garden canes around because it annoyed me, and cursing at my friend on the phone because I dropped a plate of uneaten tomatoes on the floor. But the occupational therapist might be right about the sleep.

I hope things get easier for you (and me) soon. x