Coping with lack of sleep

[Firstimer703]

I'm 14 weeks pregnant and the last few weeks have needed to go to the toilet about 4 times a night. I'm feeling pretty exhausted now and wondering if it will stop any time in the next 6 months and if not how I can cope with it long term. It's starting to really make me stressed and I'm feeling the impact on my immune system as I feel really run down and have a cold. Is anyone else having the same problem? How are you coping?

[yikesanotherbooboo]

It tends to improve in middle trimester... sleep when you can. I used to go to bed as soon as I got in from work.
Unfortunately sleeplessness gets worse again at the end of pregnancy when you are uncomfortable and of course deteriorated completely when the baby arrives. See this as practice. In the end something wonderful is happening and we all get through it.
Everyone has reduced immunity in pregnancy, that is the reason for the flu vaccine being recommended.I don't really think it is the sleep thing. Best of luck.

[pastabest]

You just have to sleep when you can when you feel like this. Like the PP I would come in from work and pretty much go straight to bed. At my absolute worst I would go and gave a nap in my car in my lunch hour.

It tends to get better for a bit from now onwards and then worse again in the last few weeks.

I've found my second pregnancy much much easier as I'm still off work on maternity leave from the first and could just nap when DC1 naps.

[Buglife]

I really don’t sleep well in pregnancy, and after DS was born I obviously didn’t sleep well for a very long time afterwards either. I can only say you do get used to it and I don’t “need” as much sleep as I did pre pregnancy. If you are feeling run down that could be any number of things as well as lack of sleep. I’d second the advice of sleeping whenever you can outside of your normal sleeping hours. Have an afternoon nap at the weekends, a couple of times a week have a crazy early night. I think nothing of going to bed at 7.30pm after DS! It’s tough but it is what it is. I am pregnant with DC2 and DS who’s 3 often still wants me to pop in bed with him in the middle of the night so I’m not sleeping much!

[Backenette]

Sounds normal. I’ve always woken lots. 3-4x a night isn’t so bad as long as you’re getting back to sleep after.

I always say it’s training for when the baby arrives. Ds woke at least every 45mins for a year and a half. Now he finally sleeps and in pregnant again. 4-5 loo trips a night feels like heaven compared to that.

Go to bed early -8pm if you have to.

Sorry not the most helpful advice but it’s normal to wake many times a night when pregnant.

[FranticallyPeaceful]

Currently 25 weeks and I go about 5x a night and gets worse towards the end. It’s just a normal part of it unfortunately. On the upside, it kind of prepares you for having a newborn -ish

[ClareB83]

3-4 times a night has been normal in my pregnancy. Just try not to fully wake up and then go back to sleep. Eg make route to bathroom easy, don't turn lights on or low level automatic light.

[HoneyBee03]

I'm 20 weeks and my bladder is only getting more squished! The only way I have managed to get around this is to limit my water intake before bed. I drink plenty throughout the day, but a few hours before bedtime I'll only take sips of water if I need it or to take my vitamins. Unless you already do this, it might be worth giving it a go to see if it makes a difference?

[mindutopia]

Try to limit your fluids in the evening and go to bed early. With my first, I was in bed most nights early on by 7/8pm. But then again waking up at least twice a night is pretty normal for me anyway. Your body does adjust. Make sure you're taking a good quality pregnancy vitamin and the max of zinc and vitamin D and plenty of vitamin C (I've been taking 500 mg twice a day through cold season) and that should help with your immune system. Par for the course though, unfortunately, you just have to take it easy and get rest whenever you can.

[HoneyBee03]

Otherwise, as @ClareB83 suggested - making sure you have a very dim in the toilet, rather than turning on the big light, makes it much easier to get back to sleep!

[Firstimer703]

Thanks for the tips everyone, there are a few things I'm not doing so I'll give them a go and hopefully will start to feel better soon. I've got a week off work next week so that might help me to feel human again! Really appreciate the advice x

[Firstimer703]

Morning all! Grateful for all of your posts, I took the advice and accepted it instead of letting it stress me out. Got an early night and I feel better! Seems like my cold is gone too. Thanks for all your comments xx

[ClareB83]

👍

[BitOutOfPractice]

Excellent! Glad you slept better.

One obvious thing too is don't pick your phone up (don't know if you do when awake in the night. I'm terrible for it!) as it'll take much longer to get back off again.

Just think though, you'll be well used to sleep deprivation when the baby arrives and by the time the menopause kicks I you'll be a champ at it.