Tips to help me sleep through the night!

[Aloha31]

Thank you! Dd is 14mo and sleeps through more or less (since 7mo). May go through phases of early waking, 5ish, but i wake at 6 anyway for work, so not a huge problem for a week or so. Even if she doesn't wake early, i stir around five since being a mum and only really doze after that. I feel great, get about 7 hours a night and manage work and raising her alone just great.

However, if I do happen to wake up, that's it. Often I stir at four and can't get back to sleep lately. I've been awake since one tonight and it's almost four now! It's a bit too frequently this past week or so, starting to catch up with me and become a fixed habit!

Any tips for staying asleep? Thank you!

[Suckeddry]

Interested in this as having the same problem. DS is only 4 months but I cannot for the life of me get back to sleep between feeds. It's killing me...I used to be an epic sleeper too.

Have you tried a hypnosis sleep CD? I have one on my iPod that does help get me off. Still takes ages though

[BananaPie]

I read the Paul McKenna book recently - that has some useful techniques in it for getting back to sleep. It came with a cd, but I'm yet to get round to listening to it.

[Nevercan]

Warm milky drink?

[MyLittleMiracles]

lavender oil on your pillow. Deep breathing tactics.

[patchesmcp]

I'm the same so I feel your pain :( My sleep is rubbish even though DS's isn't too bad now. I always wake at least once in the night and sometimes 3 or 4 times and it takes me ages to get back to sleep.
I try to empty my mind some people would say there was nothing in there anyway and focus on counting but it doesn't work very well.

Remember reading something once which said you go through cycles, so it tends to take an hour and a half once you've woken up til you'll fall asleep again :(

[PebblePots]

I have a mantra which I repeat in my head 'i'm comfy, warm & safe'. I think about how comfy my bed is & sometimes snuggle a bit closer to dh - warm, or have him put his arm over me. ( I used to never fall asleep while being touched before baby).

It is hard when your mummy radar is working overtime. Oh, I also have another mantra 'dd will wake me if she needs me'. This is to try to stop my ears being out on stalks listening for her.

Good luck!

[Aloha31]

Am getting there but with the clocks going back soon, am I doomed to wake up at 4 each day???

Does anyone have a link to the Paul McKenna book? Thank you!

[Aloha31]

Ps going to bed later, plus clearing my room of iPhone has really helped! Got lavender plus vit b before bed!

Think it's just habit now! Would love to wake up at half six!

[Rotter]

I sleep so much better when I exercise regularly.

[fotheringhay]

I had this, getting increasingly worse, and now two years down the line I realise it was/is probably PND (yes I'm slow on the uptake!)

Won't be the case for most people of course, but do bear it in mind if you wake early and can't sleep for several months.

[topsi]

you could try taking some tryptophan before bed. Other wise eat bananas, poridge, poultry, brazil/walnuts, cheese etc can all help.

[Brothy]

Know how you feel! Do you have the monitor on (assuming baby is in their own room), and are you comfortable with switching it off? I think PebblePots is right in saying they will wake you if they need you.§
Also I find making sure the room is totally dark helps me get off to sleep.
I also find using the computer a lot in the evenings makes it harder to sleep too.
Hope it gets better soon

[Aloha31]

This is getting silly now. Up at 4.45 this morning, so sad about it.

Everything else is just great, no worries. It must be an ingrained habit now. It was on and off but the past month it is set in stone, and the past week it is really getting me down.

I want to go to bed at a normal adult time and wake up after 7 hours sleep, so just after 6! The clocks go back soon, so will I be starting my day at 3.45 every morning?

I am trying to go to bed not at 9pm (when I feel tired) but at 11 instead. Will this help? Falling alseep no problem ever, I am very happy.

Herbal tablets etc no help as they have clearly worn off by 5am.

Dd sleeps well in her room, the other end of my apartment to me. Monitor on silent (it beeps if she cried very loud - I wouldn't hear her otherwise as too distant).

Please!!!

[Aloha31]

All bloody sleep tips are based on either not being able to fall asleep when you go to bed, or waking lots in the night. Neither applies to me!!!