Insomnia

[Bugsy]

I've been searching around for tips on Insomnia without much luck. So who's got some tips for pregnant mothers who can't sleep? I go to sleep fine, sleep deeply for a few hours and then I'm wide awake. I had the exact same problem towards the end of my last pregnancy & now its started again.
Last night I was awake from 2.30pm onwards. I was just drifting back off at 5.30am and ds woke at 5.50am - deep joy!!!
I can't take any pills, even ones that are safe during pregnancy because 5 nights a week I am on my own with ds and worry that they'd zonk me out so much that I wouldn't hear him, or the house would burn down around us or something dreadful.
So, has anyone been there and found a solution?

[JanZ]

I ended up just giving in to it. If I woke up, rather than tossing and turning and disturbing dh, I just got up and did something. Usually, that was go and do a bit of surfing on the internet (another excuse to visit Mumsnet?!). Alternatively you could encourage the "nesting" instinct you're supposed to get (and which I never did, much to dh's disappointment) and do some cleaning and sorting (such as the bottom kitcehn drawer!) - the sort of thing you've always meant to get around to. That way, you might tire yourself out enough to go back to bed and sleep - and even if you don't, at least you've achieved something!

[robinw]

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[mollipops]

Hi Bugsy! I'm assuming you don't drink caffeinated tea or coffee...have you tried a warm bath? Or chamomile tea? Visit your local health food shop and ask for some suggestions...there may be a safe natural solution out there! Wishing you a full night's sleep and sweet dreams!

[Pupuce]

My ante natal teacher was an accupuncturist and she said this was known in the accupuncture world as "black blood"... I think.... As I wasn't having that problem I didn't pay as much attention to her explanations as the ones who did.... but I do remember her saying this is something that is worth taking up with an accupuncturist.
Jasper typically wrote at 2AM because she also suffered late pregnanct insomnia.

[Lindy]

I too would welcome advice on insomnia - I have slept badly for the last 12 or more years, in fact I cannot remember when I last slept through the night. It was almost better when I was having to get up to feed my DS as then I had a purpose to get up & could fall asleep quite well! Now he sleeps through & I don't (perhaps I need GF myself - joke!!).

I fall asleep really easily but then wake up around 2/3 & have great difficulty in getting back to sleep - although to be honest I usually do. I read somewhere that this was a sign of depression but I am not aware of any major anxieties in my life.

[SueDonim]

I've had spells of not sleeping, or sleeping badly and I've tried herbal remedies. None of them did much until I picked up Tesco's own version one day and they really seem to do the job. Cheaper than other brands too.

[LKM]

I tend to wake up after about 2 hours and then every 1-2 hours thereafter. I have got into the following regime and this seems to allow me to go back to sleep quite quickly each time:

1. DH sleeps in the spare room since week 34 - this means I'm not disturbed by his snoring, don't have to worry that my restlessness is keeping him awake, and have the whole bed to find comfy positions!
   
2. I have worked out 2 basic sleeping positions which seem to work. One is propped up with about 3 pillows on "my" side of the bed. The other is on my left side with a good sized pillow on DH's side of the bed so I lie almost diagonally. Both pillow arrangements are permanently in place so I can swap easily between the 2 (every time I wake I alternate).
   
3. I keep a glass of water by the bed - dry mouth is terrible at keeping you awake (also dry lips - so put on some balm before retiring).
   
4. Go to the loo if you feel ANY discomfort at all - this helps me no end.
   
   If all else fails get up and watch TV for a while with a milk drink - but this rarely happens now.
   
   Good luck!

[Eulalia]

Bugsy - what about reading for an hour? I guess that is probably pretty obvious. I am in much the same boat although I usually only wake for a short periods but it can often seem like every single hour. How are you during the day? Tired? Sleepy? Sometimes with pregnancy it is just rest you need rather than actual sleep. I know it is annoying because you want to stock up on the coming weeks ahead with a newborn!

[MalmoMum]

I think Radio 4 still turns into the World Service at night. If you mind is spinning around not letting you drift off I found listening to radio on low gives your mind enough to concentrate on to stop dwelling on all those things you should do/can find to worry about but is soothing enough to allow you to drift off. Most programmes only last 15 mins so if you do get gripped by any one programme it won't be for long and there is enough news and sport for your mind to become numb with familarity.

Conversely, you might become hooked and want to follow up on the East African football results or start to set your alarm for 3.25 am or whenever on Tuesdays when John Peel has a 15 min slot. Then that will be another problem!

Hope you don't get driven to distraction.

[winnie]

Radio 3 is our solution. It doesn't always work in which case I retune to the World service but we have a tradition in our house that whenever the children are ill and have to sleep with us we have the soothing sounds of radio 3 to listen too and it always helps all of us get to sleep. The problem is that when the radio is tuned to radio 3, we hear the radio come on with the alarm but we all snugle back in and go back to sleep!!!!!

[Jus]

Lindy, for non-pregnant insommniacs you can try Amitriptyline (on prescription). It's actually an old style anti-depressant (i.e. before the Prozac style ones) and at a low dosage (i.e. sub-therapuetic as an anti-depressant) it is a great sleep-inducer (it mainly works as a muscle relaxant) - particularly for us 'early morning awakening insommniacs'- which is, apparently, a very different kind insommnia to the type that just can't get to sleep in the first place. You can take them periodically (i.e. when you've had a few bad nights and REALLY need a good one or if you're under alot of stress). They are not sleeping tablets so don't make you doped-out or drowsy - if I'm woken up by DS, I'm fully alert but can (most of the time) just get back to sleep afterwards. Obviously, check it out with your doctor before you do anything - it may only suit some people. Other (natural) therapies are : turkey (a few slices before bed) and pineapple which both contain an enzyme which promotes sleep. Hope this is of use. PS Incidently, one of the doctor's prognosis on my insommnia was depression (possibly post-natal..).

[lou33]

You do have to be careful with Amitriptyline though because it can cause palpitations.

[Lindy]

Thanks Jus for your suggestion - actually after posting that note on this thread I have been sleeping a lot better - that's the power of Mumsnet!!

What also helps is not eating too late (better still having my main meal at lunch time) but as DH works long hours & I love cooking we do enjoy a meal together when he gets in so I don't really follow my own advice.