To ask what you’re doing awake post-midnight?

[5YearsLeft]

I had a day that just really banged me about, physically, emotionally, just all the ways, and now, I’m laying here awake and staring at the ceiling.

So why are you awake? Crying baby? Can’t stop thinking? Worried about something tomorrow? Pain somewhere in your body being an arsehole?

Welcome?

Doing an overtime shift tomorrow. Need to leave the house at 7.15am. Perfect night for insomnia to hit. Im going to ask Alexa to play cello music for an hour and hope that sends me off.

@MrsToothyBitch So many night owls. You'd think society would get with the program and have two REAL shifts for all jobs, all shopping, etc by now, but no. Also, I hear that about the trumpeting. Every once in a while my husband gets a clogged nose, and I'll wake up out of a dead sleep afraid that the Book of Revelations is about to take place.

@MWestie Oh! I've been people posting that, but actually have no idea what it is, just the little picture of tiles and saying something like, "Solved my Wordle for the day." Maybe I'll look it up. Are you and your DH competing against each other?

@LittleWingSoul YES. Where does 1:30 come from? No one knows! If I ever figure out how the grown-ups do it, I figure I'll be able to write a book called, "How the Grown-Ups" do it and make a bloody mint! Perhaps I should just start asking people who seem like grown-ups, take notes, and then just cobble it together. Ha. ANd thank you for the support. It was just a crap day, but I know it'll pass eventually.

@Sort0f Good luck for your assessment. If you've been struggling for a long time, then I really hope it can be the jumping off point for you being able to find coping mechanisms that work with ADHD (if that's your diagnosis). Sometimes we just really need that starting point. Otherwise, it's just people doing useless stuff like saying, "Well you MUST be tired. Just TRY to go to sleep," which obviously won't work for you, if you have a condition like ADHD.

@Mywifenow Oh, how lovely! I hope you have such a great time, and perhaps you'll have some high quality sleep after your last cuppa. And if you don't, perhaps you'll have some deep sleep after you start enjoying the rooooomance of your break =)
And thank you. I'll get through it. I always do. Well, I mean, until I kick off, but even then, I'm starting to think I should do that in a blaze of glory, like maybe being shot out of a cannon.

@WhoAre Enjoy your break and hope you enjoyed the litre of coffee (despite possible later problems)! I'm sure you hear it all the time, but we're all incredibly grateful for what you do. I'd be dead without emergency services workers, so I'm veeeery grateful.

OP I have just seen your earlier post, sorry, it was a bit lost in all your kind responses to everyone.

I am so sorry this is happening to you. Divorce is painful enough but in this situation, I cannot imagine.

You are amazing and strong and so kind and funny to everyone. The world will be a much poorer place when you are gone.

@Coulddowithanap Love the name, ha. But ugh, bit unfair - they get you up, they send you back but... now you're up. There should be a law that they have to pay you until you can fall back asleep, ha.

@ilovesooty Well, that's as good a reason as any!

@TheFoldOx Thanks for the tip! I've written it down and will check it out the next time I'm up at 00:48 (so, tomorrow night).

@hilariousnamehere Ah, so it's really more of a one week of cleaning and three months of doomscrolling kind of a arrangement. Well, hey! If it works, it works.

@annonymousse Sorry to hear that and what absolutely wretched timing. If cello music works, great, but I do really well with Native American flute music when trying to sleep. This is the whole album of the Canyon trilogy to see if it would help you at all :

In a shitty situation with a friend and I've got that cold, sicky feeling about it and keep rereading messages.

@5YearsLeft I should have added you need Radio 4 (not Radio 4 Extra) on BBC Sounds.

@5YearsLeft I remember seeing your previous thread now. Sorry things are so tough, no wonder you can't sleep after such a day You're amazing tonight with your thoughtful replies to everyone posting here.

I'm off to bed now, wishing peaceful sleep on every one of you searching for it. Sweet dreams all.

@PlantingTulips I suppose that's a large part of why I'm awake, too. Today was a bit of a wake-up call. I don't have endless amounts of time. And I do want to live while I'm alive. I started a thread on Mumsnet at the beginning of December that's been so helpful, and got me out of a huge rut, actually convinced me to buy myself a new camera for my birthday/Christmas and start taking pictures every day again. But I know I need to do more. That's not enough to take up 24 hours in every day. So I'm still working on that plan. But there are days, and weeks like this, where I get kicked in the pants, that make it a bit hard. The court today. Seeing the doctor who told me I was dying tomorrow. Having to tell my therapist all about it on Thursday. I think Friday is probably a duvet day because it's all I have left.

Trying not to panic - DS in my bed with a temperature, headache and a positive LFT. He's fast asleep again now and temp coming down but after 2 years of being told how awful covid is, I'm scared that it's in my house. And really wishing I hadn't taken him to an afterschool activity earlier as he obviously would have been infectious!

@Lacedwithgrace I'm so sorry to hear that, and that can be so painful. Do you think you could put the messages down for the night? It sounds like rereading them right now is only hurting you more. Maybe you'll get more out of it tomorrow or maybe tomorrow the sun will rise and you''ll decide they're not worth rereading, but at least for tonight, it sounds like you need to just be kind to yourself (no matter what happened, no matter who did what to who, or who's at fault, or any of that).

@DramaAlpaca I hope you find a deep sleep filled with only strengthening dreams!

If I ever figure out how the grown-ups do it, I figure I'll be able to write a book called, "How the Grown-Ups" do it and make a bloody mint! Perhaps I should just start asking people who seem like grown-ups, take notes, and then just cobble it together

OP you have made me smile! I am envisaging you scribbling down loads of notes and then contemplatively chewing on the end of your pencil before exclaiming "aha!" with your finger in the air!

I always thought once I had kids I'd figure out all the grown up things like going to bed at a normal sensible time. See also: being A Punctual Person That Is Always On Time. And also: Leaving The House And Not Needing To Nip Back In Two Or Three Times For Missing Essential Accoutrements.

Still haven't nailed it!

My 3 year old is having a massive eczema flare up, the poor thing. All I can hear is scratch, scratch, scratch. Trying to get more cream on him but he's not having it and won't take any piriton to help the itch his legs are plastered. Might have to get him to the doctors tomorrow as it's never been this bad and I'm worried about infection. We've tried pretty much all creams but if anyone has any recommendations id love to hear them. Were currently on the cetraben with oats and that usually clears it up in a day or two. Nothing at all in the bath. Have had diprobase, oilatum, child's farm, ect. I think it's the central heating. Does anyone on know if you can get antihistamines that don't taste like mint for his age?

I was asleep, but I'm on antibiotics for pneumonia and they're making me feel sick which woke me up. And now I'm awake the chest pains are back so I'm on mumsnet to try to distract me a bit.

Oh fecking hell it's 2.13am. Its probably time to let my face flop. Good night, night owls!

Thanks for the link. Alexa has come up with a selection. Will give it a try. If I'm back in an hour we'll know I'm more suited to cello. 🤣

Up with 14mo DS who will not go back in the cot. Currently trying not to nod off in the armchair.

@MinnieJackson

My 3 year old is having a massive eczema flare up, the poor thing. All I can hear is scratch, scratch, scratch. Trying to get more cream on him but he's not having it and won't take any piriton to help the itch his legs are plastered. Might have to get him to the doctors tomorrow as it's never been this bad and I'm worried about infection. We've tried pretty much all creams but if anyone has any recommendations id love to hear them. Were currently on the cetraben with oats and that usually clears it up in a day or two. Nothing at all in the bath. Have had diprobase, oilatum, child's farm, ect. I think it's the central heating. Does anyone on know if you can get antihistamines that don't taste like mint for his age?

I had this with mine and got to see a really good dermatologist. What she suggested (almost opposite to what GPs who supposedly specialised in this area had advised) and worked - to clear up a red-raw outbreak that we couldn't control for month but changed as soon as we did this, was:

• Bathe an hour before bed. A warm bath triggers the body’s cooling mechanism but it takes an hour or so to work and it’s better for the skin if you let this happen before going to sleep.
• Bathe every day. Atopic eczema is caused by a gene variant which prevents the skin from forming an effective barrier against toxins. It is the same gene that causes hayfever and some types of asthma. Bathing washes some of the toxins away so is beneficial. It is not bathing that dries out the skin but how you dry the skin afterwards.
• Use Aveeno baby body and hair wash in the bath. During flare ups oat baths or Aveeno sachets are good.
• Do not completely dry the skin after the bath. Pat off excess moisture but leave it damp. Then use epaderm ointment to seal in the moisture remaining on the skin. Apply epaderm liberally in one downwards motion because rubbing it in circular motions or upwards can block pores. Then wrap immediately in a towelling robe or fluffy dressing gown for an hour before dressing in PJs for bed.
• During bad flare ups clinifast garments can be used instead of a robe and worn under PJs. These reduce itching and prevent scratching.
• Fight it with fire. Do not shy away from using steroids. Continue using them until the eczema is completely gone and do not stop them suddenly, instead phase them out gradually (will post her suggested schedule in the comments). Always use ointment versions of steroids rather than creams as the skin absorbs them more effectively.

• Type of washing powder makes no difference to irritation provided that the washing is being rinsed thoroughly. If it causes a problem it is usually because the washing machine isn’t doing this. Avoid fabric softener as this is not washed out of the fabric. Always wash new clothes before they are worn. After swimming shower and moisturise immediately. *Also the main causes of flare ups are winter weather and stress. In winter it’s worth applying epaderm ointment to exposed areas of skin before going outside.

Hope this helps your little one.

Thank you for your sweet wordsOP, phone will be going down just as soon as I press send to you.

I'm sorry to see you've had a difficult day, I hope you're comfortable tonight and the lovely people on here look after you x

@Flowers2020bloom That's so tough, as I know that the government, doctors, and other people wanted us to be careful, so they tried to instill in us how bad COVID is and how we need to keep safe. And yes, COVID is bad. But please don't let it scare you too much. Severe illness for children remains rare. Omicron, which is now dominant, causes an even more mild disease. I know it's scary, but try to look at what's happening without the stamp of COVID - he had a temperature that's already coming down. This looks good. You probably wouldn't be worried, except for all the extra COVID stuff. I just recommend handling the symptoms as they come (or don't), and try not to panic too much about the over-arching illness. If he has a fever that won't break, then worry. If he has a cough that won't stop, then worry. BUT if he doesn't have those things, then don't worry, even if it's still COVID. I know it's scary just to know that it's there, we STILL don't know everything about it, though. I wish you the very best of luck, and I hope it passes quickly.

[quote 5YearsLeft]@PlantingTulips I suppose that's a large part of why I'm awake, too. Today was a bit of a wake-up call. I don't have endless amounts of time. And I do want to live while I'm alive. I started a thread on Mumsnet at the beginning of December that's been so helpful, and got me out of a huge rut, actually convinced me to buy myself a new camera for my birthday/Christmas and start taking pictures every day again. But I know I need to do more. That's not enough to take up 24 hours in every day. So I'm still working on that plan. But there are days, and weeks like this, where I get kicked in the pants, that make it a bit hard. The court today. Seeing the doctor who told me I was dying tomorrow. Having to tell my therapist all about it on Thursday. I think Friday is probably a duvet day because it's all I have left.[/quote]
It's amazing you are still standing. And giving such kindness to others. Days like today were always going to be shit. But tomorrow is a different day that you can do something much better with. Take some beautiful photos and then come back and post them here for us to see. Or just lie in bed and be lazy. Do whatever you feel like doing and look after yourself now. Xx

@LittleWingSoul

If I ever figure out how the grown-ups do it, I figure I'll be able to write a book called, "How the Grown-Ups" do it and make a bloody mint! Perhaps I should just start asking people who seem like grown-ups, take notes, and then just cobble it together

OP you have made me smile! I am envisaging you scribbling down loads of notes and then contemplatively chewing on the end of your pencil before exclaiming "aha!" with your finger in the air!

I always thought once I had kids I'd figure out all the grown up things like going to bed at a normal sensible time. See also: being A Punctual Person That Is Always On Time. And also: Leaving The House And Not Needing To Nip Back In Two Or Three Times For Missing Essential Accoutrements.

Still haven't nailed it!

I will have an ENTIRE section devoted to "Leaving The House And Not Needing To Nip Back In Two Or Three Times For Missing Essential Accoutrements." Maybe broken down into: How to Start How to Keep the Dream Alive Where are My Bloody Keys I Know You Put Them Somewhere The List of Essential Accoutrements, Children Not Included The List of Essential Accoutrements, Children Included (See Appendices A - G) How to Keep Going When All Seems Lost

I'm 37 weeks pregnant and being awake at this time is now a regular occurrence.
Usually I'm asleep by 9.30 but between the constant fire burning in my throat, my unborn son doing karate lessons in my stomach and the awful pain and numbness in my hands from pregnancy induced carpal tunnel I'm WIDE awake.
Have moved myself into the spare bed so at least I'm not keeping DH awake with my incessant signing and tossing and turning

I remember this so well. The burning from the constant heartburn, back ache and the carpal tunnel. It wasn't the most pleasant of times but also it was the best!

I'm awake now with the usual peri menopausal all over aching. No sweating, just aching. I stay awake for an hour or so then drop back off.

For OP .

Night feeds

@MinnieJackson I think @PlantingTulips has helped you more than I ever could. I do hope your poor toddler is feeling better soon. Eczema just sounds like torture.

@DanielRicciardosSmile Gosh, what a fun time you're having - you feel terrible so you take antibiotics - they make you feel terrible and wake you up - this makes chest pains recur, and here you are trying to distract yourself from pain. I've definitely been there. SOmeone else was talking about playing Wordle, which is now popular on social media. I haven't tried it, but it's here www.powerlanguage.co.uk/wordle/, if you need something more to distract you.

@LittleWingSoul Thanks for the support, and sleep tight!

@annonymousse Ok, keeping my fingers crossed for you, and trusting in Alexa. If not, there's always cello, and honestly, I'll probably still be here.

@sausagesausagesausage That's so difficult at that age. They really need sleep, but when they want to be up, they WANT to be up. I hope he settles soon.

I spent half a day in a cardiac centre and i dont get the results for 2 weeks
Im not even 40 and already have numerous health conditions