To ask what you’re doing awake post-midnight? Part 3: Return of the Insomnia

[5YearsLeft]

Hey all - We’ve made it to the third thread. Whether you’ve posted before or you’re brand new, if you’re stuck awake, then you’re welcome here. We’ve had people facing it all on the last few threads: grief (loss of DPs, DHs, parents, children, and pets), illness of every sort (cancer, COVID, post COVID, sciatica, antidepressant withdrawals, stomach bugs of every sort, cold/flu, autoimmune problems, and even more diagnoses), ill children and partners (vomiting, crying, unable to sleep… and that’s just the adult family members! Ok I’m kidding, that was mostly the kids), women in labor, women with surgery fears, fears of all other sizes, anxiety, work anxiety, and of course insomnia caused by myriad things (LOTS of peri and postmenopausal insomnia).

Whatever is keeping you awake, you’re always welcome to share it here.

If you’re following in from our last thread, it’s:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4473171-To-ask-what-you-re-doing-awake-post-midnight-Part-2-Insomnia-Strikes-Back

There are signs on the face too, just wouldn't post it here as it could lead to me being in deep doodoo....

@MoreThanRubies Oh yes! We do try to support each other; though I admit that sometimes I don’t catch some of the people between 5-7 until morning.

@ArabellaStrange Oh gosh, of course, how silly of me. I wasn’t even thinking. I’m sure this must be so scary if this is a child you care about, and even worse if you suspect you might have to report something or someone. I do hope maybe you can still get a little bit of rest tonight.

It's not scary as such. Just been criticized massively recently by the mother of this child and based on my suspicions this is not something she can really take the moral high ground on.
But I have no proof only suspicions.

@ArabellaStrange Hmm. That’s really tough to say. And I don’t know how close you are to her, but is it even possible that she DOES know and is in denial or deflecting blame? Sometimes people just refuse to deal with what’s in front of them, and that’s a personal choice UNTIL they start lashing out, hurting and blaming others, and then it can get very ugly and hurtful, quickly. Good luck with it all.

Haven’t posted for a while because the sleeping tablets I now have to take do give my brain an artificial type of sleep of a few hours which is better than nothing. Trouble is I think I’m becoming tolerant to them so I get less sleep per gram of tablet than I used to. I guess I’ll eventually need a wheelbarrow full just to get a few hours kip…
Been told I now need another AD med to combat the dreadful anxiety and depression brought on by the last one. Just what I was hoping to avoid and now feel like I’m in a vicious cycle ....

@MrsGlum don't take the same thing every night, vary between different medications. Are you prescribed anything? Have you talked to your GP about it?
Also try and get to a point where you push yourself through one bad night and hopefully as a consequence, get a good nights rest the following night.
Insomnia is the pits and I have genuine and deep sympathy for any who suffer from it.

Hello and welcome to yet another weekend after-midnight thread, meaning you’ve officially made it to the weekend. Despite whatever problems are mounting, despite the sleep deprivation, you made it through another five-day week. I think you’re a fucking hero, and it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.

As always, everyone is welcome here. We try to support each other with whatever’s keeping you awake, whether it’s anxiety, pain, illness, discomfort, sick children or family members, other types of worry, a feeling you can’t explain, or just regular types of insomnia (where either you can’t fall asleep or you can’t stay asleep). You can share, vent, cry, rage, whatever you need about all the things that keep you up.

@MrsGlum I’m sorry I didn’t see this earlier! I know you’ve been dealing with this for quite a while now and it just doesn’t seem to be improving. Since it seems like you have two lines of problems, and neither of them are improving (the physical pain caused, like the pain in your foot, which you were saying is agony) and the mental problems it caused (the anxiety and further depression that you’ve mentioned are tearing your family apart). I wish I had a perfect solution. Maybe a new AD could help a bit with the worry and anxiety if they’re not getting any better at all? It’s really tough to say. I know it’s not what you want, but it’s all so difficult.

Up with sick kids here, turns out Restless Toddler from last night actually has covid. Shouldn't be a huge surprise as we all have recently and I'm still positive. It explains her bad sleep recently.
No sooner than I closed the door, envisioning my nice warm bed, Restless Child started calling out so now I'm sitting with him for comfort.

How are things with you @5yearsleft?

@NearlyHeadlessNick Oh no! Well, on the one hand, it’s nice to have an explanation for the poorly sleep, and on the other hand, no one wants a loved one going through that and it’s possible aftermath, especially a small child. And ugh, I can just imagine almost reaching your cosy bed and then getting called back; that must just be so frustrating, no matter how much you love and care. I do hope DC starts to feel a wee bit better soon, and you can get some much needed rest.

Hello all.

Thanks @5YearsLeft. Today settled it for me after having a call on what my new role entails. Losing everything I’m about as a manager and leader and being KPI only. I’m doing all I can to protect my team and have jobs then can choose to go to, then I’m gone.

Will spend the weekend updating my CV.

The snow looks beautiful.

Hope all else are doing ok. I just binged 5 hours of Bridgerton. Wonderful escapism.

@FlappyFish So sorry to hear that! I mean, I’m glad you know now, so you can make a better plan for yourself, but it’s quite disappointing to hear of yet another business somewhere out there treating people that way. Humans aren’t widgets. Anyway, I hope you find a job that’s 100 times better. So glad you enjoyed the snow and so glad you found some great escapism for a bit. I hope maybe the relaxation from that can help you get a bit of sleep tonight.

I did get to sleep at 10am and got 3 hours but awake since then.memopause . Ended up getting up and lying on sofa as kept disturbing DH moving about. DH at work at 6 so just had a shower, 2 paracetamol and a hot drink and will put telly on low and go back to bed and try and sleep. Not much planned today as no work and Dc teenager so easy . Will just do housework later. Was tempted to do it at 3am this morning. If can't sleep think will do housework. Nothing particular worrying me just seem to wake at 1am every day.

I'm awake too - got really cold out lambing at 3am and now I'm wide awake and too cold to sleep.

Very cute twins born, taken in and one bottle fed so I'm quite chuffed with myself as usually I would need dh to help me.

My sleep cycle is buggered since having kids. I manage about 5 hours a night on a good day. Just laying here in bed until it's a reasonable time to get up

@Belledan1 Ah, menopause-related insomnia is pretty common on the the past three threads. I decided to finally look it up now and apparently up to 60% of women will experience sleep issues related to insomnia, which will be affected (they think), by lowering levels of oestrogen, estradiol, and melatonin. They say hormone replacement therapy can help, and unlike years ago where it raised the risk of cancer, they have types that are almost identical to what your own body would have been making. I don’t know if it’s an option for you (or anyone else on the thread with peri or menopause insomnia). I’m so sorry you’re going through it at the moment! Sounds like you have the right idea about keeping busy. The household might not appreciate the hoover running at 3am, but just tell them that you’re being wise with your time

@bettertocryinamercedes Congrats on the lambs! We actually have another person on the thread who’s already finished their lambing season, so I didn’t even think that of course different locations will have different lambing seasons. And congrats on being able to do it yourself!! Showing DH how it’s done, ha. And twin Dlambs sound lovely.

@imamumgetmeoutofhere Oh gosh, that’s tough! I don’t know if your children are through sleepers yet or not, but that sounds so rough. I know constant sleep deprivation is too much for anyone. Going through it when they’re little is s special kind of hell, and then eventually you have to get back to regular amounts of sleep or it’s just so difficult to do anything, because you’re low-level exhausted constantly. If it’s not the kids keeping you directly awake (if they are… we don’t have a great solution for that yet, ha), maybe try melatonin depending on what time of night you wake up? If it’s “early enough” (1am, 2am), you can still fall asleep and wake up without drowsiness. I’m sorry you’re dealing with this!

Hi. No I can't have HRT cause of a medical condition. Hope everyone gets some sleep tonight. X

So when I went down to the shed at 7... guess what?
Mum had another lamb - I had no idea she was a triplet 🤷‍♀️ so I was a bit confused to see three little ones in with her

Anyway she is being a fabulous mum, all 3 went out in the sun today and are now back in fresh bedding for the night.

Dd lambed her first sheep today and is currently snuggling the lamb inside as it's too weak to drink/stand. Really hoping it makes the night.

Aha! Found you again. Thought you’d start a sneaky new thread and not tell me, eh?

Sending love to all who are lacking sleep, whatever the reason x

Hey there! It’s the official weekend after-midnight thread, since we’re now into Saturday night. These nights are usually pretty slow but you never know how it might go, so here we are.

Everyone is always welcome. This is a thread where we try to be there for each other, especially since there are those in the thread dealing with so much - pain, worry, anxiety, illness, sick children or OHs or family, stress about work and other issues, and all the types of insomnia.

Please feel free to share whatever you need to help you get through the night.

@Belledan1 Ah, I’m sorry! That’s so difficult.

@bettertocryinamercedes Oh wow! Triplets! I really hope the lamb your daughter helped with makes it through.

@Tallisimo Ah, sorry! I signposted everybody at the end of the last thread so I was hoping everybody would make it here! But I don’t think we’ve seen @jowly either, or @coroico97, or quite a few others. Crap. I really hope you’re doing okay!

Tabby cat's with me here

If anyone's looking for a bit of gentle TV, I've been watching old episodes of Time Team on YouTube! The theme tune takes me right back!

@purpleme12 So glad to see that tabby cat is with you. Sometimes that’s the best we can do.

@AlmostAlwyn Oh gosh, I had no IDEA that was on YouTube! Ha! Going to go listen to the theme.

I’m here!! Hi @5YearsLeft and hi @Tallisimo. How are things?? How is the sciatica? I am awake as I often am but still totally and utterly no pain! Every single time I turn over in bed (a lot as not a great sleeper at the best of times) I feel grateful.

Hey @Coroico97! So glad to see you but also obviously, a shame that you’re not asleep. BUT I’m so, so glad that you’re not in pain and the surgery has been such a success! Wonderful! Ah! It’s just such great news. I went and got all my haircut off today. I didn’t exactly expect my hair to turn into a fro once I cut it off, so that was a surprise. It looks like a huge triangle. Good grief.