Postnatal insomnia

[Londongirl03]

I have a 13 week old who sleeps reasonably well through the nights. He is beginning to sleep through though might be up one time a night. I have not slept well since his birth as I was in hospital for a week post birth with medical problems. My husband then slept in the other room with the baby for the first feed (baby is formula feed due to me being unwell in hospital) and my slept was very patchy. Doc prescribed low dose Zopiclone 3.75mg to get my sleep reset but I only took 5 of these tablets over a week and a half to see if would help.
Since then my sleep briefly improved. I have turned into an incredibly light sleeper so wake whenever my baby coughs etc but was getting back to sleep within 20-30 mins if woken. In the last week I have been going to bed 2200ish and waking at 0000. Wide awake. First night I moved from bed to sofa to read and try and get some rest. Prob got 3 hours the whole night. Pattern is repeating until last night when I couldn’t get to sleep at all. Was awake at 0130 (v unusual) and so took a sleeping pill. My son woke at 4am for a feed and managed to get back to sleep but I couldn’t so took another one. I’m getting very distressed as I used to sleep well and the issue is not the baby. Is anyone going through the same or has any advice?
I don’t feel depressed and have bonded well with my baby but want to address this problem quickly so have an app with GP next week. Have tried CALM app, magnesium supplements, reading on the sofa when awake and zopiclone albeit not in a high dose for a few days

@Frandelyon I’ve tried kalms and sleepy teas some nights they work and others they don’t . I had a few days in a row I fell asleep really quick last week which was nice to know that I can do it without the aid of my tablets but then gone back to bad nights again.

I’ve been waiting for a start date for cbt since December . Hoping it does help.

Thanks I really hope it is a phase , everyone keeps telling me that but I’m scared this is me forever now !! I keep looking for stories of people who get better and sleep again for reassurance .
Is this your first phase of insomnia ?

My daughter was born end of Sept so my hormones should be settled soon. How many weeks pp are you? X

@Saz231 I am 10 weeks postpartum. I think what might be good is if on the days where you found it hard to sleep, write down what happened around those days that could’ve triggered your anxiety to kick in some more and disturb your sleep. Or think about what good things you did on the days where you fell asleep easily. It could be as simple as you had a long walk or something......or you were very proactive that day so you drifted off from being knackered out.
The lockdown is making it hard because our minds are not as stimulated and we are not being as proactive because there isn’t much to do- even though being a mum is a busy non stop job- being in the same four walls is mind numbing.

We are getting slowly out of lockdown and we will be able to do the fun stuff!

I’ve not really had sleep issues before. Just the odd night where sleep might be broken up.

It will resolve! Keep telling yourself that this too shall pass. Or you might rewire your brain into believing that this is something permanent which it’s not.

You’re doing an amazing job being a new mum with a second child during a pandemic!!!!

Give yourself a pat on the back xx

@Frandelyon your right I do need to write stuff down and I have noticed the busier I am I have less time to worry about sleep so I have slept better . I think that’s the key breaking that constant worrying but it’s easier said then done. Your right re the lockdown I do not feel mentally stimulated at all looking after kids your just on auto pilot !! It really is mind numbing stuck at home in your own thoughts and quite lonely when hubby is at work .
I’m trying to tell myself that there is light at the end of the tunnel it will soon be good weather and more things will open .

Thanks 🙏 this too shall pass will be my new moto , you are also doing amazingly well done xx