Dread nighttime with newborn

[Tbug]

I had LO 10 days again- very traumatic birth, placenta abruption, lost 3L of blood and had general anesthetic and didn't meet baby for 12 hours and she was in special care and we didn't come home for a week. Is it normal to be so anxious about night times, some nights are better than others but I just find nights so scary and I dread them. Don't know if its cos its dark and feels lonely or what, guessing part of it is hormonal aswell. Tell me I'm not alone :(

Are you sleeping ok, OP? I found it really hard to get to sleep as I felt too anxious in the first few months, my twins are five months old now and the nights are much better for us all. I found it helpful to listen to podcasts to fall asleep, I still do this and it helps me drift off to sleep even now. I really recommend the podcast Nothing much Happens by Kathryn Nicolai. I listen via the podbean app. It is a gentle meditation that helps you switch your brain off for sleep.

Please do speak to your midwife if you are still under their care. They can support you for the first 28 days. Or speak to your GP. It will get easier, but you don't have to struggle unnecessarily.

Thank you all so much, made me feel much less alone ❤ slept downstairs while she had her last sleep so had a couple of hours of sleep and she's just feeding now then sleep hopefully xx

@User13489089768, gosh I did the same after being in hospital for 6 nights without any sleep after having DS1 after an emcs. I was hallucinating faces too in the curtains. I also suffered flashbacks for months. I used to bring baby down to sleep in the pram in the night and I'd sleep on the couch.

@Tbug what you are feeling is totally normal. It will get easier when baby settles a bit more and gets more into a daytime and nighttime routine. I still get like this too if mine are ill.

I recently had a stay in hospital and an operation and my sleep was screwed after and I was tearful. You are dealing with a lot all at once. Newborn stage I found very hard twice.

Ah I also didn't realise this was a thing until I had my DD. The anxiety in the build up to the evening was awful and I didn't even have a particularly bad sleeper after the first week or so but it was just the anxiety each night of what if I can't get her to sleep, what if she's up all night, what if i don't get any sleep etc and it's as you're starting to get tireder as well by the end of the day. She was a typically fussy baby in the evenings from 6pm as well which I think made it worse. It carried on for weeks even though she got more consistent at night I just always had this niggling anxiety. It did pass as time went on and she currently sleeps like a dream at almost 4months (for now anyway)