New to Mumsnet...advice on sleeplessness?

[NewMummy5July2011]

Hi everyone
I'm new to mumsnet, and this is my first post and I hope to get some help, or just see if anyone else is in a similar boat and how you got through it.

I'm 19 weeks and have suffered from mild sleeplessness since the beginning of my pregnancy, but the last week or so it seems to have gotten much worse.

It's taking me ages to fall asleep, where previously I would get to sleep straight away. I usually wake up about 3am, and from that point onwards, I seem to sleep for maybe 1/2 hour, have a very strange dream and then I'm awake again. And the cycle continues. I feel really tired during the day, but then am awake at night, I mean WIDE awake. Like I could run a marathon, I can practically feel the adrenalin coursing through my body!

Just wondering if anyone else has had any problems sleeping, and if so, any advice or suggestions on getting a good night's sleep again?

Thank you very much. xx :)

I havnt had too much of a problem while being pregnant, though sometimes I do wake up in the middle of the night and cant get back to sleep, even though Im dead tired.

With sleep problems its hard not to think about it but that is the one thing you should do. I think beacuse otherwise it becomes a habit.

Maybe you should try to do things before bed to tire yourself out, and if you do wake in the middle of the night and cant get back off. Get up and do something out of the bedroom, go and read for an hour or watch some telly, but dont do it in the bedroom, and then try to sleep again.

I hope you dont have to put up with this all your pregnancy and it gets better soon.

welcome to MN
As greenzebra said I would get up and try and do stuff, but relaxing stuff. I used to get up and make myself a hot chocolate eveyr night and then drink it downstairs with the lights down and some soft music/telly on. 9 times out of 10 I would then fall asleep in the armchair and not wake up til morning.

I think it was a combo of nbot being able ot get comfy lying flat and every little movement DH made waking me up that caused it.
DOn't fgs have a bath if you can't sleep. You run the risk of falling asleep in the bath, or, when you are very big, getting stuck and no-one being awake to help you out....

Thanks for the advice - I'll give your suggestions a try and promise not to get in the bath! :)

Sorry about spelling, was typing with small children climbing on me.
Re: the bath, that was the voice of experience, could you tell? Also a good reason never to take a bath when alone in the house during your last few weeks, or at least have a phone within reach. Or it could just be me [fatarse emoticon]

i've had this problem myself recently and found that the twilight books can usually put me out...

Yep, def voice of experience on the bath! I've already started keeping my mobile next to me when I take one just in case! Slept a bit better last night, still woke up loads though, maybe will give the twilight books a try!

I've found peppermint tea, wrap self up in anything fleecy curl up on chair or sofa with music/tv on very low and lights on low. When nodding of I head back to bed still wrapped in fleece stuff until snuggled up. Now I need the tuning circle of an oil tanker I have effectively what looks like a nest (as DH refers to it) in the spare bed which is comfy even when awake. Also use the technique of when brain wide awake of thinking of a relaxing scene, it takes time but with practice it has helped switched brain off. Nightmares woke me a lot at that stage now it is a foot, fist, elbow (NOT DH! )

I kept my ipod next to the bed, with some relaxing audiobooks to listen to. I found that when I was enjoying listening to something I would drop off much better and if I didn't, at least I wasn't bored and irritated.

Hi I'm struggling to sleep at night too, I'm only 9 weeks but keep waking up with really bad nightmares and can't get back to sleep. I,ve found opening the window really helps and I have a lavender pillow too. Last night I was so tired and couldn't sleep, then the morning (Night time for me) sickness kicked in so I popped the tv (calm documented) on window open and I was fast asleep 10min later. hope it gets better for you x

The worst for me is if I have to get up in the night for the toilet or to see to ds or if DH wakes me up ridiculously early (he starts work at some unholy time of the morning) Once I'm awake there's just no chance of me getting back to sleep! It's torture!