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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Insomnia in early pregnancy

18 replies

Poppet77 · 20/12/2013 09:27

Has anyone suffered insomnia in early pregnancy (I am 6 weeks). I can get to sleep fine but wake at about 4am and cannot get back. Never had problem sleeping before. So I am exhausted but through lack of sleep rather than anything else!

OP posts:

Cariad007 · 20/12/2013 10:06

Yes, I did. Then I hit second trimester and slept like a baby! Now in third trimester I have episodes of insomnia but it's nowhere near as bad as in first when I was regularly waking at 4 or 5am.

eurochick · 20/12/2013 10:09

It's my main early symptom. I'm doing IVF which involves a shot of HCG before egg collection and even that keeps me awake!

I'm getting a backlit ebook for Xmas, so I can read at night without putting the light on and waking my husband up! Lying awake for hours is so dull. I suggest just accepting you are awake and reading/Mning or whatever until you can get back to sleep. I usually find I get back to sleep just before my alarm goes off...

jollyjellybean · 20/12/2013 11:06

yes me - I am suffering from insomnia very badly and am just 7 weeks and am being driven demented by exhaustion because of it - I get to sleep fine and then wake at 3am and that's it Im awake till 6am and then dose till alarm at 6.30am!!!!!!!! I am beside myself with tiredness!
Surely there must be a cure for this - am desperate to find one if there is!

ChicaMomma · 20/12/2013 11:08

Another insomniac!!
i'm 14 weeks now and it's definitely better lately.

Up until recently i was waking at 4am like you, and struggling to get back to sleep. Good practice for when baby arrives :)

Since i've started prego yoga (and more walking also) i've been sleeping a lot better- you cant really start that yet though (until safely into 3rd trimester). Try afternoon walks though, see if that helps.

jollyjellybean · 20/12/2013 11:10

thanks chica - Im going to try the afternoon walks - very good plan :)

wishingforwillpower · 20/12/2013 11:12

Yes it's awful - exactly as you describe, fall asleep fine then awake from 3ish onwards. I'm 18 weeks now and still suffering... My best solution which had helped a lot is to remove all clocks, phones etc so I can't tell what time it is when I wake up - stops me from obsessing e.g "omg it's only 3am, have only slept for four hours, must get back to sleep or I'll be wrecked in the morning" etc which in turn stops me from getting back to sleep!

Original poster

Poppet77 · 20/12/2013 11:49

Yoga and exercise both sound like a good idea to try. I was unaware of it as an early pregnancy symptom but glad that it is not too unusual.

OP posts:

Suzietwo · 20/12/2013 19:02

Drugs drugs drugs! Pirotin works wonders!

B3llaB00 · 20/12/2013 21:19

I too am suffering from this - my ability to sleep is rebound but at the moment I am wide awake at 4am and struggling to dose off :-( I am 6.5 weeks

MrsArthurWellesley · 20/12/2013 21:22

Wait until the third trimester :(. I was broken.

Get some box sets now...

MyNameIsWinkly · 20/12/2013 21:23

I took up crocheting because of this, I could do it quietly in minimal light.

13 weeks now and can easily sleep 10+ hours at a time, so it passed for me. The crocheting has been abandoned now.

Writerwannabe83 · 20/12/2013 22:19

I started with the insomnia at about 12 weeks and it never settled. I'm now 26 weeks and my sleeping pattern is horrendous. I'm up at 2, 3 in the morning doing housework at times. Sometimes I manage to fall asleep at night but usually I will lie there for hours, wide awake. I have had days where I have been so exhausted I'm just breaking down in tears. I try and wear myself out as much as possible during the day in the hope I will sleep better, but it makes no difference. I'm in a state of acceptance now and just get on with it. I'm hoping it will improve one day but I sharn't hold my breath

Mabelandrose · 20/12/2013 22:30

Yes, same here 3am waking up and mind racing. Also getting up 7am at weekends (very out of character).

Fedup1992 · 21/12/2013 07:26

33 weeks and it's just started for me!!!!

Felt awful yesterday after having 3 hours sleep in 2 days! This is the first sleep iv had at night In weeks!!!

Thank The Lord

RubyGoat · 21/12/2013 07:33

I had this, it was my very first symptom, started at 3.5 weeks (so before I could possibly have known I was pregnant). By 5 months I was down to a regular pattern of 2-3 hours per night. I was signed off sick from work from 6 months as I was so exhausted. The night after DD was born was the best night's sleep in months, bliss!

Fasterkillpussycat · 21/12/2013 07:36

Yes - started practically straight away and still going at 27 weeks in. Very frustrating!

Waitinggame8 · 21/12/2013 11:17

Yes, there was one thread on her a few weeks ago joking about the 4am club. Think it seems quite common, mostly for needing the loo I found! Now I'm almost 16 weeks (baby number 1) and it is much better. Still the odd night either for the loo or cramp, but I am getting back to sleep much quicker.
All I can say is thank god for the holidays, hopefully I can catch up on some much needed sleep and energy in general, except I still woke up at 6am as normal yesterday even though my alarm was off - not happy.

greentshirt · 21/12/2013 11:29

Ive had bouts of this and now I just seem to have become an early waker, whatever time I wake up, thats it for me, cant just turn over and go back to sleep anymore!

I agree acceptance is the best way forward, I felt a lot more tired when I was laying in bed panicing about getting back to sleep and how tired I would be the next day

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