Sleep (or lack of!)

[maeanne]

I'm just under 5 weeks pregnant so very early days, but the symptoms have certainly kicked in already! The worst being that despite being exhausted all the time, I am really struggling to sleep. I wake at least 20 times during the night and just toss and turn constantly. Does anyone have any tips? Is there anything I can do or do I just have to give up on sleep for the next couple of years?

This is my second pregnancy and I don't remember it being like this before. (Although that was 6 years ago!)

Anyone?...

So its not just me then! Im exactly the same, I assumed I was thinking too much. Though my boobs are big anyway and are incredibly sensitive at the moment, its awkward when I prefer to sleep on my tummy.

I had some hard time sleeping in first trimester, in second now and can't stop sleeping!

Make sure you're comfortable and that you are relaxed when you go to bed (if at all possible), might help to avoid TV and laptop and phone screens right before bed as they can stimulate your brain. If you wake try to relax, not worry about being awake etc. having the window opened a bit helps me a lot too, get the fresh air flowing.

Hope some of that helps!

Just all the usual things for sleep really. Warm bath about half an hour before bed. Limiting screen time in the hour or so before you want to go to sleep. Dark room, comfy bed, good air quality.

One other thing you could try is a natal hypnotherapy CD. It was no good to me in labour, but in my last pregnancy it reliably sent me off to sleep before the end of the half hour session!

Sorry to say it but i was the same...at 25 weeks now and tbh i have just forgotten what a decent sleep is. Saying that i started off waking about every 20 mins throughout the night but that has improved and i have managed almost 3 hours more recently! One night when my partner was away i folded the double duvet in half and slept on/in it....slept better that night as it was more comfy. Good luck! And keep smiling at nature having a laugh at us! :-)

Thank you all, I will try all of that. I don't think it's a comfort issue as our bed is lovely. I have been quite hot but we can't really have the window open as we live by a train line and have noisy neighbours that leave at 5-6am. DH did suggest this morning that we could try having a fan on so will give that a go.

I seem to remember a friend having a lavender pillow spray when she was pregnant so will look in to that too.

Hope we all sleep peacefully tonight!

Ear plugs might be helpful if you've become unusually sensitive to noise and that's what is disturbing you without you knowing it? I am a bit of a noise obsessive and like Boots own brand foam ones. They don't cut out all noise, and generally fall out in the night so you hear your alarm, but they muffle anything that might be bothering you.