insomnia

[Courts10]

I'm losing my mind.
I'm in my first trimester with baby no'2 and I just cannot sleep, when I do eventually get to sleep I wake up soon after (30mins to hour) I'm constantly tossing and turning all night and I'm completely knackered!!!!
With pregnancy no'1 I remember every night being out like a light I could get home from work nap for a hour then sleep a good 9hr at night straight through, and I'm sure I got more sleep when DD was here then I am now!

I've tried the usual
Please if anyone has any tips on a good nights sleep whilst i still can!
Thanks (one very tired moma)

I'm really sorry, hugs.

I'm on DC3 and this is the worst sleep for me too, body rhythm all over the place.
What has helped is cutting out all caffeine completely regardless of time of day, exercise, limited screen time/lights on after dark in bedroom and eating really well. I found going hungry in the evenings or crappy food made it worse.

Can you try sleep relaxation techniques, deep breathing, meditation, yoga, that kind of thing?

Thanks - I normally have a can of coke with my evening meal so maybe cutting that out is a start (other than that I drink squash all day)
I did think about yoga but was under the impression, I maybe wrong, that you could only do pregnancy yoga if you had previously done yoga?
I normally play netball 2-3 times a week which has had to stop but i still need to burn that energy off!
It's horrible I feel like every night I'm on counting down till my DD wakes up just watching the clock go down minute by minute.
I've band the TV being on in the bedroom at night and try not to use my phone in bed (tonight is the exception )
And lying here next to DH snoring his head off does not help the situation!

Uh oh, snoring husbands!!! Time to crack out the ear plugs!

I'm not sure re yoga... I know you can with Pilates. Swimming? That might help burn off energy. Definitely cut out the coke too. Is the squash very sugary? I often find too much sugar gives me too much energy so can't sleep!!

Maybe some meditation or deep breathing exercises could help? Nothing worse than focussing on waking up in a few hours when trying to get to sleep. I did hypnobirthing with DC2 and practicing at night used to send me off to sleep, was amazing.

How was the hypnobirith? I only found out about this towards the end of my last pregnancy but always wondered about it since, it's something I would consider for this one but I don't like to plan anything before 12 weeks.

Yes ear plug are in, it's like sleeping next to a train, I never sleep without them!!!

The squash is no added sugar, and it's the same brand I always drink which has never caused a problem before - but come to think of it I have been craving Ribena the last few days which is full of sugar so that probably hasn't helped (not something I usually drink)

Hypnobirthing was great, I really enjoyed it. So far I've been lucky and birthed both my daughters pretty well but the hypnobirthing was a far more enjoyable process. It also gave my husband something to do in labour and bought us closer together in preparing for birth. The whole thing felt less one sided, more we were a team I guess.
DD1 was 7 hours from induction peasant to birth, DD2 was 3 hours from first contraction to birth. But the latter was calm, not scary. She was very alert and latched on immediately for nearly an hour.

No idea if hypnobirthing actually changed the outcome second time but I felt great in the birth and had no pain meds at all. I also felt very calm leading up to birth which made a big difference. It cost about £200 but I thought it was worth it, for us. I was freaked out about being induced again as I hated it, and it meant I really enjoyed my pregnancy.
I would recommend starting it mid second trimester as it needs lots of practice and will give you more benefits. Maybe after 20 week scan?

Part of the practice is DH giving you positive affirmations about how great you are and to breath to relax your body. This used to send me off every night.

Our teacher had lots of whale type music which I cut out as it made me giggle, and I had to ignore any God references as we aren't religious.

Mary Mongan's book might be a good start to leaf through and see if it's for you.

I also found Ina May Gaskin books fabulous, esp spiritual midwifery and a guide to child birth.

I'm not sure I'm that hippyish but I did release what inner hippy I had as I found it really relaxed me and I had more faith in my abilities to birth well.

• induction pessary, not peasant, ha!

No tips but I feel your pain. I had a regular 3am to 5am period of being awake at the end of my first trimester and now I wake up every time I move! Now I'm awake with really bad indigestion!

Obvious I know but a couple of drops of lavender oil on the pillow really actually helps!

I had awful insomnia during my first trimester. I ended up doing reduced hours at work as a result. It improved at lot after about week 12-13, I think it was the changing hormone levels that caused it for me. I found pilates relaxing and it helped a little as well as breathing exercises and mindfulness. I tended to sleep well at the start of the night then wake up at about 1-2pm and not sleep again after that. I would get up and eat and sometimes that helped and I might get an hour or so asleep before the alarm. Hope it eases up for you soon- it's a total nightmare!

Oh lavender, I forgot s out that, really helped with DD1.

Did you manage much sleep last night, courts?

I'm struggling with it too at the moment - waking every three or so hours but having poor sleep when I'm actually sleeping.

No tips but plenty of commiseration and am watching with interest!!