Sleep advice

[LauraSheppie]

Hi,
I’m 19 weeks pregnant and struggling to sleep. I work full time so it’s not ideal! I wake up in the middle of the night for a couple of hours and whilst I’m comfortable (to a point-got a maternity pillow) I can’t seem to nod off again. Any advice, hints or tips would be brilliant so I can actually get a decent nights kip!
Thanks

If it's any consolation I came out of that waking phase after a few weeks (back in it at 39 weeks but on maternity leave now so not so important). I found getting up and having warm milk really broke the cycle of endless "I can't sleep" thoughts running through my head!

I agree, get up, I eat a bowl of cereal watch some tv for 20 minutes, keep the light low though. Then go back and try again.

Maybe not helpful, but I’m on my third and this happens to me every time, no matter how exhausted I am. And then sod’s law, on a night when I’m sleeping a small child will wake me up for no reason, then quickly fall back to sleep leaving me wide awake.

You can always take a sick leave day to catch up on sleep.

I read in the middle of the night. Insomnia in pregnancy is quite typical. Going to bed early helps. We regularly are in bed by about 9, so even if I wake up for several hours in the middle of the night, getting up at 6am means I still got a decent nights sleep.

I know how you feel OP! I've had bits of insomnia throughout life and have had a couple of really bad spells in pregnancy. My advice:

Wind down before bed by having a relaxing bath then reading
Lavender oil on pillow
Earplugs and eyemask
Bachs rescue remedy night
Write down your thoughts in journal before bed or during the night to free your mind of negative thoughts
Magnesium supplements
Have a small snack/small hot drink before bed but nothing too heavy
Try to avoid phones/screens (definitely easier said than done!)
Put a pillow between your legs
Keep room cool
Yoga poses/stretching helps to relax you if you wake in the night
Nap when you can/go to bed when tired even if its earlier than you usually would
x

Try a hypnobirthing CD. It always sent me off to sleep.

I have a lavender sleep spray that really helps and I have lavender oil in a bath before I go to bed. I also find that sleeping in a cooler room helps as does having a milky drink / snack before I go to bed.

If I do wake up in the night, I find that I go back to sleep much faster if I get up and go downstairs for 20 mins or so to have a drink and read.