Sleep

[wanderlustbloom]

Hi there,
I'm currently nearly 20 weeks pregnant and I'm having bad insomnia at night and it's starting to take its tole. I'm finding it hard to get comfy at night, then worrying that I won't get enough sleep and doesn't help needing the toilet every 5 seconds. Has anyone else suffered with this? I'm hoping it'll just sort it's self out but not sure whether to contact the doctors.

Many thanks x

I found a pregnant pillow and listening to hypnobirth CD really helped. I always fell asleep before the end of the hypnobirthing CD.

I'm 21 weeks and I can fall asleep quite easily but will wake for hours and can't get back to sleep. I told the midwife and she told me to get used to it basically 😂 it's very frustrating I know.

Solidarity! I've had awful insomnia since about 9 weeks pregnant. I'm bloody knackered. I fall asleep easily enough initially but wake multiple times a night and can't get back to sleep for ages. It's a pure joy!
It's gotten worse now I am very heavily pregnant, due to the sheer difficulty in even getting comfortable.

When I wake now I tend to listen to an audiobook (one I know really well so it isn't particularly stimulating) and I'm much more likely to fall back to sleep a bit quicker that way, although it's still hit and miss. I also wear earplugs to minimise the chance that random noises will wake me. And I'm sleeping separately from my husband at the moment so he won't disturb me (he also has the baby monitor for our toddler!!) and so I have loads of room to get comfortable. I use some olbas oil or lavender oil in my room as I find both of these smells soothing/relaxing. Deep relaxation breathing (hypnobirthing as mentioned above) can be helpful too. The warmth of a microwaveable heat pack can be soothing too if I'm really struggling.

I don't really think there is much a doctor could / would do for insomnia during pregnancy unfortunately, but if you are concerned then you can always ask!

Just to say also suffering at 20 weeks and have been the same since very early on - fall asleep quickly but always wake up at 5am and feel ready to go back to sleep at 7am (when I need to get ready for work!). I decamp to the sofa and just have to try and catch up at the weekends. It definitely takes a huge toll - hang on in there!