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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

terrible insomnia

18 replies

Jaxxb · 08/08/2007 23:08

I'm 8 weeks pregnant, and a chronic insomniac. I'm no longer taking prescription sleeping tablets,(which I've relied on for the past 5 years), as obviously they are not safe during pregnancy. I'm trying acupuncture, but without much success. I'm awake til 4am most nights, getting about 3-4 hours sleep, which is v hard with a full time job. Is anybody else in the same boat? If so what did you do?
jaxxb

OP posts:

aikigypsy · 09/08/2007 04:07

I don't know, but wanted to express my sympathies. Being able to sleep was one of the few beauties of the first trimester for me -- as soon as the second trimester hit, I was back to my old patterns of not being able to drop off at night, then I started waking up in the middle of the night, too.

I just do little things, and sometimes they work, but sometimes not. Stretching my muscles at bedtime, warm milk with toast or something, dark room (no blinking lights of any kind), relaxation exercises, etc. I find it helps to get up when I can't sleep, and do something until I'm very sleepy, rather than just lying there getting frustrated.

There are accupressure points you can press yourself, have you tried those?

Good luck with it.

Furball · 09/08/2007 04:49

Oh this is me - except I'm not pregnant. my insomnia started after I had ds 6 years ago and I had to feed him in the night for 12 months. My body still doesn't get the hint that I no longer need to wake up. I do find though that I'm not tird in the day, so don't quite know whats going on. I just come on here at night with a hot drink and mull through the last 200 posts of active convos. Then about 5am trapse back upstairs to lie in the bed, sometimes going back to sleep until 6.15! lucky ole me!!!!!

No advice for you but loads of empathy - are you tired in the day? Must be hard being pregnant and going to work as well.

Boredveryverybored · 09/08/2007 05:01

Me too, have been chronic insomniac for over 7 years now
I don't really have any advice for you, I'm sure you've tried all the things the rest of us have. Just wanted to send some sympathy x

scorpio1 · 09/08/2007 08:24

im only 5 weeks pg and for the last few nights i just cannot sleep. got up at 4 am today and could do without it-i have a cold and 2 small dcs already!

any ideas? am not having caffeine before bed, btw.

rascal1979 · 09/08/2007 10:29

I'm just over 12 wks and seem to wake up every hour through the night. No problem going back to sleep but just restless.....any ideas. Starting to get on my nerves as I am really tired by the end of the working day and could do with a good nights sleep.

scorpio1 · 09/08/2007 12:06

anyone?

dal21 · 09/08/2007 13:01

DH was a terrible sleeper when i met him, had suffered from similar to you for years. Combination of completely cutting back on alcohol, and no caffiene after 4pm really improved him. But the amazing thing that gets him off to sleep recently is my hypnobirthing cd. seriously-10 mins and he is out for the count! we cannot believe it. so maybe try a cd specifically geared to aiding relaxation and it may work.

conkeyhead · 09/08/2007 13:08

Hello - I'm having similar probs and am 12 weeks with second (first time slept like a log until the night I went to hospital). Someone gave me a bit of a crap tip, but it's kind of working for me (I'm trying to convince myself it is anyway!!!).....you have to think of things to name starting with the letters of the alphabet. So, countries for example...how many countries beginning with A, then B, etc etc. You're supposed to think really hard about it. I have realised so far, I don't know hardly any country names (!!!) but I can't remember getting past C....so it's working a bit I think. (when I don't get bored of that and lie worrying about my baby having two heads!!)

You have all my sympathy anyway - I have ordered a large pack of sleeping pills for my next birthday!!!
xx

beller · 09/08/2007 13:53

HI,

I have a sleep disorder and was under the London Sleep centre for nearly 2 years.. Tips they gave me were
-try to go to bed and get up the same time each day, including weekends (this isnt useful if you already have kids i suppose)

try to get into a routine before you go to bed, i.e wash face,clean teeth, read book etc in the same order each night.
do not have the clock facing you during the night, harder to get back to sleep if you know the time ( actually works!)
If you cant sleep, then get up and move out of the bedroom to another room, and read or watch TV, but nothing too stimulating, then go back to bed when tired again.
dont use bedroom for anything other than sleep or sex ( read or watch tv in different room ) -Avoid alcohol or and stimulants before bedtime.

They worked for me in the end, althugh it wasnt for insomnia, but for sleep walking, but the same basic apply to get the body into a routine. I also find camomile tea and lavender oil help>
Good luck!!!
xx

MrsMar · 09/08/2007 14:22

I think there are different solutions for different kinds of insomnia.. my problems stem from the fact I can't shut my head off at night. There are lots of relaxation cds and such like to help if that's your problem. The other suggestion that was made to me was plenty of fresh air. Difficult if you've got to spend the day in an office, but I started walking to and from the tube when working, which is 25 minutes each way. Seems to help a bit.... I also used to do lots of swimming, someone once told me that no one ever has a bad nights sleep after a day in, on or under the water. Was indeed true when I was working as a scuba diving instructor, never had a bad night!

MrsMar · 09/08/2007 14:23

Oh and if you have worries or stresses that are keeping you awake, it really helps to keep a diary. I used to write it all down just before bedtime, all my worries, stresses and strains. Kind of allowed my brain to stop thinking about them.

aikigypsy · 09/08/2007 14:26

I keep a watch on my bedside table, which lights up when you push the button on the side. Not having a visible clock in the room helps me, too.

I've been doing no caffeine after 3 PM (well, more or less, sometimes it's 5) for years, but I've found that to really sleep better, I need to stop at about noon. Less caffeine overal seems to be a big factor.

aikigypsy · 09/08/2007 14:28

And I also second MrsMar on the journal. When I'm stressing out about something, no matter how vague or irrational, I can't sleep until I've written something down, which seems to settle my brain. Unfortunately, I tend to do that as a last resort -- would be better if I just did it regularly, I think.

MrsMar · 09/08/2007 14:30

I even used to use the diary thing to reply conversations in which I wished I'd been wittier or funnier How sad is that? It always used to bug me though that I'd failed to come up with a witty reply to some bitchy comment or something

expatinscotland · 09/08/2007 14:40

I feel your pain! I've had chronic insomnia since I was about 13 and pregnancy was hell for me, too, as I couldn't pop a sleeping tablet or tranq when it got really rough.

You might be able to take a codeine pain pill that could have a sedative effect. Phone your midwife.

I was also working full time and had a 2-year-old as well and the insomnia was AWFUL.

Original poster

Jaxxb · 09/08/2007 22:42

its good to know I'm not the only one then... - thanks for all these tips. I've done a specialist sleep programme too which encouraged keeping to strict routines at night - which didn't really work for me, just ended up having to get up if I wasn't asleep in 30 mins after hitting the sack (which meant staying up most of the night!). The last thing I had was an observed sleep clinic, where they attach electrodes to your head and measure your brain waves... which basically resulted an official diagnosis of chronic insomnia,and the offer of trying anti epilepsy drugs (which have a side effect of prolonging the deep sleep phase) - but alas not suitable when one is up the duff.
I'm going to try the diary suggestion, (as with me it's totally about not being able to switch off my mind at night). You never know, I might pen a best seller and become a squillionaire. dellusional? moi? I wonder if you can take time off work when you're a certified insomniac and pregnant, or whether you'd just be laughed at?! x
xx

OP posts:

PurpleLostPrincess · 09/08/2007 22:54

I'm not an insomniac but I've turned into one lately (I'm nearly 34 weeks). Have been watching tv from about 3am to 5am most nights...

Anyway, the reason I'm posting is that my hubby has always been an insomniac and I don't know how he survives tbh! I was talking about this with a friend and explaining that he says the same - his head just won't switch off... She said that she and her brother both suffered very badly with the same thing and that she tried wearing earplugs and it worked a treat! She said it wasn't so much about hearing sounds etc but about getting everything (thoughts etc) to stop swimming around in her head and for some reason the earplugs helped to stop it.

Obviously everybody is different but I thought it was worth mentioning and possibly worth a try for you?

Hope it helps!?

bigKOW · 06/04/2010 12:32

Am so glad to find you guys coz I've started to suffer this recently (8 wks into pg now) and am getting really irritable about waking up in the middle of night for no particular reasons and not able to get back to sleep - hard to hold down a full time job esp. not able to explain myself yet to employer and colleagues! Does anyone know why this happens in pregnancy?

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