Pregnancy insomnia

[badg3r]

I'm around 16 weeks now and it is getting ridiculous. Between 11.30pm and 2.30 am I just cannot sleep for love or money. I mostly lie awake thinking about baby names, it is driving me insane! I had similar with my first two but it is worse this time round.

Unfortunately with the current situation I am having to work a lot in the evenings which is not ideal, but work is crazy busy and the kids are home all day so there is not much choice. DH is already very good at taking them out and keeping them busy during the day so I can get on but I am so tired in the mornings till around 10 that I am constantly playing catch up.

Help! This is not sustainable!!

I understand your pain. I wake up every day between 2am and 4am and I cannot get back to sleep even though I’m exhausted. I’m 15 weeks and I’ve seriously had enough of being so tired all the time.

I’ve already got a DD and I am anaemic so it’s not like my body is trying to get me used to the exhaustion of a baby. 😂

I was starting to feel like it was just me! I'm only 9 weeks and am struggling to sleep all night. I've never been like this at all. Usually I sleep 10.30-7 straight through but I can't seem to drift off

I feel for you. I've had insomnia since the day before I took my pregnancy test...I am now 20 +5 weeks and no let up! I thought it might go after 12 weeks...no such luck. Normally awake by 2.30 ish with very sore hips, so have to move out of bed and onto the sofa!

I have having this problem since a few days just cant sleep lol I wake up around 3am and then cant fall asleep until 5am lol I am 22 weeks

Omg I've found my tribe! 30 weeks and every morning between 3 and at least 5, sometimes 6 or just not able to get back to sleep after that. Bloody nightmare.

Started about 20 odd weeks, when I really started showing, got a pregnancy pillow and it was amazing and helped so much! Then got bigger and heavier and yeah now just no sleeps for me. And I can't nap so I'm pretty goosed.
Trying not to go on my phone when I'm awake as I know that won't help but I'm always intrigued to see the time, or I get bored. Or I get scared because I can't feel the baby moving (at least she's sleeping!) so need to distract myself!!

Eager for any solutions!

I’m 13 weeks and have started the same thing. I look like death today! Once I wake up in middle of the night, that’s it, cannot get back to sleep!

Ah I have found my people!! I'm sorry you are all suffering too. I didn't mind being up with my first two when they were babies because it actually had a purpose. But this is just a waste of sleep hours!

The stupidest thing is that I am not ever really worrying about things when I am awake at night, except for baby names which is really not a pressing issue just now!

Speak to you all tonight? 😂😭

Hi all - I have a four week old and suffered the whole way through from insomnia.
I got relief from listening to a hypnobirthing YouTube video by a lady called Emma Kenny - I never made it to the end of a half hour video still awake.
Congrats all! Sweet dreams 🤞🏻

@LemonSaturdays I shall most definitely try it out!
Insomnia was the first pregnancy sign for me. I was always good at sleeping and suddenly, even before the positive test, that just went. If I do manage to fall asleep, I wake up in the middle of the night and that's me, tossing and turning. Only 9+3 at the moment, so a while to go yet.

This is me!!

I am now 39 weeks and it has got worse!

It started at around 18 weeks waking up between 2am and 5am and now it’s got to the point where I do not sleep at all in the night and have 2- 3 2 hour naps throughout day.

I cannot wait to get even interrupted sleep during the night when baby comes.

I'm awake and can't sleep !!! I'll join the club. I'm 24+4 and have been like this since around 12 weeks

I found I was exhausted in my first trimester and could sleep for England now if I wake for a pee in the night I'm awake for a good couple of hours

I hear you. I can't find my earphones to even try out that video/white noise tonight. Will need to go on a rummage in the morning.

I was up for three hours last night 😭 the whole time spent worrying about baby names for if this one is a boy! We have a girl name that I love but really struggling with boys. Of all the things to worry about now, what to call the baby is not top priority, especially since i am convinced it will be a girl 🤣

What are the rest of you up to whilst awake? I had a cup of tea and a biscuit last night (by myself in the kitchen... living the dream!)

@badg3r I was just in bed trying to fall asleep unsuccessfully. Pretty much the opposite of what one should be doing, but I thought I might just fall asleep. Hopefully tonight will be a better night.

I was insomniac for 6 years and used to have to take a low dose of antidepressants to be able to fall asleep. Luckily I managed to come off it and now sleep naturally. Sleep is not amazing and will never be for me. I never sleep through the night but as long as I manage to fall asleep that's enough. I will wake up multiple times a night and toss and turn but I've lowered my sleep expectations and to me that's enough. Here's the things I do to help falling / going back to sleep: watch a boring movie like a cheesy romcom on my iPad to fall asleep. Sometimes just 5 minutes is enough, when I feel my mind drifting off, I switch the iPad off and fall sleep. I also tell myself a story in my head. If my mind starts wandering away from the story (like thinking about coronavirus or something unrelated to my story) I go back to my story and carry on. It's a bit like meditating. The clue is not to wait for sleep because if you do, it wont come. You have to let it come to you and not expect it. So just focus on the story you're telling yourself. Another thing that works for me is open the window. Cold air helps me go to sleep. Experts tell you to get out of bed etc when you can't fall asleep. I dont. I just open the window, go back to bed and tell myself a story in my head. I dont worry about falling back to sleep because it's not the end of the world if i dont. I've experienced being up all night and survived it and can do it again and still function the next day. So basically the clue is not to worry about it and take it as it is.

Thanks for sharing @Lilice, and sorry to hear you have suffered for several years with this. My DH was asking if it would be a good idea to try no screens etc before bed but my experience is that often mindless wandering online helps distract me enough to doze eventually too... will try actually watching something instead of mindlessly trawling through old MN posts perhaps..!

@badg3r watching something on my ipad before bed is now part of my bedtime routine. I know it's contradictory to everything you read on sleep hygiene but it work for me. I do have installed a blue light filter on my ipad, and also on my phone which I activate around 6 or 7 PM every day. Something else as well. I go to bed late. I'd rather spend less time in bed and actually sleep than to go bed early and be awake much more. So I'm usually in bed around 11.30 or midnight. Watch something until I'm sleepy enough. I dont keep an eye on the time because it's not important. I usually sleep around 7 hours a night and for me it's enough. I hope this helps x

@Lilice I've tried your 'telling yourself a story' trick last night, and it worked like a charm! Thank you!

@Mc3209 that's brilliant

@Lilice I watched tv for an hour or so in bed and then went to sleep no bother! I didn't sleep much earlier than normal but it was nice to do something enjoyable instead of just lying there in silence for a hour or two!

@badg3r yeah I know what you mean. At least that way you dont stress about it