Will I ever sleep again?

[Natasha9511]

Just over 38 weeks pregnant and as you can see I’m wide awake but also exhausted. This has been going on for weeks now and I don’t know what to do. If I do get to sleep it’s like 3am and I’m woken up at 8am with birds chirping, go for a pee, and then I’m either wide awake AND knackered or I fall back asleep until like 12:30 when the postman wakes me 😭 I am exhausted and I don’t know what to do. I just want to be able to sleep at a normal time :(

I have a 23 day old baby..no you won't be sleeping properly for a while but soon you will hVe a lovely reason to be awake

@mrssunshinexxx I cope well with little sleep usually but I’m just so frustrated that there’s no reason for it! Everyone is telling me it’s because my body is ‘preparing for the baby’ I wouldn’t even mind being up all night if there was an actual reason! Bleugh 😤

I wanted to punch everyone who told me that.

I want to punch myself (in the head, to sleep) now I know that they were right 🥱

I feel your frustration
I am 36+1 and feel like I haven't slept properly in so long. I lay awake tossing and turning for hours and hours, by the time I fall asleep it's light outside, birds chirping and the sleep is always broken, so I end up waking at 12pm which I hate (lucky I'm on maternity leave now so can sleep in and don't need to be up for work) The only time I seem to be able to sleep comfortably is for an afternoon nap for an hour 😫.
I hope you get some sleep soon!

I am 38 weeks too and I wake up at 4am without fail wide awake! I have resorted to a bath at this time now and then fall back to sleep :). I’m also like you where I end up sleeping all morning! Do not know what I would have done if there was no lockdown and I was still working!

I’m having a c section tomorrow so... I think won’t see a full night for a while now but like you say at least there’s a lovely reason when baby is here hehe.

Good luck with everything! Not long for you now :).

I am exactly the same op, I'm 37+1 and am such an insomniac now and have been for weeks 😩 I hate anyone that tells me it's my body getting ready for the baby! I don't want to get ready for the baby now I want to rest in time for his arrival 😂 nightmare. You'd think our bodies would know we need all the rest we can get. I've given up trying to fight it and just watch the tv when I can't sleep. Hope you get some rest 💐

@BabyCJuly I am due for a c section tomorrow as well! Good luck 💐😊

I'm only 28 weeks and I've basically had bad sleep since I fell pregnant and it's only getting worse. If I hear one more person tell me it's my body preparing me... 😳 Yeah because I really need a 9 month warm up run into sleep deprivation, that'll help... 🙄

But yeah my advice is don't feel like you need to fight it and stay in bed. I find it easier to get back to sleep if I get up, have some cereal, watch a bit of TV etc. then I start to feel really sleepy and about an hour later I can usually get back into bed and go to sleep.

I slept better with a newborn than I did in the last trimester. Being able to get a couple of hours at a time was a relief compared to the hours I'd spent awake in the weeks before!

Oh god, pregnancy insomnia was terrible. Like others, I resorted to getting up and having a bath or something, and then back to bed again. I have an 18 month old now and it’s more than two years since I had a really good night’s sleep. But with the baby, I have largely found I can fall back to sleep okay a lot of the time after being woken up.

Feel your pain. I'm only 12weeks but have insomnia most nights. Maybe 1 or 2 nights a week I get a bit of relief but I don't sleep much unless I'm absolutely exhausted. Really hope this isn't going to last the entire pregnancy!

I try to think at least if I'm lying in bed with eyes shut I'm getting some rest, even if not actually asleep.

I remember struggling to sleep in the third trimester, when baby is here the sleep may be in short bursts, but I found it blissful compared to little pregnancy sleep. Plus if you can work your routine you can have plenty of sleep, have help, and your body isnt still going through pregnancy which makes it easier to deal with. Hope you manage to get some rest too, I found sleeping during the day helped for some annoying reason, and lots of relaxing.

@BabyCJuly @boymum4 I'm 14 days post c section with my first wasn't a planned one but the section was a good experience the buts I can remember - good luck
Get up and showered as soon as possible - it's agony but it helps in the long run
Good luck xx

My mum said she was like this when pregnant with me and used to sleep sitting up because it was easier. Could you try propping yourself up?

I remember what this was like. I'm sorry to say it doesn't get better, unless you're one of the lucky ones. 19mo on and still no sleep.

Rest when you can. Do whatever you can to feel comfortable. Do not feel like you have to complete your to do list before baby comes.

I napped when I could in that blissful period between finishing work and the baby arriving. Think I had an hour's nap every afternoon. Just try and get rest when you can.

I'm 28w and haven't had a full night's sleep for weeks 😴 I wake around 4am and then the birds start chirping around 4:30am,L. And I love my sleep! 😭 Does it get any better??

The bonus of waking early and getting up early is peace and quiet before DH gets up.....and breakfast at 5.30am, second breakfast (or breakfast pudding) at 8.30/9am 😂😂

I remember the pain. I had trapped nerves so was desperately tossing and turning all night whilst my thighs burnt. I napped when I could but I never built up any reserves...

I'm hoping you're one of the lucky ones but it doesn't get much better, at least it didn't for me I wanted to throttle people who said "it's just your body getting ready". FUCK OFF! My body needs sleep, not to function on three hours of broken sleep. Then the baby comes and sleep is just a distant memory.

DD is nearly 18m and she sleeps through and I'm still broken despite a good 6-8 hours a night.

But in a perverse way it's worth it, the exhaustion and the eye bags and bone aching tiredness that means I put the milk back in the oven after making a brew.

Of course! In about 5 years, you’ll be allowed at least 6 hrs a night.

Me too! 38 weeks pregnant and didn’t manage to sleep until 3:30am and then awake at 7:30. Wide awake and can’t get back to sleep. I try not to nap in the hope I’ll sleep better at night..... it doesn’t work.

Looking forward to having LO here so I have a good reason for not sleeping!

Try to get yourself out of the mindset that you sleep at night. You're in the stage where any sleep is important. Take a nap during the day, watch tv in the middle of the night. Practise yoga or eat a load of ice cream.... seriously, do whatever you like and listen to your body.

I have a one week old so this is all very fresh. I can't say the amount of sleep improve after birth, but i do find the quality of sleep is better now I'm not so uncomfortable in my own body.

I was exactly the same - late pregnancy is so uncomfortable, I really feel for you.

When you have a newborn the sleep you do get is better quality, if that helps..? Especially after a few days/weeks when you should hopefully get some longer sleep stretches from the baby.

@boymum4 awww good luck for tomorrow too! I’ve just washed my hair and had a little body scrub and enjoyed last bath for a little bit haha! Feeling really nervous!! Hope you are ok! We can do this 😀 💪 xxxx