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Pregnancy

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

Insomnia !!!! Help !

7 replies

lovinit · 02/12/2004 11:22

With my last PG, I had very restless sleep in the last few months. Now, it has started and I am only 7 weeks ! I am tossing and turning ALL night, get into only light sleep and feel a tingly feeling in my legs ( a sign of insomnia) ..... I used to rely on sleeping tablets, alcohol and some herbal sleeping aids. Now I do not know what to do as I am feeling as if I have a Newborn .... Any tips and advice ? Is it OK to take Herbal stuff like Valerian ????

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Dophus · 02/12/2004 12:02

I also suffer from insomnia and prepregnancy relied on pills and alcohol. My sleeping patterns did eventually return at the end of the second trimester. They returned when my job became very stressful! Job has since calmed down but insomnia remains (I'm 32 weeks). I've not found anything to help.

Unfortunately just because something is natural doesnt' make it any safer - think cigarettes or snake venom! Homepathic remedies are all OK because they are extremely diluted.

orangina · 02/12/2004 12:48

Hi lovinit.... Poor old you, I know exactly how you feel, as I spent about the first 16 weeks of this (my 1st) pregnancy in exactly the same position as you. Any sleep I got was incredibly restless, disturbed, actually found it easy to fall asleep (i was so tired!), but would wake after 1,2,3,4 hours of rubbish sleep and that was it until about 6am. You poor thing. I was at my wits end, and tried EVERYTHING. I went to my gp, got prescription sleeping pills, they didn't help. Took valerian, passiflora, coffea, nux vom, ANYTHING homeopathic I could lay my hands on. Went back to the acupuncturist who has been great in the past, and I think the quality of sleep that I got was a bit better, but it didn't stop me waking up for hours on end. I feel like I have more or less grown out of it now (now 21 weeks +4), and the only advice I can give you (if you want it?!) is this. I found that I could get much better sleep during the day madly enough, so if your work allows it (don't know your situation...), come back early, or park existing children with someone for a few hours late afternoon, or whenever you can. I would come home at 4pm, and sleep like a baby until about 7, 7:30. I also took a bach's flower remedy "olive" which is supposed to be good for exhaustion due to sleep deprivation (!), which definitely helped. horlicks, warm baths, lavender oil etc was all nice, but i don't think they actually helped. In the end , poor old dh had to go to the spare room, as lying awake for hours on end at night in the dark listening to him slumbering away happily would drive me mad, so I would turn on the light, listen to the radio (radio 4/world service quite good at boring me into a doze if nothing else!) and/or read. I found that not getting worked up about it, and giving myself whatever time I could during the day for a doze were the only real things I could do. It was horrible, and I do so feel for you, but if it is any consolation, it has got better, but did feel completely hormone driven..... Hope that helps and you get some sleep!

nicmum2boys · 02/12/2004 13:18

I suffered from insomnia during my pregnancy with DS2. I got some accupressure plaster things from Boots (sorry, not very specific I know!). They were part of thier naturals range I think, you just put one on each wrist. I found they really worked. Managed to find them on the Boots site here . I had a similar problem, could get to sleep, just kept waking up, especially in the early hours, and if you've got a toddler too (don't know if you have?) getting sleep during the day is more difficult. You have my sympathy!

lovinit · 03/12/2004 01:57

thanks for advice. Sleep during the day is also impossible as I do hav ea toddler . I took some valerian last night out of desperation and thought I slept better, but this morning feel like I had 12 rounds with Mike Tyson !

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AussieSim · 03/12/2004 02:14

I am having the same problems, exasperated by a teething toddler and needing to pee during the night. I sometimes nap during the afternoon when my DS is sleeping but I feel guilty about all the other things I should be doing. I used to sleep fine though before I fell pregnant. Now my mind races and I have crazy dreams which I can't get out of my head.

AussieSim · 03/12/2004 02:15

should have been exacerbated not exasperated - although it is not far wrong.

lovinit · 04/12/2004 00:27

Hi Aussiesim, I guess we could have this chat on our July thread... How old is your teething toddler ?

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