Bad insomnia throughout pregnancy - reassurance needed!

[Dreaminginpink]

Can anyone reassure me that bad insomnia during pregnancy won't harm/kill the baby? I'm currently around 15 and a half weeks and have been suffering with really bad insomnia since around 5 weeks. It got so bad that I have been taking sleeping tablets throughout a lot of this time and for the last few weeks have been trying to wean myself off them by only taking half a tablet/trying some nights without.

Currently some nights (about half the time) I am only getting around 2 hours sleep, on a better night maybe 5 hours. On a good night I only ever get around 3-4 hours uninterrupted. I am terrified that this is harming the baby and I think the fear of this is partly what is driving the insomnia. It is also causing me a lot of anxiety and I get so panicky that I can't sleep. Has anyone else suffered with bad insomnia during pregnancy and their baby was OK? I feel like the lack of sleep can't be good for the baby and am constantly worrying whether it's still alive as I havent felt any movement yet.

A lot of the advice around insomnia is to stop worrying about how much sleep you're getting and to stop making it such a big thing in your mind but I don't know how to do this when I am so worried about the impact on baby 😔 I'm desperate to get off the sleeping tablets but am so worried about my sleep getting even worse without them 🙁

You sleeping has zero to do with the development or well being of the being. Insomnia is a common symptom in pregnancy, I know it’s a worrying time but you have to try and be rational

I have suffered with pregnancy insomnia and it is horrible so I sympathise. I was the only mum with a new baby getting more sleep after my baby was born!!

I would just get out of bed and do something for a couple hours like watch a film or do a bit of work, and then go to bed all over again which would sometimes help me go back to sleep afresh. I also work at home so was able to sneak in some lunchtime naps. So my sleep was also in scattered small blocks but I think just get whatever you can when your body lets you sleep.

My insomnia was at its worth between weeks 10-16. It got way better after that. I vividly remember having to be at work after waking up for good at 1am every night. It was torture. But apparently no harm to the baby.

Stop with the sleep aids, you should only use those occasionally (I know, I know it's complete and utter torture). Being pregnant and working full time is really quite a torturous marathon.

Now going into my third trimester, I'm sleeping badly again because of bathroom trips and discomfort but not actual insomnia.

OP you have my sympathy, pregnancy insomnia was horrible.

I told myself that my body needed rest. So even though I was awake, I'd just lie still and watch a boxset in the dark and try to be as still and relaxed as I could.
When the pressure was off - because I was still 'resting' - I'd normally nod off.

You won't hurt your baby, your baby is napping away as and when in there, totally unaffected by your sleep patterns.

I really had insomnia very badly when I was pregnant, I had it so bad it made me bed ridden with no sleep. I was very ill. I opted for phenergan as its used in pregnancy for sickness and makes you sleepy. I took it the whole pregnancy and was only taking a quarter by the end of pregnancy.
How are you managing?

It's not harmful to baby but it is exhausting so you have my sympathies.
I'm 16 weeks and have been suffering with this for most of the pregnancy- is currently 6am where I am and I've been awake 3 hours

Extreme extreme insomnia can be disruptive to a pregnancy (and at any life stage) because it can interfere with hormone signaling but it is a common symptom for most women during pregnancy and, as other people have noted, the baby can sleep fine! I have struggled with insomnia my whole life basically but I’ve been told that if you are managing to get at least 3-4 hours of uninterrupted sleep at some point during the night then your body will go into a deep sleep at this stage and that’s the most restful /restorative. So I wouldn’t worry about harming your baby/pregnancy or your own health. It still is difficult dealing with tiredness though…