How do you get back to sleep?

[bittapitta]

I frequently can't get back to sleep after baby is asleep and it's killing me. I lie there wide awake. Last night especially bad, baby woke to breastfeed 3 times but I wasn't able to fall asleep myself afterwards even though he was happily settled in the cot. So I've had around 2-3 hours broken sleep all night, to add to 4-5 broken hours the night before. I am such a poor sleeper. Help.

You have my sympathy. Try listening to the radio or a podcast. Or perhaps following a mindfulness meditation guide?

I've been there. These days earplugs. I can just hear my heart beating and my breathing. I order them from amazon, a bag for a few quid. Fingers crossed this keeps working.

I gave Modern Family or Friends playing on the tablet with a flat small speaker under the pillow so the noise doesnt wake anyone.

Oh and the screen turned off so no light.

Good idea about listening to something, I will see what I can set up without it disturbing baby (cot still in our room). Whole body aching today.

Have a wank. This always gets me back to sleep when I'm struggling. It can be an effort at first as I'm not in the mood, but it doesn't take long, and then I'm asleep.

I watch horizon or gardeners world on bbc iplayer. Sometimes I listen to astronomy podcasts.

What do you do when you're awake with baby? I struggle to get back to sleep if I've been playing on my phone or anything too bright, but if I listen to something using earphones or read on my kindle with the brightness turned right down it's much easier to get back to sleep.

Counting slowly backwards from 100 works for me.

I put Radio 4 on quietly on sleep set for an hour-goes to World Service in the night. The more interesting the programme is, the more quickly I nod off.

Maska - you're right I should try not reading my phone when feeding. Bright and gets my mind racing.

Mumsknitter - that worked when I was pregnant but I'm not feeling it at all so soon postpartum!

Read a book, and dont look at your phone during feeding.

I'm another one who listens to something. I play mindless audio books like 'Shopoholic' that I download from audible on amazon.

Think of a fruit with every letter of the alphabet and stick to the task at hand. Really concentrate on it.

Interchange fruit with veg/country/colours etc

On the same lines as the fruit, I think of three names male and female for each letter of the alphabet, I rarely get past F but do sometimes have to skip if I can't think of anything!

Phone light is the worst thing - it messes with your circadian rhythms and makes your body think it's daytime and therefore time to wake up - avoid at all costs!

You can get the sound of falling rain (I get this from Spotify) and it's lovely to fall asleep to.

Co sleeping was always the way forward for me though, just lie on your side to feed .