Kids sleep through but I dont

[Jamtoasty]

I've got 2 kids under 5 and they finally sleep through the night , but all these years of waking up all through the night to do bottles and nappies and waking up when they come in has left me still waking up throughout the night wide awake !
I struggle to get back to sleep as my husband snores and I find myself staring into space or counting sheep . Now I'm on here looking for so advice , should I consult my doctor and get some sleeping tablets ? Or take some sleep aids ( doubtful they even work🤔😫)
I rarely sleep through the night

I'm having the exact same problem. I keep waking up wide awake at 3am and struggle to get back to sleep.
I know I should not be on the internet right now and should be trying to go back to sleep. I've also got white noise on to see if that will help.

I think that is natural and a lot of mothers go through it. I think sleeping pills are a little extreme and the Doc will not prescribe them. perhaps more exercise during the day to knacker you and herbal sleeping aids...

As for your husbands snoring, I would invest in ear plugs!

I hope something works 😩, I've got earplugs and work them from16 years old up until 22 when my eldest was born, I'm 26 and I've had to start wearing them again but they really aggravate my ears z😩

OP i have no solutions at all as I do exactly the same..... feel so stuck most nights. Cannot sleep through and am constantly wired awake-really horrible!

I normally look at my phone and read articals or interesting things to help me drift off , at least I'm not the only mum awake While are other halfs sleep . I had a night out a few months back and i didn't sleep a wink (booze stopped my rem sleep ) and the next night I was so knackered the second my head hit the pillow I was asleep and next thing I know it's morning and I haven't moved from the position a fell asleep in ..... Ohhhhh how I long for a sleep like that

I read a lot, catch up with news and generally potter about doing chores and craft type of stuff....

I am online downstairs now and can hear DP snoring downstairs -drives me insane, I wish I could sleep ike that too....

ASMD videos on YouTube will soon knock you out again. (If you’re not cringing.)

ASMR*

I saw my doctor when ds was 5,and got 4-5 days worth of sleeping tablets to help reestablish the habit - it was very straightforward and I wish I’d done it earlier. Broken sleep hits your ability to concentrate, affects your weight and takes the fun out of your awake time.

I don't do that anymore but I wake up at 4.50, when even on school days I don't have to get up until 5.25.

Keep away from screens, they will mess up your sleep. It’s recommended to have no screens for at least an hour before bed.

Eat carbs in your evening meal. Avoid caffeine obviously.

Put your phone away downstairs.

Make sure your bedroom is so black you can’t see anything at night when you open your eyes.

Look up the 4 7 8 breathing technique.

Yes same here, and I’ve tried absolutely everything (bar sleeping tablets)

doris my phone is my alarm, I can't put it away downstairs. Also, with no landline, what about emergencies involving vulnerable family members?

@CountDuckulaTheSqueaky you can buy an alarm clock for a few pounds.

If your family members are at immediate risk during the night then keep your phone, but I imagine the actual worry will keep you awake anyway.

Phones are sleep destroyers. If you are a bad sleeper you will have to choose between enhancing your sleep and having your phone nearby.

I feel your pain OP I have struggled on an off with sleep problems all my life. What helped me before (I don’t do this now as have a baby) I got some Sominex from Boots, they are the best over the counter sleeping tablets. Half would knock me out and usually keep me going for a few days! So I would literally only do this maybe like twice a month and it seemed to kickstart my sleeping again. Be wary of any tablets though as they really should only be a short term solution. As I said infrequent use helped me lots. You can also buy ‘sleepy tea’ which is a combo of lavender and camomile, have hot baths before bed, spray lavender on your pillow. Good luck xx

Keep away from your phone. It's entertaining you but it will make it harder to sleep. The best thing you can do (and this sounds weird) is try and enjoy it. How many times have you wished for a lie in when the kids were up with the birds? Or wanted to curl up on the sofa when they were tearing round like Tasmanian devils? Snuggle in and enjoy the fact that there is nothing else you should be doing and you can just relax. I know you'd rather be asleep, but lying still in a dark room is also somewhat restorative and the more you are able to just lie still and stop worrying about falling asleep, the easier it will be to do just that. I read about this as an idea somewhere and I honestly fall asleep so much quicker now my brain thinks of waking up as an unplanned middle-of-the-night lie in. Telling you to stop worrying and relax to fall asleep won't help, but learning to love your duvet is easier!