insomnia on top of a non-sleepy baby

[Crazydiamond106]

I used to be an amazing sleeper..one of those people that could sleep anywhere at the drop of a hat. However starting since when I got pregnant with my daughter I’ve really struggled to get to and stay asleep..she’s now 5 months old and I still really struggle to wind down.

She’s an awful sleeper..4-5 night wakings at the moment. However even when I do get chance to sleep like during day naps or the 3 hour stint she does at the start of the night I just cannot switch off. I feel like my body is on high alert and I’m counting down the minutes until she wakes up.

Does anyone have any tips or experienced the same? I’m barely functioning at the moment and I don’t think I’ve slept longer than 2 hours in one go for over a month...

Try Paul McKennas I can make you sleep. I had post natal insomnia. Prior to that it always took me a while to go back to sleep if I woke in the night, but listening to the track that comes with the book was what helped me start sleeping better. Now I fall back asleep easier than I have ever done before (my baby wakes several times a night). I also had really bad anxiety which was part of the issue, but I do think the hypnosis track really helped me.

Also I've never been a napper and have survived 6 months thus far without a single nap! Try not to put too much pressure on yourself to nap. Lie down with a podcast and use the time to relax. Even if you don't sleep at least you have had a rest. Podcasts at night are great too. I listened to one every night and rarely remember anything after the first 5 minutes!

Argh, I was like this with DD. I’d lie there listening to my DH breathe and want to strangle him for being able to sleep!

I think it’s quite normal for new mums to sleep very lightly, it makes sense (even if it’s totally, utterly knackering!). I found it did just improve with time, although I’m still a much lighter sleeper than I was pre-DD and don’t nap as easily.

Are you able to get a decent break from her during the day occasionally? Downtime is good even if you can’t nap, and if you want a 1 hour nap you’d need significantly more than 1 h to yourself because you’ll need wind-down time. Is she independent enough that your DH can take her out for an extended period? (Mine wasn’t at this stage as she was bf and would only happily take a bottle from my mum, not my DH until she was older, but I know some babies can do longer outings by this age) If she will be apart from you without too much trouble, your DH could take her for a whole afternoon - pack up bottles, blanket and favourite toys, and he can take her out for a trip to some green space when she can sit on a mat/blanket with him and some favourite toys. If he can wear her out and get her to have a decent pram nap, even better!