mums insomnia

[charleyb]

Hi, Im a first time mum of an 11 week old baby. The little guy is sleeping pretty well and generally needs a feed at 10.30 and 3am through the night. My big problem is i seem to of developed insomnia and cant get myself to sleep or if i do nod off i stay awake for hours after ive fed him, often tossing and turning and watching the clock (counting the hours of sleep im missing out on) untill its time to feed or get up. Cosequently im permenantly exhuasted when i could be getting quite a bit of sleep. Does anyone else suffer in this way? any tips on trying to sleep?

Firstly, is he in your room? When he wakes, do you switch the lights on? Do you breastfeed?

If you can get him in your room, as close to you as possible (ideally so you can grab him without getting up), and use as little lighting as possible when you feed him it should help. I used to lie awake for hours even after going for a pee at night until someone on here suggested I left the lights off and used a torch instead - it really works, your brain goes back to sleep much more easily!

If you are breast feeding try eating banana and porridge before bed with some walnuts, or turkey/chicken sandwich. If you wanted to try some supplements try Tryptophan and/or St John's Wort at bed time. Other than that it's relaxation CDs etc.
It's a tricky one I remember with my DS getting up to feed him in the night, putting him down then still being awake at the next feed. It is exhausting. I hope you find something that works for you.

hi,

ive just stopped breastfeeding and hes in his nursery now as he actually sleeps much better in there. I will try your suggestions i think i get myself over anxious if i dont drop off within half an hour and then end up jolting myself awake just as i start to doze. Its ridiculous as most people are exhausted from being kept awake by their babies not themselves.

Hi charleyb,

I was about to post what you did - my ds is a bit older (9 weeks) and I've developed bad insomnia. Normally it's after the night feed (around 4am) that I can't sleep, although last night I literally got no sleep at all
I would take pills but am bf so I guess they're off limits.

I will also try the suggestions, and let's hope something works for both of us.

DS is younger not older! (Insomnia messing with my brain..)

I have insomnia too. DH suggested I sleep in the spare room, and he will sleep with DS. This worked for a week. Now I can't get to sleep in the spare room at all, and don't sleep brilliantly in our room - it's hit or miss. I've tried a sleep cd - it didn't help at all.

It makes it so much harder to cope with when DS wakes as I'm already wound up from not having slept! So just to say hugs from a fellow sufferer. And, as with all things, this too will pass!! (I hope before too long...)

I am with you too ladies- 11wo DD- and had the same with DS1. I found the light thing really works, but also have a small electric heat pad from Boots- I just switch it on, lie it on my tummy and it usually works. On warmer nights when the heat's too much I do pelvic floor exercises!!! That usually works too- if nothing is working, I read a book and just give up on sleep. At least then I'm not stressed. Good news is, like everything else, it does pass. Best of luck!

I've had this problem on and off since DS3 was 8 weeks old (he's now 19 weeks). I reckon postnatal insomnia is a real condition and not enough people recognise it and there is little help out there (my GP just perscribed me prozac which actually has insomnia as a side effect! Needless to say I stopped taking it after three hellish nights). I've found hypnosis on my ipod the best thing so far but it doesn't work all the time and you have to be really relaxed about it. I tried sleeping tablets (they worked but they are addictive so best keep away), I also tried homeopathy, which did work quite well but not completely, I tried herbal tablets which worked but I didn't want to keep taking them (I am really bad about taking any tablets!).

I'm told it passes. I've done so much research on this and I reckon it is partly hormonal and partly that we become hyperalert at night as we have to be able to tend to those babies of ours. I'm trying to combat the hormones with vitamin B, magnesium and fish oil which are good for PMT symptoms as my insomnia does seem to be worse at certain times of the month.

You are not alone!

Hi Topsi you may remember advising me on another thread about sleep! I just want to ask you: do you find St Johns Wort helpful? I've got some but haven't taken any as some websites say that insomnia can be a side effect of SJW. Others say 'tiredness' is a side effect. I think that is just very confusing! Do you find it helps?

Yes Becky I find SJW really helpful. I have known the occasional person say it disturbed sleep but most say it helps. I take my rather large dose at night with a small ammount of Tryptophan. Tryptophan will help your body make Seratoin/melatonin which you need to regulate sleep and SJW helps in some way like an AD, to re-use the seratonin or not break it down as fast.
Advice is not really to take Tryptophan with conventional AD except under supervision as you may end up with seratonin syndrome but I only take a small ammount and it seems to work for me.
I had suffered chronic insomnia for about 20 years before I found this combination and had tried the usual approaches.
My view, for what it's worth is that insomnia and depression although linked to what happens in our lives such as the stress of having children etc, is basically caused by an inbalance of chemicals in our brains. Help the brain to rebalance itself and you feel better.
Sorry for the essay.

Essays are fine! Thanks for answering my question. I just want to find a solution... as do these others here! I definitely think it is chemical or hormonal. I used to sleep so well except the odd short-term bowt of insomnia when really stressed or when on holiday and in a different bed.

I think prescription drugs act on depression and insomnia like a sledge hammer. I find the more naural approach gentle yet effective. Thats not to say I feel great or sleep like a log every night cos I don't just find it more tolerable than all the side effects. Most nights I sleep OK and can get up in the night for DS if I need to.
I do think SJW does cause some tiredness and I prob do get a slight hangover effect in the morning.
But I have been on AD before where I have felt like a complete zombie or so wired that I can't sleep or not able to enjoy a normal sex life or passing out every time I stood up etc etc.

Oh god crap night sleep

oh dear - poor you i took the advice of using a night light and it helped a bit - although i was so utterly shattered that i think my body just packed up and slept a bit - thank god. I also resorted to half a nytol tablet which zonked me enough to pass out but meant i wasnt so zonked that i didnt hear the baby cry for his 3am bottle!! blimey its such a juggling act trying to get enough sleep to function!!

I slept well perhaps because DH and I had jiggy jig last night but I still have this constant anxiety in my belly that I can't get rid of (I guess that is part of postnatal depression).

Topsi I hope it wasn't from talking about sleep that gave you a bad night.

Oh blimey - sorry to hijack thread but I was actually about to post for help on this.

Slightly different scenario as my DS is 11 months old. He's never been a great sleeper but has recently started improving and is more reliably sleeping through now. I never sleep through however. I am always awake between 3 and 4am and can't get back to sleep for love nor money.

Struggling to function and soon to go back to work so getting a bit desperate really.

BeckyBendyLegs - what hypnosis CD have you got? I'd be interested in trying this.

I have Paul McKenna 'I can help you sleep' it is a book and a CD. There are some excercises in the book to help you get back to sleep once you wake and the one I tried, despite me being totally sceptical, really works. The CD I put on my ipod and when I can't get to sleep in the first place I use it. It doesn't always work but it does relax me enough mostly to send me off to sleep.

Thanks BBL - I'll have a look on amazon...

I had terrible post natal insomnia, just as you described, and it got to the stage where I would have a near panic attack at bedtime thinking was I going to get any sleep? Eventually I got someone to do the nightshift for me for two nights in a row and took sleeping tablets (not prescribed ones only Nytol). It worked a treat to change my body clock back to normal and I've not had the problem since. Good luck.

Nice one Becky!
No it's bloody anoying but cos I sleep better than I used to I now snore apparently and DH keeps waking me up to tell me to be quiet. Then at 4am I am wide awake and can't get back to sleep - I can't win! - glad you had a better night though

grayal I have been like that at times, having panic attacks about not getting to sleep. DH has had to calm me down a few times at 3am. There is definitely a psychological element to it as well as chemical. If I get anxious about it, it makes it harder for me to sleep. But it's sometimes so hard to get out of that mindset, that's why I think hypnotherapy can work well.

Topsi you should tell your DH not to wake you up as sleep is so precious to you! Give him some ear plugs