Insomnia...grrr « Back to Group Discussions

[cieloazul]

It's 12:39am and I'm still awake. Tired, but not asleep. It's been weeks like this. Getting up a couple times to pee I understand but this prolonged pattern of lack of sleep is really wearing me out. And now that DS is back on the school-year schedule I have to get up early like it or not. I want to go into those newborn weeks with sleep reserves, not sleep debt.

At this point I feel trapped. Pre-preg I was totally decafinated and now, when I'd really like to be decafinated I'm reaching for the cafine. At least it's not been a matter of cutting down but more of not ramping it up too far. I'm not worried about it from a clinical POV more just that I'm getting into a bad habit that was hard to break the last time I broke up with it.

I know all the things I should be doing to get a good night's sleep, but in practice my sleep hygiene sucks...hello I'm online right now for one.

And I'm so f-ing sick of sleeping on my left side. My left hip is completely locked up and in pain every morning. I just dread getting into bed. Waaaa! This has turned into a rant/release. Sigh.

Thoughts? Insights? Experiences?

I guess the one silver lining is that baby, who barely moves during the day, gets active around 11pm every night so at least I get lots of wiggle time with her.

[esp831]

I can completely relate!!  I spend many a nights laying awake and worrying about why I'm not sleeping.  My DH is up at 5am every day, so I'm in the same boat as you.  And then my only chance to get anything done during the day is when DD2 is napping, so I grab a cuppa joe and don't sleep.  Then afternoons are exhausting and then, and then, and then...what a vicious cycle!

I'm definitely woken up by discomfort more than anything else, is that true for you as well?  My hips are pissed at me and rolling over is huge work.  I'm seriously considering getting one of those silly sleep pillows just to see if it offers any relief.  I showed my DH the pic of the pregnancy sleep pillow and he's started calling it Crotchy.  Nice babe.  

Anyhoo, the only advice I can offer is what I'm trying, which is to break the cycle by spending a couple of days really focusing on winding down properly etc.  

More so, I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone!  Ah, the joys!

[Mamabeakley]

I absolutely have to switch sides, there is no way I could sleep 100% on my left side.  The other night I had to spend a lot of time on the left because my right hip was killing me (spent too much time sitting kind of sideways on the bed to look at my laptop) and it was miserable.  That said, I think it is usually the need to pee that actually wakes me up and I just switch each and every time. 

I am actually not having too much sleep trouble, but I have at other times in the past, so I'm all sympathy.  Here's hoping for some more sleep for you ladies soon!

[mamadiamond]

i cannot sleep on either side at this point because it causes so much pain that i can't sleep (both hip pain, and horrible pubic bone pain). so i have what dh refers to as my "mountain". it is a pile of 6 pillows that allow me to sleep on my back in a half-sitting position, and a body pillow around my butt/legs so that i don't slide off the mountain in my sleep. once i set up the mountain my sleep got soooo much better. i'm kicking myself that i waited so long trying to sleep on my side. and a nice benefit is that dd is not able to reach my boobs during the night so i'm not waking up to nurse her. we have a king sized bed, so the extra pillows fit comfortably, but with my first pregnancy they fit ok in the full we had at that point, there was just not much room for dh.

[Lilac11]

Total insomnia here too.... usually the kind where I wake up in the middle of the night (4 or 5am) and can't go back to sleep... until it's time to get up... ugh... but also a little difficulty falling asleep some nights too....

I had pregnancy insomnia my whole 3rd trimester last time.  I've never before or since had any trouble sleeping at all so I'm confident it's the pregnancy!

It's not because I feel uncomfortable though.  And I wake up on my back all the time, what can you do.

Sweet dreams mamas....

[cieloazul]

Restful nights to each of us, mamas. We're going to be nighttime parenting pros when the babies arrive ;)

esp831 - I have that same DH schedule thing going on. On days when he's had to get up pre-dawn, I have struggled to get back to sleep. He's super quiet and considerate but I'm a much lighter sleeper than normal these days. I like your idea to focus on rirually winding down. Gotta remeber that it's as easy to establish a healthy pattern as it is to get sucked into an unhealthy one.

mamabeakley - Switching sides is a must, is it not? Thanks for the sleep vibes :)

mamadiamond - I love the image of "the mountain". It's right up there with the "crotch pillow". The other night I made a mountain and slept facing it for a few hours in a spread-eagle child pose that we do in my prenatal yoga class. That pose is one of my favorite ways to relax and opening my hips feels really good. I'm a stomach sleeper when not pregnant so that's as close as I can get. I want a bed with a hole cut out for my belly.

Lilac11 - It's totally pregnancy. Thankfully that makes it a temporary condition, right? Sweet dreams to you too.

[segolilymama]

cielo - maybe get one of those massage pillows with holes for boobs & belly ;)

I tend to get a lot of pregnancy insomnia, too - knock on wood it's only happened a few times this time around - usually getting up to pee around 1 or 2 am, and falling back asleep around 4 or 5. I can sympathize with you all - here's to restful sleep in the coming weeks!

[kel]

I don't have insomnia, I definitely crash right at bedtime each night and usually have no trouble getting back to sleep after each pee wake-up in the night (2-3 a night since day one pretty much:(  But I have been sooo uncomfortable at night lately.  I wake up repeatedly because my back is aching, or my belly is aching.  I don't know if it's a combination of things - baby kicking, ligaments stretching, *constant* freeway noise outside the window - but it's exhausting.  I am totally going to try the pillow mountain tonight, mamadiamond!  I always wake up on my back if I don't stuff enough pillows around me, so maybe the mountain is the answer.

[kel]

Oh, have to say - I tried the pillow mountain last night and had a much better, much more comfortable night's sleep!  I didn't have to get up to pee as much either!  I slept reclining on my back most of the time, but it was comfy switching to my side and almost my tummy, too. 

[purposefuldoula]

oh man- sleep sure does suck sometimes!! I've upped my calcium/magnesium combo and added a banana at bedtime- just to ward off the restless leg syndrome. That's what I have the most problem with. I read recently that around 26% of pregnant mamas get that!  I also saw the chiropractor on Monday, so that has helped with the pubic bone pain I've been having. 

I wonder about sleeping in a reclined position, though. I've heard that it's not the best position for baby near the end. Has anyone else heard this? Thoughts? 

[kel]

I haven't read or heard anything negative about sleeping in a reclined or semi-reclined position...

[mamaharrison]

Originally Posted by kel 

I haven't read or heard anything negative about sleeping in a reclined or semi-reclined position...

well, if thats the only way you can sleep its obviously fine, but if you can help it try a side lying position. It has to do with optimla fetal positiong in the last 10 weeks ; )
any reclining position can cause babe to find an unfavorable position, but of course it isn't a guarentee.

[kel]

Sleeping on my side somehow causes me more pain than any other position, and I always wake up on my back anyway! - so I think this is best for me, for now.  But things may change as I get further along.  Maybe I should concern myself more with positioning, but I've just always let my babes figure it out;) and so far (knock on wood) that's worked out fine. 

[mamaharrison]

I slept on my back the whole time with DDs pregnancy. I think whatever works for us is OK ; ) Certainly we all need to sleep as best we can and if you can only do it in a reclined position than that is the answer ; ) If you are concerned with fetal positioning or trying to get a baby to move/turn then spend wakeful periods using your posture to attain that goal and try to just relax and allow youself to sleep however your body finds sleep most comfortable! 

[Mamabeakley]

Sleeping on my back makes me wake up with my arms asleep clearly from lack of blood flow.  Which can't be good, freaks me out, and is uncomfy.  But see, tat's my body letting me know what I need to do!

[travelmumma]

How did I miss this post?

YES YES YES  to everthing that has been said.... I am turning into the pregnant hulk over here from lack of sleep. lack of proper quality sleep anyway!

I try and stay on my left side as much as I can, and then roll to my right side... But in that sleepy state my mind starts panicking that its bad for baby so I have to roll back lol.

One thing that has really helped me was when DH said to me "When did they make up this 'sleep only on your left side' rule? Did you grandparents follow it? Do tribal women follow it? No, so bugger off and get some sleep!" LOL it made me feel a bit better.

But napping has become a big part of my days :( But after my naps I just dont function well, its like my body just wants more...

My friend said to me the other day that she sleeps SOOOOO much better with a newborn than she does at any point in pregnancy... Not sure if that was helpful to hear or not!! Lol!

[AlaskAnne]

OK, I am now joining the rest of you in the "unhappy sleeper" club.  :(  I have never had problems sleeping before so this is rather perturbing!! 

Originally Posted by kel 

I don't have insomnia, I definitely crash right at bedtime each night and usually have no trouble getting back to sleep after each pee wake-up in the night (2-3 a night since day one pretty much:(  But I have been sooo uncomfortable at night lately.  I wake up repeatedly because my back is aching, or my belly is aching.  I don't know if it's a combination of things - baby kicking, ligaments stretching, *constant* freeway noise outside the window - but it's exhausting. 

Kel - this is the same for me!  I don't have trouble getting back to sleep, it just the constant wake-ups that are driving me nuts.  What seems to wake me up is rolling over onto my back.  I'm normally a back sleeper so I think part of me really wants to sleep like that, and then the other part of me is like "NO, this is really uncomfortable!"  Oh, and I've got the charlie horse thing going on in my calves, boo.  

Last night was my first night with the snoogle/snoogie/whatever pillow.  A friend is lending it to me.  It did seem to help somewhat.  At least, it prevented me from rolling onto my back.  For part of the night I tried it the other way on my right side hugging the pillow and that actually seemed more comfortable.  

[kel]

Well, it depends on the newborn!  But yeah, the first week or so at least I usually catch up on a little sleep.  And yes, I agree with your dh on the whole sleep positioning - whatever position your body is comfiest in is probably best for you. 

AKAnne - I think part of waking up when I roll on to my black is that my bladder is pressed on then.  I've still been using a lot of pillows the past couple nights to elevate me a bit, but trying to sleep more on my side - kind of a combo of semi-reclined and side sleeping, and it's going pretty well.  Not as many trips to the bathroom and pretty comfy.  I liked sleeping reclined on my back, but I kept waking up with headaches, and that was worrisome.  Possibly coincidence, but...

[mamaharrison]

personally, I never really understood why mamas got all concerned about sleep position during pregnancy, but I will say that in that in the last few weeks I have been waking up from great, deep sleep and I am seriously laying ON my stomach almost completely. It is kinda crazy because i am not a stomach sleeper usually and I am always on the side where the baby is {right side} and I am literally laying on him/her with full weight. Although, I am still unconcerned, I have found it a bit weird and wondered 'is this really OK?' haha but it must be because I consistantly end up there and get the best quality sleep there. 

[Mamabeakley]

I thought I would sleep lousily this week because DH is away for work for four nights/days.  BUT I had the best night's sleep I've had in several weeks last night including FOUR WHOLE HOURS without waking up!  I don't think it's DH's fault (lol), it's just that my major push at work for the start of the program year is finally over and so I guess something in me relaxed.  It's amazing what four hours in a row of sleep, plus six more interrupted ones will do for me.  I relish it every time it happens, because I have no idea when it will happen again!