HELP!!! Need Sleep

[scsigrl]

Hi all, I hope SOMEONE can help me find something to help me sleep! Yes, 38 weeks is not being kind to me. I have had about 5 hours of sleep in the last 2 days, and pretty much the same for the past week or two. I really REALLY WANT to sleep, I just can't. When I finally do fall asleep, I am up to pee and then it starts all over.

I have tried warm milk, tea, and relaxation techniques. Nothing is helping. I am tempted to take some benadrill just to et some sleep I know that sounds so bad, but I am really at the end of my rope.

Help Anyone???


TIA

[gaeasun]

I am a massive insomniac and have been since my first pregnany 9 years ago. I often am able to fall asleep, but cannot stay asleep. Here are a few things that have helped me:

The best thing I have found recently is something called Deep Sleep soft gels.
http://hono.stores.yahoo.net/hemedesl60.html
These take a few days to kick in, but are a life saver. I haven't taken them in a while, but realized tonight it is time to start again, as the insomnia is back.

Put a drop of lavender eo on each side of your pillow. One drop is enough (my mom drenched her pillow case when I told her this and couldn't sleep due to the smell! )

Sleep hypnosis CDs (Hypnobabies has one, although I haven't tried it. I did fall asleep last night to a Hypnobabies CD, though). Sound machine/ocean/rain/storm/river etc CDs.

Take naps during the day to make up for the lack of sleep--sleep experts will tell you not to do this, but with only 5 hours over a few nights, you need to sleep some time. I find that if I nap, I can some times catch up.

My routine when I wake up is to go downstairs and engage my mind for a while with the computer (hence why I am posting at 4 am ) and simply acknowledge that I am awake. [My mom who was a pregnancy insomniac as well would just get up and do laundry and other stuff until she was tired again.] Then I turn on the TV to something mindless and go back to sleep. By mindless, I mean stupid, like the A-Team, which always seems to be on when I am up in the middle of the night. If I put on something new or interesting, I can tend to get wrapped up in it and not fall asleep.

Read a technical book. I am in the retail business, and I have these merchandising books that can be so boring, they knock me out. When I pick up Stephen King while having insomnia, I am up all night. An older book, in older English, that requires focus to read, works for me as well. I had a book of horror stories from the early 1900s with Poe and other writers that didn't flow easily due to the language differences, and it knocked me out.

Call your midwife/doc and find out what ideas they have as well. I have gone into one labor totally exhusted after not sleeping all night, then going to work the next day, and finally going into labor at 10 pm. It was horrible. I couldn't mentally deal with the labor, couldn't remember what I had learned in birth class, and ended up with an epidural, suction cup and forcepts birth. If I had had some rest, I think the birth might have gone a little smoother.

Good luck! I so totally understand where you are coming from.

[cpop]

Just a note about the previous post. Different things work for different people, of course, but be careful of watching tv and being on the computer when you can't sleep. Both the tv and computer screen are actually like looking into the light, and a lot of people find this stimulates their brain in a way that makes it actually harder to fall asleep.
It helps me to actually not watch tv or go on the computer for a few hours before bed. But I don't know what you can take. Sorry!

[beckydv]

Originally Posted by gaeasun

An older book, in older English, that requires focus to read, works for me as well.

I've been reading some 40s-50s era books left behind by the elderly previous owners of our old house. They are pretty good at making me drowsy! However I've got to put the book down and turn the light off immediately -- if I get up for "one more drink" or something, the sleepiness is ruined and I might have to read another chapter.

I've also discovered I sleep better if I can fall asleep before DH comes to bed. This has been in effect my whole pregnancy. He's the opposite, though -- he says he can't get to sleep unless I am there.

[prettypixels]

Originally Posted by cpop

Just a note about the previous post. Different things work for different people, of course, but be careful of watching tv and being on the computer when you can't sleep. Both the tv and computer screen are actually like looking into the light, and a lot of people find this stimulates their brain in a way that makes it actually harder to fall asleep.
It helps me to actually not watch tv or go on the computer for a few hours before bed. But I don't know what you can take. Sorry!

I'm the opposite... for me it distracts me from sitting there thinking, I CAN'T SLEEP which stresses me out and sometimes even brings me to tears, I get so flustrated. I haven't had bad insomnia this pregnancy though, only a few days, I have been lucky! I have just been waking up every hour or two to turn over and pee.

Sometimes though, playing a mindless computer game, or turning the tv on quietly with something boring, will do the trick for me. With the tv, I'll often finally fall asleep on the couch and then wake up an hour or so later to move to my bed.

I will say the Hypnobabies has helped me a TON during this pregnancy. I don't have their sleep CD though I'm thinking of getting it, but on the days when I am feeling sooooooooo tired, but can't fall asleep for a nap... if I lie down and listen to one of their CD's, I wake up feeling so much better. It's really amazing. I don't really *sleep* through them... or at least, I might feel like I'm asleep, but I wake up when she counts you up from hypnosis. It always surprises me So I'm *hearing* her somehow, anyways. I really love the program!

[mary3mama]

Homeopathic remedy 'Calms Forte' works well for some and it's safe during pregnancy.

Hope you get relief soon.

I have no trouble getting to sleep, but it's hard to get a restful night with pee breaks every 90 minutes or so.

[mlh]

I feel for you! I have had trouble sleeping through this whole pregnancy. i have a hard time functioning on 8 hours of sleep...10 is ideal. anyway, i can't imagine only getting 5 hours in 2 days.
you mentioned you tried tea. i have tried about 8 different kinds of sleepy tea and the one that works the best for me is tradional medicinals nighty night or easy something (i can't remember the name, but it has the word easy in it). i think it is the passion flower that does it for me...which you aren't supposed to have during pregnancy, but i used it sparingly and now that i am 38 weeks i am using it more often.
i would also say go for the benedril if nothing else works and don't feel bad about it. i haven't had to resort to that yet, but i would if i was only getting a few hours a night...you need your sleep!
good luck!!!!

[Twilight]

Take the benadryl... it is pretty benign and may help a lot. I've btdt too.

[steffanie3]

I am excited, I slept for almost 6 hours straight last night.

I have not been getting good sleep at all either. I get up and take a bath sometimes. Sometimes I am just hungry, so grab a snack and a small drink. I try and do something with protien and fat to help it last, like cheese and crackers or apples and peanut butter. Even if I don't feel hungry I usually do this and it really seems to do the best. I also will put in a movie I have seen a whole bunch of times and then not really watch it but listen to it.

[Teakafrog]

Originally Posted by Twilight

Take the benadryl... it is pretty benign and may help a lot. I've btdt too.

Yup. Docs all say it's perfectly safe. You need sleep, just do it. Don't feel guilty, your baby needs you to be rested.

Also, don't drink anything after 6pm or so, then you won't have to get up to go pee. Make sure to drink lots during the day though!

[prettypixels]

Originally Posted by Teakafrog

Yup. Docs all say it's perfectly safe. You need sleep, just do it. Don't feel guilty, your baby needs you to be rested.

Also, don't drink anything after 6pm or so, then you won't have to get up to go pee. Make sure to drink lots during the day though!

My gosh, if I didn't drink after 6pm you'd find me a curled up husk in the morning about to blow away. I am so thirsty, all the time, but especially at night... so I have my little routine of wake up to roll over (have to wake up to readjust the body pillow anyways, plus, impossible for me to roll without waking myself now), get up to pee, have a big drink of cold water, go back to sleep. Two hours later (or a little less, or a little more), rinse and repeat.



Gosh we don't even eat dinner until 7/8 usually...

Anyways, that said, I have taken an occassional benadryl during my pregnancy. : I have only needed a half dose though and it has helped when I was really, really desperate for sleep!

[mlh]

i'm the same way with being thirsty at night. i am up at least every 2 hours to pee and take a swig of water.

i hope you are getting some sleep! there is nothing worse than being tired...espcially if you have other kids to take care of!