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Originally Posted by MyOcean  Mamasee I think my problem is stress. I have a lot going on in my life and I lay there with my problems running full speed in my head. I wish I had a off switch! It seems like a vicious circle  |
I hear you. My dd is very high need, and, especially when she was younger, nights were such a workout for us. I was sleep deprived. Then, as she started sleeping more (after she turned 2) I found myself lying awake for hours. I was so used to being woken up every 20min to 2 hours, that I didn't know how to sleep longer anymore! I also would sometimes get up in the night and read MDC - sort of taking advantage of some time "alone". One thing I read somewhere along the way is that when you find that you can't sleep, try not to struggle with it or resist it and fight it. Just let yourself lay there and don't beat yourself up for not being able to sleep. Know that at least you are laying down and your body can get some degree of rest. Like so many things in parenting, I found that this "phase" did pass. However, I also did take melatonin at times or Calms. The melatonin really worked and so I didn't take it too often because I wanted to be as aware as I could in the night in case my daughter needed me (we co-sleep). The Calms seemed more mellow, but at least I felt like I was giving my body something to help it relax. Also, drinking a cup of caffiene-free tea (like chamomille) was something I did. Not that it was strong enough to help me relax - it was more that I felt like I was at least doing one little, nice thing for my body. If you can find something in your week where you really get the break you need from the stress, that might really help. For me, we finally got into the routine where I went to a yoga class one afternoon a week while my husband stayed with our dd. Now, they go to the park together once a week (regular routine) so that I have an hour or two alone in the house (which, for me, is really valuable - to just be alone in my own home).
