Alright, I need some help. I have been having a lot of sleeping issues lately. I know it's just a pregnancy-thing, but someone has got to have some suggestions for me.
Every night after we go to bed, I toss and turn for another 2-ish hours until I finally am able to fall asleep. We have an alarm clock that projects the time onto our ceiling and I obsessively check it to see how long I've been stirring...11:00, 11:13, 11:48, 12:03, 12:20, etc. A few of my problems are that I toss and turn a lot (since if I lay too long on one side my leg falls asleep) and that I think WAY too much. My mind doesn't know how to stop. After a while I start repeating in my head "go to sleep", "stop thinking", "clear your mind", "relax", etc. Tonight I got so sick of it that I got up and am checking blogs of people I don't know and eating yogurt and tortilla chips (see my posting time for proof). It is so frustrating!!
Now, I take really good naps during the day. I have no problems falling asleep and can sleep uninterrupted for a good 2 hours...is that my problem?? Do I need to stop taking naps and deal with being a real grouch in the evenings just so I am tired enough to fall asleep at night?
I am looking for help here. What is your opinion? Does anyone have any sleep aids or tricks? Or do I just get to run on a few hours of uncomfortable sleep until my kids are all grown up? I know that once the baby comes all of my pregnancy problems will disappear, but I unfortunately remember that I'll have a whole slew of other problems to deal with. Where's the mercy here, people???
Jodie,
ReplyDeleteIf your mind keeps running, try and keep a pad of paper by your bed. If you are thinking of things you have to do or are worried about write them down. It will help get them out of your head. I used to do it when I would think of things I needed to do for work or the next day. After awhile you get them all out of your system and onto paper. Even if they aren't things to do, maybe it will help to clear your mind. I hope it helps and I hope your baby comes soon!
I really think that naps are your problem. 2 hours?! And I'm not surprised you need a nap if you're not sleeping well at night. Come on, stay awake, you can do it!
ReplyDeleteI had a girlfriend that had so many problems sleeping her last couple months of pregnancy that her Dr. prescribed her Ambien! I've heard of other women taking 1/2 a Unisom. (There's a generic brand at Wal Mart) But if you're looking for "natural" remedies, the pad of paper thing really helped me. Clearing my mind was half my problem!
ReplyDeleteAlso, NIX the clock. If you have no clock to look at, maybe it'll get you to stop thinking about how you aren't getting any sleep and you'll forget you're up in the night??? I don't know! Just an idea!
As for the comfort thing, a body pillow really helped me. But I still haven't figured out a way to calm my thoughts down to get to sleep. In or out of pregnancy.
ReplyDeleteI vote yes to all the rest of the comments. I like to make a list of things when I have so many things rolling over and over in my head. It helps to clear my mind and sleep.
ReplyDeleteTry taking just a short power nap in the afternoon. Like 20 minutes or so and then making yourself get up. That usually got me through the day at the end of my pregnancy with J.
Get rid of the clock! We only have one on Mike's side and without my glasses I have to really work to see it. Good for those late-night, I can't sleep and never will be able to worries.
And I had an entire arsenal of pillow choices including a body pillow which did wonders when I was uncomfortable sleeping.
Good luck! I hope the little guy comes soon! You are getting so close!
That clock sounds awesome -- I have to know what time it is when I wake up, because I always want to know how much more time I have to sleep. (I tend to wake up just before the alarm a lot, so I often will get up a few minutes early if I see the time.) But I think Meghan may be right about ditching the clock for a while if it's distracting or bothering you. I also think the naps could be influencing your sleep schedule, but I don't have any really specific advice for working that out. Everyone's body is different, but if you're napping that much during the day, you might not be ready for sleep yet when you go to bed.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
Writing stuff down never worked for me, but white noise works wonders for me. I was having sleep issues even after Ella came, but now that we're in Santa Fe with no air conditioner, I sleep SO much better because of our little oscillating fan. You hear that it's good for babies to have white noise while they sleep, and it has seriously been so good for my sleep as well. I used to toss and turn and wake up a ton (while pregnant and even still)and because I was wide awake, THEN I would start thinking and then I couldn't get back to sleep. But it's been interesting to see how much more restful my sleep has been because of the constant hum of that little fan... I guess it lulls me back to sleep when I wake up, or something. It takes a few minutes to get used to the sound as your falling asleep, but I really think that's what has kept me asleep recently. You might as well try it, right? Best of luck to you dear!
ReplyDeleteI am someone who has sleep issues. Ambien CR really is nice but may not be something that you want to take while pregnant and nursing. For me, it takes just a few days to get off kilter on sleep and it is hard to get back on. That is why Ambien helps schedule normal sleep patterns again. Sometimes you need 3 consistent nights of sleep in a row to get back on track. But here are some natural suggestions the doctor recommended: go to bed at the same time every night, have a consistent ritual at bedtime (brush teeth, say prayers, etc.), always sleep in your bed when you sleep, don't eat at least 2 hours before bedtime, avoid exercise at night, don't watch tv right before bed, drink some chamomile tea or warm milk (I think it is the milk proteins that make you tired), avoid naps, and write in a journal at night (get thoughts out). Reading scriptures or praying can put me to sleep. (I remember Jamie telling me she did that on more than one occasion - all night in kneeling position). Keep an Ensign by your bed or listen to a conference talk. That usually dispells thinking too hard and brings a sense of peace.
ReplyDeleteGood luck.
WOW! Thanks so much, everyone! The notebook by the side of the bed is a great idea, I'm so going to try it tonight. And I was afraid people would suggest ex-ing the nap, so here I am mourning the loss of today's. Like Lesley suggested, I always have a fan on (I get so hot!) and although I'm obsessed with that clock I may try to go without it tonight.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestions. I have another appointment on Wed and I'll ask my midwife if she has any other suggestions as well.
Hey Jodie-
ReplyDeleteI can agree with you on the naps! I have to have one every day too! I asked for a 2 hour lunch from work so that I can come home every day and rest. But I only sleep for 10 minutes. I set my alarm for 15 minutes and lay down. If I can't sleep, I focus on relaxing my body, starting at my toes and working my way up. Then its hard to wake up but I feel great a little later. I'm tired at night but I still got my nap. =)
when you are pregnant certain activities make you a lot more tired then when you are not... so in the hours before bed use some of that energy. Walking (skipping, I did that to progress my labor. feels weird and makes you tired) you know just something exhausting ask Adrien for ideas for activities too. If I do a lot during the day physically (whether or not I have had a nap) I can hardly stay away at night.
ReplyDeleteGood luck. both with sleeping and getting that baby boy to come :o)
I second the other things that have been said -- pad of paper, no clock, no nap, more pillows -- and I recommend looking into a memory foam mattress pad for your next pregnancy. I think it helps a lot with legs falling asleep and what not, but until then more pillows are probably a good solution. At least, it really helped me stay comfortable during the last few weeks when it was hard to sleep even though I was so tired.
ReplyDeleteI've heard that routine is the key. I brush my teeth, say prayers and change into PJ's (habitually). Also, I'm a big fan of lavender. It's a great calming scent. So, lotion or linen spray is great for helping relax. This sounds miserable though! Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteI got the best remedy! (sorry, not even reading your other comments) I've been totally insomniatic (??) for the past couple of weeks. A friend suggested Bio Citrate Magnesium to me. IT'S AMAZING! I was able to sleep the first time I took it. They suggest you take it 3 times a day, but I just take it a little before bedtime. I feel great! Check with you doctor to see if it's okay to take it while you're pregnant... but I can tell you that NOTHING was working for me and I'm on some pretty serious pain killers that are supposed to knock you out... no luck. Bio Citrate Magnesium. Not just any magnesium! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteJodie, i have trouble sleeping a lot too (even without the impossibility of ever getting comfy, in bed or otherwise.) My mind races but it's not with anything that needs to be written down - like i'll obsessively repeat a conversation or a tv show or soemthing. so eventually, i'll get up and eat something and i ALWAYS drink milk with it. it really helps me, but if that doesn't work, microwave some milk and put some vanilla and sugar in it. at times, that's the only thing that worked. something about it is SO soothing. definitely get RID of that CLOCK! i'd be so obsessed, i'd NEVER sleep!! i don't think you need to nix your nap, maybe once to get back on schedule, but in pregnancy, you definitely need a nap! so i'd say just shorten the nap. maybe lay down after clarks been down for a while so he's sure to wake you up a little sooner. maybe cut it to an hour or something. or just take a 10 - 30 min. nap until you get back on track. anyway, just some more ideas. good luck!
ReplyDeleteMy suggestion....stick with the naps. I was always sooooo tired that truely my two hour nap every afternoon was when i got in my "good" sleep. There was not a single thing I looked more forward to then our 1 o'clock nap time. I really think that naptime was when I got good, deep, sleep and it wasn't not long enough to cause my body to ache (unlike at night where laying down for 6+ hours is torture on the body). Does this make any sense???
ReplyDeleteI'd try....reading a good book. I have a good book and a flash light on my nightstand that way I don't keep Jose up all night :) Even if it doesn't put you to sleep right away. At least it will help get your mind off of what time it is, and how uncomfortable you are, and your "to do's". And eventually, your eye's WILL get tired. :) Enjoy those quite moments, soon you'll have an infant waking you every two hours. :)
Mercy? Hah. We mothers laugh in the face of mercy... looks like you got some great suggestions here, so good luck with those! Let us know if things get better. Love you!
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