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Parenting after a Loss
rowanthefrog
member
Does anyone else have sleep issues???
rowanthefrog
member
I don't know WHAT is wrong with me... but for the life of me I can't seem to get a good night's sleep.
It started right after I had DS - just *knowing* that I was going to be woken up in a couple of hours made it very very hard for me to fall asleep. ?I really never got any good sleep until 5-10am when DH and my mom would take him in the mornings so I could get some continous sleep.
Now he is only up once at night, but I can't seem to get to bed before 11:30 or midnight, and once I get in bed it takes me hours to fall asleep, unless I take an Ambien, which opens up a whole other set of issues. ?With an Ambien I will be asleep in 30 min or so, but since I'm waking up 4-6 hrs later I am usually totally out of it first thing in the morning and I HATE that and I worry that I might trip and fall while carrying Ethan or something.
What is wrong with me?? ?I've been trying to stop the Ambien, but I literally don't sleep. ?Last night I was completely exhausted from getting about 3 hrs of sleep the night before...I got in bed at 10pm, I read, I put in my earplugs...and tick tock tick tock....I saw EVERY SINGLE HOUR on my clock...I dozed a little but I saw every hour.
Anyone have anything like this? Any ideas of something I can do to sleep better?
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A?
M/c #1 - 10/30/07 - 5w3d, DS1 - born at 36w, M/c#2 - 12/7/09 - 5w, M/c #3 - 1/13/10 - 4w6d,
M/c #4 - 3/16/10 - 5w1d, DS2 - born via VBAC at 40w3d, M/c#5 - 11/5/12 - 7w2d
BFP #8 - 5/5/13- Looks like a sticky one! DS3 - born via epi-free VBAC at 39w1d
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Does anyone else have sleep issues???
I watch tv to fall asleep because I have a hard time getting there. I've also been working on some meditation to help with sleep. When I have a really hard time, I count backwards slowly from 100 and try to make myself focus on seeing the number in my head.
Depending on how long you've been on the Ambien, your body may be dependent on it, and it will take a few nights before you can sleep.
This has been the strangest thing for me! I used to be a champion sleeper--any time, anywhere. Now after four months of interrupted sleep, I can't get my body to go down, even when the baby is quiet. Knowing I need to listen and I will get woken soon has ruined my ability to sleep.
Once I get the baby sleeping through the night, I know I'm going to have to go through a whole process of sleep-training myself again!
i had similar problems while pregnant with dd1 and then after. I was and am such a light sleeper I would wake at any little noise & need to take tylenol pm to get a good night's rest. Now I have no trouble falling asleep but it takes awhile to get back after DD2 wakes.
First, cover your clock! It will only drive you nuts and make you worry about all the hours ticking away you have before you wake! I need it dark so I either wear blinders or put a blanket over my eyes and put a blanket on my clock. If you need to know the time, put a watch by your bed to check it. Sounds like your mind is not unwinding. Try white noise? It works for babies and they advocate it for adults too ....sound sleep .
Go Steelers!
I think I'm going to order this. Thanks for posting.
I have sleep issues, but not what you are experiencing. I'm not necessarily waking up at night (well, unless a certain someone is waking me up) but something must be off with my quality of sleep because I never, ever feel rested and I look tired all the time.
I hope it gets better for you soon!
possibly sleep apnea? Those are common complaints with that condition.
Go Steelers!
Many nights I have a hard time. It's usually stress about getting everything done the next day that keeps me up at night. If I don't settle down and fall asleep right away, I start thinking that my alarm is going to go off at 5am and I NEED to get ready before DD wakes up at around 6ish. That stress keeps me up even more.
What I've done that seems to help:
1) Get into bed, just to relax, 30 minutes early. If I want to be asleep by 9:30, I get into bed at 9 and just watch the Golden Girls, which I love. I pump then, but I just chill. I also sometimes make some tea. Also, no stressful stuff right before bed. I just want to play online, or chat with DH. But no paying bills or worrying about other stuff.
2) Fall asleep before DH even gets into bed. Once he starts with the heavy breathing, I know I'm done so NEED to be asleep before.
3) If I can't fall asleep, focus on my breathing. Just do deep belly breaths and keep my attention on the breaths. This just can calm us down by distracting us from whatever it is our minds are on.
4) If I still can't sleep, get up and try to sleep somewhere else. I've found myself curling up on the couch and falling asleep right away. Sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery.
Take a cue from the babies and find a sleep routine that works for you! bath, hot tea, reading a book, relaxing music. just as we "Get ready" for the day, we need to "get ready for bed." no joke, but watching Frontline or Nova puts me out like a light (DH loves those shows - what a nerd - heehee).
when i worked nightshift i had a hard time sleeping at night during my nights off. i took Melatonin and it totally worked. 5mg 30 min before bed and i sleep for 8 hours, waking up refreshed. you can find it at your local healthfood store.
Sweet dreams - don't let the bed bugs bite!