(XP from 6-9) help with Insomnia

duffmaker

I wasn't going to post this but after another long night wide awake I really need to talk it out. Maybe some one on here has some advice for me?

A little history: Ever since high school I've had bouts of insomnia. They come and go every few months and last anywhere from a week to a month. I'm up all night long, tending to not fall asleep until mid-morning... although sometimes it will be strange and as soon as the sun starts to rise I get exhausted and pass out (I'm a vampire! lol). The last two were, middle-end of my pregnancy and it lasted about a month (and it wasn't because I was uncomfortable sleeping) and around March and this lasted about a month also.

In March it wasn't so awful because DD slept most of the day still anyway. But it's happening again, started about last Tuesday I think. It's been okay up until Sunday. At first I  would be up all night (obviously) and be good with just napping at the same times DD did. That changed Sunday, I was completely out of commission. Fully energized from about 5PM Saturday until 9AM Sunday, then I crashed and slept until 5PM. FI woke me up enough to feed DD and that was it. I don't even remember half the times he did but the times I can recall make me feel like a monster. DD only wanted me, she was reaching, screeching and yelling mama as FI was getting her over to me and then she went into hysterics when he took her... I knew it and I felt awful but I instantly fell back asleep and I felt completely out of control.

Yesterday, was the same way. Up all night long Sunday and then I crashed after feeding DD around 7AM Monday. I feel like the most negligent parent, DD spent upwards towards 5hours in her swing while I slept on the couch, then another hour-hour and a half on the floor playing by herself while I dozed on and off on the floor next to her. She didn't get her breakfast of purees, only nursed, because I was sleeping when she normally would have eaten. It wasn't until noon that I was "with it" and even then I took two naps one during DD's late afternoon nap and one for a little bit while she played in her jumper.

I don't know what to do, I exercise during the day, eat healthy (well except for Sunday and Monday because of my extra wonky day sleeping), I don't drink caffine and I can't take sleeping pills because DD doesn't STTN. This is making me feel like a complete failure as a mom.

duffmaker

No I know, I made an appointment today. I was just hoping maybe someone on here had a similar problem.

KYmama9286

I would definitely talk with a doctor and also I would consider a sleeping medication in addition to making sure you are making all the other changes you can- no electronics for a few hours before bedtime, no caffeine at all, only use your bed for sleeping nothing else (don't watch tv or read in bed), try some meditation and also give melatonin a shot. If none of those things work then I would try a prescription sleeping medication. 

I have insomnia pretty bad also (I also go through phases where it is REALLY bad and being 'tired' makes no difference- my body just wont sleep) and nothing has helped except sleeping meds. I am not taking anything now that I am pregnant again but I was taking ambien and was still alert enough to get up w/ my kids when they woke up in the middle of the night. Or if it was a night that I was feeling extra exhausted I just made sure that DH knew I took a pill and that he would have to get up with DD when she wanted to eat...can your FI not get up with the baby? I know that you are nursing but it might be worth pumping some during the day to have a nighttime supply for him to give a bottle to the baby or supplement at night with formula- in all honesty having a to give the baby 1 bottle of formula a night might be worth it so that you can be well rested and alert to care for her again.

Also, you are going to have to have a miserable 24 hours to get yourself back on track- being awake all night then sleeping all day just perpetuates the cycle- you have to get your body back to a normal sleep schedule and maybe medication can help with that. GL!