April 2013 Moms

Insomnia and anxiety

Hey ladies,

I posted a while back regarding insomnia. Unfortunatly it has gotten out of control and i am at a loss of what to do. My husband and i alternate nights as to who is "on call" so to speak. On my nights LO wakes up multiple times which is fine however i cannot sleep to save my life. I get anxious about not sleeping that i dont sleep. I end up taking half an ambien to sleep but hate having to rely on medication. Benadryl no longer works for me. On my husbands nights LO STTN (which im jealous of). I usually have trouble falling and staying asleep those nights but usually get 6 hrs off and on. Its not nearly as terrible as my nights where i fall asleep around 2 only to get up at 530 to go to work. Any suggestions? Should i be going to my doctor to talk about this? I really dont want to be on sleep aids as i know you can become dependent to fall asleep on them. Is it normal for the insomnia to get worse? I feel like a zombie half the days and dont feel fully engaged in my LO or husbands life anymore. Just as if im going throuth the motions.  Thank you again.

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Re: Insomnia and anxiety

  • It sounds like LOs sleep schedule is pretty inconsistent. Have you tried any sleep training tactics? Hopefully, once LOs sleep becomes more consistent, yours will too. Until then, I don't think it would hurt to speak with your doc about it. Have you tried more homeopathic sleep remedies? Lavender, chamomile etc? My husband will take Melatonin from time to time when he has issues sleeping. Melatonin is a hormone found naturally in the body to aid sleep. He likes it because, unlike sleep pills, he doesn't have troubles waking up after taking them. Do your research though, just because it's natural doesn't mean you should take high doses or every night. Like I said, it's a great aid every now and then when sleep evades you. Good luck!
    "As soon as I saw you I knew an adventure was going to happen." ~Winnie the Pooh
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  • I agree with the sleep training but I am the same way.  I find myself awake sometimes because I was anticipating LO waking up.  I feel like my body has given up on having a normal sleep and has adjusted.  Have you tried natural ways to help you relax before bed on your days?  Like a nice warm bubble bath or sleepy time tea.
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  • It almost seems like your sleep issues are anxiety related, anxiety and depression go hand in hand.  I know you said you werent in favor of medication, but it might be worth a trip to the doctor.  A couple years ago I went on a low dose of prozac, my issues started with waking up in the middle of the night with anxiety about absolutely nothing.  Made a world of difference in my life, and after things balanced out, getting off was not hard.
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  • We have sleep trained. He is able to put himself to sleep at night. However CIO never stopped his night wake ups. We usually replace the paci atleast 1 time a night then hes out. Then once aroung 530 to eat. Max time up for a feeding is 30 mins then with the paci its 5 mins. So there not unbearable wake ups just frequent on my night. I was thinking about melatonin. I have dont lavander chamomile baths which helped temporarily.  We now have 2 teeth which i know could have contributed to the inconsistency.

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  • Insomnia is horrible! I've struggled with it my entire life. I agree with a sleep schedule or training if your LO is that inconsistent.
    However, as PP said, anxiety and depression can go hand in hand. When I had my LO there were several nights that I would just lay there wondering when/if LO would wake up. Wondering if I would hear him cry, if I'd be able to soothe him back to sleep after he ate, etc. It got to the point where I wasn't sleeping at all. I would get up to feed him at midnight and by 6am, I'd still be up just laying there while my LO and DH were sound asleep.
    I finally went to the doctor and got put on 2 low doses of medication. They have helped me tremendously and I'm now a better person for myself, LO, and DH. My advice would be to schedule a doctors appt with your PCP and at least talk to them about it. If they feel like you need to be referred to someone else they will do so. Maybe therapy in conjunction with meds will be the answer. There are a ton of medications out there and they aren't the worst ever--they also do not have to be permanent.
    I hope you feel better soon!
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