What do you do to get a good night sleep?

babyW15 · August 2014

I have insomnia and am looking for help. What do you do to sleep better? I will take any suggestions!

allrightmeow · August 2014

I believe Unisom is safe. Call your doctor and they should give you a list of things that are acceptable.

Beevol · August 2014

I have only been sleeping this pregnancy because of unisom, which I also took with my first pregnancy. Good "sleep hygiene" helps too - so, no reading/computer/TV/smart phone in bed, keep it cool and dark in your bedroom at night, make sure you have adequate pillows, etc.

marajay6 · August 2014

Whether pregnant or not, I always find that a healthy diet and exercise goes a long way for getting good sleep.

jac409 · August 2014

A third vote for unisom here!

SSCmomma · August 2014

Used to be 2 bottles of wine but I'm kinda SOL lately.

Alygohome · August 2014

I don't think we have unisom here..If so I haven't seen it before.

I am having trouble sleeping all the sudden and I am barely in my second tri. I usually stomach sleep but now my boobs hurt to much and I can't get comfortable, I prop myself kinda sideways on my stomach now with pillows but I wake up with a sore back and sore neck/shoulder. I have a shoulder injury so I cant sleep on my left side for long.

I spent all the last couple days walking, working out, eating healthy, no napping and still no sleep.

I think I will have to invest in a preggy pillow!

eleolin8 · August 2014

I also have a shoulder problem (failed shoulder surgery)...ugh. I can't lay on my right side for long. I'm trying to sleep on my stomach as long as possible and have the boppy pregnancy pillow on order. I hope it helps!

SRose1005 · August 2014

Another vote for unisom. It's my new favorite thing.

NELSMD · August 2014

One more vote for exercise. I really notice a big difference in how I sleep (and feel, generally) if Im more active.

Sytina1207 · August 2014

Unison does work and is safe to take while pregnant. I have suffered from insomnia for years and have been on so many different medications. Awhile ago I switched to only taking one 5mg pill of Melatonin, which is also safe. I would try either one :-)

hweise85 · September 2014

Unisom has been my lifesaver!! My issue is waking up in the middle of the night and never being able to fall asleep. Highly recommend it! :-)

TashaPlusNika · September 2014

Unisom FTW.

Foodies1 · September 2014

Celestial brand fruit teas. a couple saltine crackers, a book in bed. These will sometimes work for me.

jennypolkadots · September 2014

Right now I am having a hard time finding good positions. I have a snoogle but my belly is in this awkward phase of not really popped out but feeling so heavy when I lay on my side. I put a long pillow (King size, flat) under my body and wrap the snoogle around me. I still wake up several times throughout the night.

If the problem is getting to sleep - do not stimulate your brain before bed. No TV in the bedroom. No laptops. Go up to bed and read until you are tired and then go to sleep. Have a nice cup of tea, a warm bath beforehand, or whatever else relaxes you. I can't sleep well at all if I didn't get some good exercise that day. Exercise a bit every day and make sure your diet is good and you aren't having a huge meal within a few hours of bedtime.

bjb1979 · September 2014

kyliedaniellexx said:

Unisom is safe. Benedryl also helps a lot of women.

Personally - if I am having trouble sleeping, I just get out of bed and make a cup of herbal tea. It usually does the trick... so far. I don't drink/eat anything caffeinated or sugary past 6pm, and try to get a little exercise each day... even if it just a 10 minute walk.

Insomnia can also be caused by magnesium deficiency, although trouble sleeping is common when pregnant. Magnesium is a natural sedative though so increasing magnesium-rich foods in your diet like dark leafy greens, cashews, legumes, wheat bran etc can help too.

I agree with the magnesium, it helps me, seems to calm my restless legs too, I believe it actually helps with calcium uptake (don't quote me on that though), which is great. I have been taking it for my entire pregnancy before bed and I sleep well, I just wake up sore from our terrible bed.

thegoodpotato · September 2014

Magnesium actually does help with restless legs. I complained to a friend who is a nutritionist because I have RLS even when I'm not pregnant, and she recommended magnesium to me. Most people focus on the potassium aspect of leg cramping/restless legs, when many people are magnesium deficient.

I'm a long-time insomniac, and I love the herbal tea suggestions. I don't have a problem falling asleep, but if I get woken up in the night, and actually have to fully wake, I can't get back to sleep for a few hours. So being pregnant and with a teething toddler hasn't been fun for me lately.

I've never taken a prescription medication for my insomnia. I tried melatonin when I was younger, but it made me so groggy in the morning (I'm usually a morning person) that I couldn't function. I usually just suck it up and plough through the following day, but I think I'm going to try the warm drink thing... and maybe find some headphones and do some guided medetation.

No helpful info here, but wanted to thank all the posters for helpful comments! There are some things here I'm going to try implementing.

Kvooys · September 2014

Was having trouble sleeping up until this week. Decided to try something new. Take a warm bath around 8pm. Hop into bed at 8:30-8:45pm with a book. Normally we watch tv in bed until about 11pm. No more TV, just read until about 9:30pm and then turn out the lights and try to sleep. So far so good!

Another thing to consider is the temperature in your house. If it's above 72 degrees I dont sleep well (only since being pregnant). Also making sure the room is sufficiently dark helps.

If I go back to not being able to sleep will be trying magnesium!

dchmelyk · September 2014

Have you tried meditation tapes? I have a very active mind at night, my thoughts go in circles, and I also have a history of anxiety. I've been listening to meditation tapes on my iPod when I go to bed and it distracts my mind so it stops the cycling and I can fall asleep. There are some great ones on iTunes. Maybe this could work for you as well?

Edit: typo

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