Insomnia During Pregnancy

I'm pregnant with my 3rd baby in less than 3 years and always get pregnancy insomnia. Here are some things that have worked for me.
1. earplugs. Good ones, inserted properly. The tiniest noises wake me up when pregnant. I didn't realize that's what was happening at first.
2. when i was really desperate i would switch locations. go to a couch, guestroom, whatever i could find. that one almost always worked
3. and finally, a very costly suggestion. a temperpedic mattress (i may not have the spelling right. after spending a night in a hotel on one after weeks of pregnancy insomnia, my husband found a floor model for half price. the best gift i ever got. especially since being pregnant is my full time job.
4. light reading before bed.

I wish her luck.

N.

3 moms found this helpful

Hi M.,
That is so hard! A friend of mine recently reminded me that sleep deprivation is a form of torture, and yet mom's have to deal with it all the time!

When I see clients who are having trouble sleeping at night, I often suggest that they try eating a very hearty snack including fat and protein at bedtime. If your blood sugar drops too low-which happens very easily during pregnancy and nursing--your adrenal glands will release cortisol to raise your blood sugar. Cortisol is a stress hormone and will wake you up.

I know plenty of pregnant moms who need to eat in the middle of the night, too, so you might try keeping something like cheese or nuts in a small cooler beside your bed.

When I was pregnant and nursing, I would always eat some banana with nut butter or apple with cheese before bed, otherwise I would wake up.

As for Melatonin, I would definitely avoid it during pregnancy. Melatonin is a hormone that has an important interaction with Estrogen, so my gut feeling was that it wasn't good for pregnancy. I checked it out a little bit, and my suspicions were confirmed. Here is a link to information about melatonin. the information on pregnancy is toward the bottom of the page.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/melatonin/NS_patient-mel...

Good luck, and may she get sleep soon!

Best,
E. Bender, NC, CHN
www.nutritionforthewholefamily.com

2 moms found this helpful

hi M.,

i was up a lot in the night also when i was pregnant. i tried to find things to do instead of just laying there hoping i could go back to sleep. my doctor suggested calms forte which is a homeopathic sleep aid. it really helped me fall asleep. i took two about an hour before i was planning to go to bed and i rested more peacefully.. good luck.

K.

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Oh man, I could NOT get to sleep when I was pregnant- with my 2nd. This meant I had a 2yr old to contend with as well! My issues were this: 1)Family problems stressing me out- could avoid all day but when you lay down at night it is harder to push these thoughts out of your head.She may have thoughts about being a first time parent etc... 2)My BLADDER. If I finally did get to sleep,inevitebly I would be up to pee in an hour. And no matter what, I was up every single hour the last month. 3)My husband- he is such a restless sleeper sometimes and snores as well. In my 1st pregnancy I had serious thoughts about suffocating him in his sleep for breathing too loud- (I have been advised I should have a seperate bedroom when pregnant=) 4)Cravings- especially for liquids, of course! and 5)Of course that enormous belly towards the end.
What I did: Talk about family problems/stresses with hubby to get it off my chest before bedtime (issues did not have to do with him/us so it was not like a battle, just a discussion) Or maybe try a journal.
Nothing you can do about the bladder. You can try to drink less before bedtime, but inevitibly that was when I was thirstiest and if I was in bed thirsty i would lie awake thinking about how thirsty I was until I was so obsessed I HAD to get up and have something to drink (7-up, with ice and a straw!) Which brings me to cravings- If you are going to lie there and obsess over them- just get up and give in, you won't sleep until you do anyway.
I also got a body pillow- it helped a lot to put between my legs and under my heavy belly the last couple months.

Remember that the longer you lay in bed stressing that you can't go to sleep the worse it can get, and you are stressing yourself out more than you need too. I would just give up and go downstairs, have my 7-up (with ice and a straw), go online, watch tv, read, whatever until I was sooo tired (usually around 2am) I could do nothing but finally fall asleep.....for an hour until I had to pee again....

I looked at it like this- Of course it would be better if you could sleep, but if you can't then take advantage of all the free time you have now because you will not have time to yourself like this again for a looooong time!!

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I tried everything: tea, hot milk with honey, homeopathic remedies, reading, changing location/ position, you name it. Nothing helped. I try to not take drugs for anything, even when I'm not pregnant, but I have a 2 year-old to take care of. I was getting desperate, so my doctor told me to take Unisom and that really helped. It got rid of the nausea as well.

2 moms found this helpful

I had the same problem. Check with your doctor, but mine allowed me to use Tylenol PM. Tylenol products are safe during pregnancy. I wouldn't use them every night, but sometimes you just really need to get some sleep. I would also drink a glass of warm milk before bed.

1 mom found this helpful

same thing happened to me with first pregnancy. so much to think about etc. i tried cutting out liquids after 5pm except a small glass of warm milk before bed. that helped a little. towards the end, it was so bad, and i was so uncomfortable, that i eventually took 1 tylenol pm which is safe to take when you're pregnant. i had to get some darn sleep.

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Your sister should not worry... My sister has the same thing. It is totally normal...my sister puts on relaxing music and it helps her mildly; alos, when your sister feels sleepy she should go to slEep right away and if anyone else is in the house they should be as slighnt as a fly seriously!

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Melatonin is a natural sleep aid. I know it is safe for kids but you might want to be double sure it is safe to take while pregnant.

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Benedryl....life saver for me. I can't sleep very well normally, pregnant or not. When I was pregnant it was a million times worse!! My doc let me take benedryl and I slept great! I actually still take benedryl. Helps with my allergies and puts me to sleep at night. Plus I did a lot of research on it when I was pregnant and its totally safe to take while pregnant. Good luck to your sister!! Hope she gets some sleep before the little one comes!!!

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Things that worked for me:

No TV or computer 2 hours before bedtime, reading an average or boring book, tea, eating healthy (lower glycemic), exercise, don't go to bed too hungry or too full, shower before bed. Best wishes!

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Hi M.,

I too am 24 along (with my 3rd). I have the same issues and I find that as long as I excercise for 30 minutes a day (brisk walking is great!) and if need be my doctor allows me to take a Benadryl each night to keep me asleep through the night. Without it I would be a walking nightmare! Hope that helps.

A.

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Hi M.,

Chamomile tea is very relaxing and soothing. Try creating a nightly ritual that you find very relaxing and that makes you sleepy. At the same time every night, make your home dark by turning off all of the bright lights and just keep on a few warmly colored or "drowsy" looking lamps. Get an excellent set of pajams or a very cosy nightgown and lay it on your bed with some cosy slippers or socks. Now, you've got your tea, you've made your space "feel" sleepy, the real magic is to turn off the tele, and get a very interesting yet unstimulating book to read. Subjects like botany or lists of trees and their descriptions, bridges, architecture or sealife,...any subject where the topic is informative but not really exciting is sure to have your eyes feeling heavy, and your senses drifiting off into cottony-soft slumber.

Sweet dreams!
M.

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I had insomnia the last two months of pregnancy. Taking x-tra magnesium at night helped because it works as mother natures muscle relaxer. Also, I drank chamomile tea about an hour after dinner. Helped a little bit. Enough to go from one to two hours a night to five to six hours a night.

The last few weeks were the worst for me though. The nurses in the hospital took my daughter to the nursery for a couple hours because my husband tattled on me and told them I had not slept in three days.

I didnt think of it when I was pregnant, but my parents used to give my brother and I a special milk shake when we were young to make us tired. All of the following together produce eltriptaphan, which is also in turkey. (thats why you feel so tired after eating turkey on Thanksgiving)

-8oz. warm milk
-1 banana
-2 tblsp honey
-1 tsp cinnomon or nutmeg
BLENDED

1 mom found this helpful

try taking some benedryl.....that always helps me sleep on those nights!

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I had insomnia during pregnancy and acupuncture really helped me to get a good night's sleep. I saw an acupuncturist in Santa Cruz, but perhaps you could find someone near your sister.

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Dear M.,
Insomnia is just one of those dreadful things that we have to get through during pregnancy. During the beginning of my first pregnancy, I was so darn tired all the time. I would literally come home from work on a Friday night, have some dinner and go to bed then sleep right through to Sunday afternoon. It scared the crud out of my mom, she was always coming over to check on me and try to wake me to eat, but I just wanted sleep. Then, about mid-way, I went through the opposite. Couldn't sleep to save myself. I don't remember now long it lasted exactly, but then I went through a phase where I slept pretty normally. Until I got humongous and couldn't get comfortable no matter where I tried to sleep and the "nesting" burst of energy hit me. I was like a whirlwind.
A woman goes through a lot of different stages and all pregnancies are different.
I suffer from insomnia from time to time and I have found that even if I can't sleep, I can get as comfortable as possible and still try to close my eyes and relax. Meditation can be really good for that. As long as you're not meditating on things that are stressful and you can't do a dang thing about in the middle of the night.
I also pray. I either talk to God or a relative that has passed away and ask them to watch over me.
When I was pregnant, I rubbed my tummy and thought about my baby and talked to it in my mind about how much I loved it already and just tried to bring myself into a state of calm. Resting and sleeping don't have to be the same things, although I do know that not sleeping is so frustrating. You can still relax and let your mind and body rest.
I'm sure your sister will be fine.
Be sure to let us know when the baby arrives!

1 mom found this helpful

Hello M.,
When I was pregnant, I had a really hard time sleeping too. And so did my sister, with both of her kids. The doctor is right, it is normal. It's your body preparing it's self for many sleepless nights ahead. Kinda like your body is studying for a really big exam. lol Anyways, I don't know what my sis did; but I'll tell you what worked for me. I drank lots and lots of hot tea with honey. Sleepy time tea, was the best. have her try that

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I suffered the same thing. I, also had a problem with a stuffy nose when I went to sleep which kept me up. My Dr. recommended Benadryl - it would put me right to sleep and I was able to breath. Hope this helps.

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how about some exercise? a walk? bike riding? I know exercise is one of the best ways to get tired and have a good night sleep. Tell her not to do it so close to sleeping time or it will keep her awake instead. I hope it helps :)

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I would be getting some prenatal massage and taking baths to relax!!! Then even if I couldn't sleep, I would at least feel more mellow and rejuvenated.

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Hi M.!

Yep! I couldn't sleep 3/4 of the way through one of my pregnancies either! It was exhausting! I did finally get sleep during the last 6-8 weeks. I hope the same thing happens to your S-I-L.

I had a "Craft Basket" for those nights. I could make cards, work in Memory Books that I never started, etc.... It was busy work that made me tired and I finally was able to fall asleep for a few hours.

I hope something I've said helps her in some way...

:o) N.

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I had insomnia too! I would fall asleep at my normal time but I would wake up around 2 or 3 am. I would go out on the couch and watch bad t.v. (usually re-runs of the Cosby Show!) and then I would fall back asleep after a couple of hours. There was several months of that. Maybe it is our bodies getting us ready for the sleepless nights with an infant?!?!?!

I hope your sister figures out something that will work for her. Sorry I can't offer any suggestions, other than bad t.v.

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UGH. I slept in 45min intervals with an hour in between from 29 weeks to 38 weeks when I delivered. I actually slept better at 10am into the early afternoon. I was pregnant with twins and was put on leave at 29 weeks. I did most of my sleeping when my older twins were at school. Actually, I got much better sleep after the babies were born. I didn't sleep much during my other twin pregnancy either. It's normal to have insomnia.

wha helped me a TON was to change environments so I'd go to living room where I could sit up stretched out on couch. So when I finally dozed off I had the side of the couch to lean on. This was a very comfortable position with a big belly. I'd watch serious crime scene show (not my favorite or else I'd make an extra effort to stay awake) and try to not get frustrated. Accepting I'd be up for awhile actually helped me fall asleep quicker.. I think. Also had a bowl of cereal practically every night. The carbs and milk helped me get sleepy! Make sure she's not taking prenatal too late or it could keep her awake.

The same thing happened to me and my doctor also said it was normal based on the fact that I was anxious about my new baby.

Hi M.,
I just gave birth to my 1 month old son, and I think I get more sleep now with a newborn than I did when I was in my third trimerster of pregnancy! Unfortunately, it is common for women in the final weeks of their pregnancy no not sleep much. Your poor sister in law! Sounds like she has it really rough. My midwife recommended I take Benadryl before bed, it is totally safe.. I didn't end up trying it, but you might want to suggest it to her.
Best,
B.