Insomnia, Nursing, Tight Schedual HELP ME!!!

I have trouble sleeping at night at times, too....and I find it happens when I have too much to do. I've tried the lists....didn't work for me as it started me thinking even more about what I needed to get done. Drinking something hot has not ever seemed to work for me either.

Are you a reader? What consistently works for me is reading. Not sitting up somewhere.....but reading once I'm in bed. I read something light and entertaining.....and I find that focusing on what I am reading does slow my brain down about everything else. Soon I find that my eyes are getting drowsy.....I can put my book away, and go to sleep.

I hope it works for you!

You could try relaxation exercises, meditation,and soft music. I have used a tape that has calming music and words suggesting that I will go to sleep etc.

I've also written down everthing that I might think about when I go to bed. This includes the next days activities and any worries that I have. After I'm in bed, when I start to think about those things I remind myself that I've written them down so that I will not think of them. Repeat a mantra that has meaning for you. By doing that you can push the other thoughts out of your mind. Some that help are "I am calm and relaxed" "I'm getting sleepier and sleepier."

Another way to keep your thoughts at bay is visualation. I've mostly used tapes that described beautiful places along with "you are getting sleepy now" sorts of comments. The voice is gentle and the background music is calming.

These things won't work immediately. You'll need to practice them over and over.

I suggest that one reason you have difficulty getting to sleep is that you're over tired which causes your muscles to be tense and your mind to go into overtime. Try napping along with your son. Are there some tasks that you could leave undone? At least for awhile. Then use that time to sit and relax if your son is awake. If he's asleep, you sleep also.

One method to relax is to squeeze all of your muscles starting with your feet. Squeeze and the release your toes, then your foot, then your legs, etc. Focus on the feel of your muscles. You even squeeze your facial muscles by scrunching up your face and then relaxing it.

A meditation to try is to pay attention to your breath. Breathe in and out focusing on the breath.

When your mind wants to wander, gently stop yourself and go back to focusing on your breath, your muscles relaxing, the guided imagery, the music.

You can check out a book at the library for other methods of relaxing. One good book is The Relaxation Response by Benson.

It does take time to learn how to relax. Don't be discouraged.

There are herbs, such as Valerian, which are said to help with sleep. I don't know if you can use them when nursing.

A warm cup of herbal or decaffinated tea while I read something boring helps me. So does a warm bath with epsom salts in the water.

Having a wind down time before you get into bed helps a lot. Most people can't finish their chores and immediately go to sleep.

I hope you find something that will work. Try one thing at a time for a couple of weeks or more. You could try two different ideas by using one in the daytime and a different one at night. If your mind is always working in the day time try stilling your mind with affirmations, singing, listening to music, journaling.

It sounds like you need to take a mommy break!!! I understand what you're saying. My mind just doesn't stop at night sometimes. When I am wound up and my mind and heart is racing, I lay in bed and count with every breath....slowly. Sometimes 1 to 100 and then backwards (100 to 1). The goal is to try to fall asleep. You don't need to make it the end of 100 or so. Try to relax and breath. Getting your mind to calm down and focus on one thing is hard. Or sometimes - this is going to sound weird, but singing/humming yourself a little lullaby. But it is mind over matter.

Another thing to do maybe is tea - some bedtime tea or Camomile (that's a favorite). And maybe some lavendar spray on your pillow. Maybe a warm bath or shower before you go to bed.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

Hi,

Just a question, do you really need to take your husband to work? Are you the only one with the drivers licence?-- could you just arrange it that you'd only take him a couple days a week so that you can sleep a full night a few times a week? Is there anyone else who goes to work at that hour who he could carpool with?

We also have one car, and if I need the car then I need to take him to work. I have learned that sometimes it is just better to hang out at home than to have to get up and take him. You may need to prioritize and reschedule somethings, do some shopping ahead of time; plan crafts and days at home... and you may need to sacrifice some freedom of having the car... but you could gain your sleep. I hope this is an option for you.

Otherwise, sleep when your little one sleeps, relax, put a cool cloth over your eyes and just rest. I have two kids, one 3 years, and the other 6 months. My three year old is always up at either 2 or 4 for bathroom breaks and wanting a drink, and it takes me a while to get back to sleep, and my little one nurses twice at night. Even if they don't wake up, I sometimes wake up out of habit.

Sometimes I think it would help if someone could just take the kids out so I could sleep... but I don't have too many options. So, this is the time to endure! Keep up the race. Hope you can find lots of helpful ideas, and get some rest.

S.

Hello,
I often struggle with insomnia. We just made some changes to help me sleep better; moving my daughter into her own bed alongside ours,having my husband switch shifts so he is home at night, I got rid of a lot of stuff to reduce the amount of housework I had to do, I am working on getting better organized so I don't have to fret about what I may have forgotten to do, and I reduced my workweek by one day. I agree with the suggestions to make a list, and to just get up for a while if it is clear you are not getting to sleep. Insomnia is a form of anxiety and it can flare up if you are doing too much and are not keeping a balance that works for you. I don't think medication is the best option. It may take care of the symptoms (with side effects) but does nothing to fix the underlying cause.

You could try keeping a pad of paper and pen by your bed - make a list of all the things you "could" be doing - then put them to bed too! They will still be there tomorrow. Sleep now, take care of them when you wake up!

Sounds like you havea alot on your plate. Try making a list of everything you want to get done for the day. Prioitize it by importance (it really isnt that big of a deal if the house is messy). It sounds to me that stress is keeping you up. Do something for you before you go to bed. So everybody goes to bed at 8, so take a half hour to yourself to unwind! Another trick is to force all of your thoughts out and think of something relaxing, like the waves at the beach (or whatever you enjoy). Another idea is the community college has a class on relaxation techniques. I took it a few years back and it was an all day Saturday class.

I have found that the worst thing I can do is lay there TRYING to sleep. Go ahead and get up. Do some of the things that are bothering you and have a nice cup of pepermint or kava tea while your at it. Both are relaxers and completely safe for the baby. You then will have a nice evening mommy break, get done the things needing doing, and releve your stresses.
Do you have a bed time routine? Or are you running at 90mph untill you hit the hay with everyone else? 6 hours sleep with a nap during the day is reasonable really so if you need to take some time after getting everyone else to bed go for it.

I agree you need to sleep! I would suggest catnip or chomomile tea right before bed. I have a 5mo old boy and am tired too, a bath at night helps me wind down into sleep mode. I also would suggest before bed, making a list to do for tomorrow on paper so you wont be making it in your head as you lie there. Most insomnia cures involve creating a bedtime ritual so experiment and find your own! It is also possible that there actually is TOO MUCH to do and maybe it is time you asked others for help. Perhaps your husband or maybe getting cleaning help a few times a week perhaps that could free up enough time and remove enough stress for you to get your zzz's!
Hope this helps, don't worry you are doing great this mom stuff is really hard!

There is nothing more frustrating than knowing you NEED to get your precious sleep and not being able to! Argh! I like everybody else's ideas, esp. the writing down your worries. Also: I am careful not to watch TV in the evening; that keeps me up. I also use herbal teas and warm baths to "unplug" and "unwind." These rituals are my way of reminding myself that the world can revolve without me; I too need to pay attention to myself and meet my own needs in addition to everybody else's. God bless and congratulations on your son.

I had this very same problem, TWICE. The first time I had insomnia for weeks after my first was born. My doctor diagnosed me with postpartum depression and gave me something to help me with that. As soon as I started taking the medication within a couple of weeks the insomnia was gone and I felt much, much better. I urge you to tell your doctor right away! Don't wait!

M.