I can't sleep!

[katiek]

Ok this is an odd topic. During the night I find that I anticipate my DD's feeds and I am awake well before she wakes up. When she eventually does wake up (about 3-4am) i am wide awake when I am feeding her and she has long gone back to sleep when I am still tossing and turning in bed trying to get myself back to sleep. It seems to take me forever and it also seems like I just drop off and sure enough I have to get back up again to feed her. Its driving me crazy! Is this an unusual problem? I am breast feeding her exclusively and i have had no problems ... i just cant make myself sleep when i have to. Its also a waste of time trying to have a nap during the day as i just lie awake thinking of everything i have to do the following day. Does anyone have any tips on how i can fall back asleep quickly after feeds?

Thanks

Kate

[Milliner]

I have no tips sorry but I do the same thing at night, just lay there thinking of things and waiting for DS to wake up for his 12 or 1,2,3am feed whenever he wakes up.

[Mischief]

Join the club! Oliver has started sleeping thru till anywhere between 3 and 5....but I still wake about 130 ready to feed him!!!!

Think its a mummy thing!!!!

[Tea Lady]

How old is your bub Katie? Have you been having problems sleeping the whole time or just recently?

I don't want to worry you, but I had insomnia (kind of like what you describe, maybe worse) in the early days and I was told to watch out for PND - it can be an early sign.

A nurse recommended to me to try having a glass of wine (after a feed obviously!) which I didn't do, but it could be worth a try, or you could have some warm milk or something.

When I got really bad I made DH read to me - poor bloke had to read about 6 chapters before I finally fell asleep! Sometimes I felt better not trying to nap during the day - it felt better to get the housework done than to lie there thinking about it!

I do hope it gets better soon - it was one of the most horrible things I've ever experienced, so I hope you find it's only temporary :hugs:

[red crayon]

i'm like you, katiek. when i was breastfeeding, i'd wake up just before spencer did. now that he's not feeding and sleeps through the night, i still wake up at 12mid and 3am. it's driving me nuts. i've got no idea what to do about it. sorry, i realise i'm not helping. just know you are not alone.

[~Mands~]

Im definately the same, so I will watch this thread for any ideas. I know exactly how you feel :yes: Its exhausting. I also have to fit expressing in there somewhere too :eek: :laughing:
I think what everyone else has said is true- its just a mum thing, Im sure it will change as they get a little older, I hope !!!

[SAS]

Hi KatieK

I've had the same experience. It went on for 10 months with me even though DD was sleeping through the night from about 6 months old. None of the things I tried worked. Some of the suggestions I tried was to drink warm milk, reading, taking some panadol before going to bed. I discussed the situation with my GP and was told that even though I couldn't sleep, I should try and lie there and pretend to sleep. This is the next best thing for your body. Try not to think about anything while you are lying there (easier said then done I know). Pretending to sleep gives you some rest physically even though mentally you might be wide awake. I went back to work when bub was 10 months old and it was pure exhaustion then forced me to sleep. Now that DD is 14 months old and teething I'm going through it all over again. !!!!!

SAS

[LilShenanigans]

I did what SAS suggested, pretend to sleep... for many hours each night. It may not have been sleep, but it was rest.

I was an "attached parent" which actually begun when I was awake and waiting for DD to wake. She ended up sleeping in my bed every night, and when she woke for a feed, all I had to do was roll over lol
And breastfeeding actually made me more relaxed, got things off my mind and let me drift off to sleep.

Um, when I had things on my mind (especially cleaning!), I figured it wasn't productive to lie in bed for 3hrs waiting for sleep, so I would get up and clean what I needed to. After an hour of cleaning I'd be knackered and ready for bed.

Some nights I watched TV to the point of "needing sleep". I didn't turn any lights on, made sure everything was off ready for bed, but just kept the TV on. That way when the feeling for sleep came around I didn't have to stress about anything, and just crawled into bed.

Lastly, after I finally got DD to welcome her cot, she'd start to whimper and wake, which is when I when back to my first rule and pretended to sleep. A lot of the times she just went back to sleep, but I gave her about 5-10minutes depending on how awake she was getting, before I would consider getting up to feed her. (That actually worked wonderfully and she's now sleeping through the night:p )

In the end, you just have to find what works for you, but if bubs is young I would think it's a temporary thing, we have an amazing way to reset our body clocks after babies are born lol

GOOD LUCK :D

[katiek]

Hmmm Im glad Im not the only one going thru this! DD is only 6 weeks old but the last few nights she has slept thru til 4-5am. I have found I am waking up on the hour every hour expecting her to wake up still. Im sure my body will eventually adjust though

[jessgray]

i went through this really bad when ds1 deicided to cut down on night feed suddenly so i was waking up at the times he used to have a feed and he would snoozing away lol now i wake up between 4am and 6am coz i know ds will wake around that time for a bottle and a nappy change lol and if i am lucky he goes back to sleep lol