Can't sleep. Clowns will eat me.

[Argonaut8]

No really though, I can't sleep. Not for any stretch longer than about 5 hours anyway. Lately I've been getting about 5 hours at night, plus about a 2-3 hour nap during the day. I feel utterly exhausted. Last night I tried going to bed early, but I woke up at midnight and couldn't get back to sleep until 4. So I slept 9pm-12am and 4am-7am. I'll probably get a 2-hour nap in today so I can function with the kids this afternoon/evening. And then I won't be able to sleep again tonight (I always get a second wind after putting then kids to bed, if I don't fall asleep while doing so). I'm lucky I'm a SAHM right now and my kids both go to school/preschool so I CAN nap during the day. But I fear I'm not getting enough REM sleep.

I'm just so uncomfortable. I lay there trying to fall asleep, and if I'm not tired enough to fall asleep really quickly, then the heartburn starts to creep up. I've tried propping myself up a little bit with pillows, but then I'm really uncomfortable. When I toss and turn, my pelvis aches. Baby has started kicking in a way that hurts, and always seems most active when I'm trying to sleep. Being so tired isn't great for my emotional state either, so there's also anxiety keeping me awake. And just when I'm almost asleep, I realize I have to get up to pee.

Any ideas how to fix this? I won't take Unisom. I tried it once recently and had side effects that were more unpleasant than being tired. Do you guys know of any other surefire pregnant lady sleep remedies?

[holmochel]

I know exactly what you're going through. I can't sleep for more than 2 hours at a time. It takes me an hour or two to fall asleep, and when I finally do 2 hours later I have to pee. Then the whole process starts over again. I can't nap during the day because of work, so I'm exhausted! My doctor told me I could take Tylenol PM when I was sick, so if I'm desperate for sleep I'll take that but I'm trying to avoid taking it too often. I could use some other ideas too, because just getting used to it isn't an option!!

[Kiliki]

Chiropractic care did wonders for my pregnancy discomforts, and I believe it helped me sleep better and feel better overall. I highly recommend it!

Otherwise, you could try.... a warm bath before bed, some sleepytime tea (my MW recommended this when I was pg), maybe a nice back rub from your SO, sex, a hot shower, getting regular exercise helps (even if it's just a 10 minute walk), calcium magnesium helps your muscles relax efficiently, allowing you to relax more easily, maybe try some turkey for dinner, since it has triptophan(sp?)... and, that's all I got!

[Keiki]

Well, you're definitely not alone! I was actually crying last night because I was so overtired and I wanted to sleep so bad but just couldn't. It was horrible. My issue is that I normally sleep on my back, so now that I can't, my hips and shoulders hurt despite my numerous pillows. And then insomnia kicks in.

[Kiliki]

My MW told me that if I am getting the most sleep on my back, then I need to sleep however I can - even if it is on my back. I slept blissfully on my back up to, I think, 34 weeks.

[rainydaysunshine]

Tylenol pm has the same sleep ingredient as unisom, fyi.

My MW recommends Skullcap, but says valerian is ok, too. Though she says that some people have an opposite reaction to it (which is why she prefers skullcap). And, of course, cammomille is safe and tasty!

[Keiki]

I wish I could sleep on my back That's uncomfortable now too! It always makes me feel like I need to pee, even after I just did. Although sometimes I wake up on my back, and that's no so bad. But falling back asleep on my back is impossible.

Thankfully I only have around a month and half left! I say I think I'll sleep better even after the baby is here, since at least then I can sleep how I'm used to.

[chickpeaz]

I suppose just the fact that it's 3.30 AM and I'm posting to this thread means something...

I'm with holmochel -- 2 hours at a stretch, tops, with usually a 3- or 4-hour gap in the night. I have had intense all-over itching at night with my last two pregnancies and inevitably, I wake myself up scratching myself raw and bloody after an hour or two of sleep. The dr. recommended Benadryl, but it doesn't do anything for the itching and makes me dopey the next day, so I only take it about once a week. The itching, coupled with the general 3rd tri discomfort and reflux and inability to roll over without a shove from DH...it's starting to wear on me! I homeschool my two older kids so I don't often get to nap during the day, and it only seems to make it harder to sleep at night anyway.

So here I am.

[mapleleaf88]

I absolutely identify! By the time I'm exhausted enough to fall asleep regardless of how uncomfortable I am, the alarm clock is about to go off and it's time to go to work! I too was literally crying the other because I was just so exhausted and I just couldn't sleep.
If I do manage to get comfortable (I find sandwiching myself between DF and my body pillow helps my back pain a LOT, and lying on my left side prevents my right hip pain), my brain is just too busy and will NOT shut off! I try counting sheep and everything!
Lately I've been sleeping until noon or later on the weekend just to catch up, and then my weekend is gone! I can't wait until work is finished so I can sleep in and get some proper rest before I'm up all night with a newborn.