7 Months Pregnant. How Can I Sleep!?!

I always slept in a recliner. It really helped with my back. You might try some Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Herbal Tea too. It's yummy, especially with a little honey in it. Good luck!

xo,

AJ

Sometimes it helps to sleep upright in a recliner. I did that with my son. It works sometimes. My doctor advised using Tylenol PM. Just one pill. Good luck. K.

I became very uncomfortable in bed and couldn't sleep there, so I spent the last few months of pregnancy sleeping propped up with lots of pillows on the couch. I covered up in my "Dream Blanket" and slept all night long. Yes, I missed my hubby, but the sleep was much more valuable. Get some sleep while you can!!

Have you tried soft music or a soothing sound. My son needs the sound of water flowing to go to sleep to relax him and he is 12 years old. I bought him this little water fountian what-not. It is about the size of a shoe box. He is ADHD and suffered from insomnia also. He was having a horrible time getting up for school. This has made a big difference for him. You can also try doing a very calmnm activity before bed such as a short bath, reading a book, crossword puzzles, or word search. Good luck.

M. C.

It happens to the best of us hun:) I spent most of my nights in the later months of pregnancy in the lazy boy. It really helped me sleep more peacefully. Sometimes even the couch brought more comfort to me than the bed. Goodluck to you:)~ T.

I am 9 months pregnant and am also have lots of trouble sleeping. I find opening the window and letting in the cool fresh air in is helpful, however I think my hubby is cold!! Lots of luck

Try St. johns wart. It works!It is natural and won't hurt you.

Drink hot liquids to calm you and the baby down. I will suggest hot milk with a sprinkle of salt, not sugar. Get to bed early, 5 hours seems like a lot, but when you are pregnant, it is nothing.

I had the same problem 2 years ago when I was pregnant with my daughter. There was nothing to do, nothing to take. I suggest, going to Rainbow Blossom or Whole Foods and asking them if Valerian tincture would be ok for a preggo to take. There are safe herbs to take while pregnant. I give my 2 yr old Valerian tincture and did so at onset of teething, at around 5 months in lieu of Tylenol.
I feel for ya it is miserable, but worth it. It got me ready for the sleep deprivation to come when she was born. I had forgotten, my son was 7 when she was born. I am so sorry! I used to cry and cry! I could usually snooze sideways on couch better than bed. I was virtually sitting up sleeping at the end.

My first time I could not sleep at all. Until I started taking Bendyral (spelling) before bedtime. My second time was better until the end and I had to do the same. It is on the safe med list, but just ask the dr (dr told me to) but check with them first and good luck.

B. F
Mother of 4 yr boy & 4 month girl both health and happy. Just enjoy them so much!

You poor thing. I am 13 weeks pregnant with #2 and am dealing with constant nausea and lots of throwing up along with my SECOND bout of the flu on top of it. Isn't being pregnant fun?! :)

I hate to tell you this but I think that the hard things we deal with in pregnancy are to prepare us for caring for the baby. I told my mother the other day that now that I am in the middle of having #2, the things that I dreaded the most about it were 1, the morning sickness (worse with #2 I'm afraid, for me) and 2, the sleep deprivation that comes after baby is born. NOT the labor. Labor is tough but only lasts a day or so and then it is over and you have your most wonderful prize. The sleep deprivation lasts and lasts and it is impossilbe to describe how horrible it is until you have lived it. I know it is so hard for you right now, but that baby is going to keep you up all hours, too, so I think this is nature's way of getting you "used to it."

I am saying all that not because I have a solution for you - maybe someone else does. I didn't have it as bad as you are describing during pregnancy, but I can tell you that unfortuntaely it does not get better when your iittle one is born. I"m not trying to discourage you, just to tell you that you can do it, we all do and eventually you get through it and it is over; one day you will get to sleep again, 8 hours in a ROW like a normal person! Just like eventually I will be able to eat again and not throw up every few hours. YOu will be AMAZED at what you can do as a mother.

In the meantime, follow every peice of advice you can get that works for you about sleeping. What I've heard is don't watch TV when you're up in the middle of the night, it will keep you up. Try a different bed or a couch if you need to. Yes, the pillow between the knees worked for me, I slept that way every night for the last trimester, on my side. Good luck. Pretty soon you'll be sleeping soundly -- only to be awakened from your wondeful slumber every 2 hours with crying.

Good luck...

During my last few months I got a lot of relief by sleeping on the couch -- the back of the couch provided nice support for my back and knees, and I was able to sleep facing the back or away from it. My husband would sleep on his old college futon on the living room floor to be close by.

My midwife said the occasional use of Tylenol PM was OK. I slept in a recliner my last 3 months! Good Luck.
J.

I work for an ob/gyn and when we have patients that have trouble sleeping we recommend tylenol pm it is ok to take in pregnancy however try only one the first time becasue sometimes two can be to strong making you feel to groggy the next am.

When I was pregnant with my youngest child, I had the worst case of insomina ever! (at least for me, lol) He was such a kicker at night that sleep was impossible and I litteraly was getting maybe one to 2 hours of sleep a night. My doctor told me that it was ok to take Sominex to help me sleep. Instead of taking the reccomened 2 tablets though, I would only take one which did the trick for me. I didn't have that 'groggy' feeling in the morning either. I also pretty much spent the last 2 months of that pregnancy sleeping upright. Either propping pillows up behind me, or sitting Indian style facing the bed, on the floor with a body pillow between me and the bed. (Don't ask me why, but it was comfortable for me at the time) We had a huge overstuffed bean bag that I would nap on too, it contured to my body and supported my belly enough for me to get comfortable. I just couldn't sleep on it unless hubby was home because I couldn't get off it by myself :P

Put your belly in the small of your husbands back they feel the kicking and you won't feel as much of it. I tried this and it worked.

invest in a "snoogle" it's usually about $50 & it's wonderful.

This is fairly normal, but that doesn't mean there isn't anything you can do about it!

I've not personally tried chamomile tea, but I know that it used to be used all the time to help people sleep (my closest experience with it is that Peter Rabbit was given a mug of it to help him sleep). Things that I *have* used are deep breathing and relaxation before bedtime. I'm not into yoga or any Eastern religions or anything, but just spending a few minutes winding down, with your eyes closed and concentrating on breathing deeply and relaxing away your troubles helps. Also, I take calcium before bed, because that helps me get to sleep (it also kept my pregnancy leg-cramps away). One more thing is pelvic rocks--get on your hands and knees and tuck your butt under slightly then release, and do this for a while. Start slow and build up--it helps with a lot of things, including pregnancy backache, getting the baby off of your bladder, and relaxation.

And the final thing is what helps me the most: water. I know that right now you're thinking you can't drink any more water because you already go to the bathroom too much, but I swear by this! I used to have trouble sleeping, and I read somewhere that insomnia could be a sign of dehydration, so I started increasing my water (I usually drink about a gallon per day; the official recommended amount is a half gallon, which I think is too low). Works like a charm! The only times I don't sleep well are when I don't get enough water during the day. Now, drinking too much right before bed can be counter-productive, so I try to drink most of my daily allotment of water before 4 p.m.--and this goes double during pregnancy! Don't drink less water, just drink very little in the late afternoon and evening.

hth!
K.
womantowomancbe.wordpress.com

yeah that part sucks!!! i had a body pillow that i used under my head and behind my back then other pillows between my legs and under my belly. my friend was told she could take tylenol PM by our midwives as well since it is just tylenol and benadryl which both are ok for you and the baby. but check with your dr first!!!

i had a lot of problems sleeping late in pregancy too. i think it's natures way of preparing you for the sleepless nights when the baby come. but i found a few things that helped some. a warm bath before bed, using the pillows( a big body pillow worked for me), and sometimes i had to sleep either on the couch or in the recliner. if you really can't sleep, just get up for a little bit. read a book, watch a littel tv. whatever helps to make you drowsy. sometimes laying in bed stressing about not sleeping can make it even harder to fall asleep.

Hi L. A
It might be what you are eating or drinking. It would cause your baby to react inside you. How late are you eating? I feel if your going to eat late. Eat calm food that would not upset your baby or you. Or make you boh hiper. I hope this might help.

Benedryl will help and won't hurt your baby. I took it when I was pregnant with my son who is now 4 months. Good luck and congratulations!!

Unfortunately, pregnancy-induced insomnia is normal ... and very irritating, too! ;) I had it with both my kids ... it's cruel that you can't get sleep when you're preggers since you'll definitely be lacking it once the baby arrives! ;)

My doctor allowed me to take a 25 mg. Benadryl about 30 minutes before going to sleep to help ... and it usually did! It was on the list of "safe" meds given to me by my doctor's office when I got preggers.

I know doctors (and pregnant women) are all different on what they'll allow to be used when you're pregnant. But, I took the Benadryl ... worked with my first, and had the harder job of being a SAHM already to one when preggers with my second! I have two, beautiful, healthy children ... so it worked well for us with no harm! ;)

L.,

I would recommend a warm bath and then try sleeping in a recliner, if you have one. That used to be the only way I could get ANY rest.

Good luck!

During both of my pregnancies I slept on the couch during the second half of the pregnancies. My husband didn't like the idea at first then he loved the idea of a bed to himself. I would prop myself up and that was the only way I could get any sleep at all.

I had same problem too. I ended up learning the bed made sleeping worse cause I couldn't get comfortable so I ended up the last trimester sleeping in my recliner with tons of pillows and blankets till I found the right position. Also try anything with lavendar, chamomile(wrong spelling??) like bath soaps, liquids, washes, lotions, candles, herbal teas and they even have the pillow sprays or sashes you can tuck into a pillow to help you relax and unwind. I usually took a nice long soak, not too hot of course, everynight before bed, limit caffeine too. I drank whatever helped me unwind and preferred warm drinks such as coffee or the General Foods Instant Coffees but some people don't do well with caffeine though. The warmth relaxed me. Also a massage by someone or to cuddle or have a Glade Light Show or some other calming appliance like a nice quiet fan or soothing music helps. Don't have it too cold or too hot. I needed a light breeze blowing across me at all times. I enjoyed reading nice relaxing books and magazines before bed and literally craved my internet especially POGO. Don't overeat or go hungry or forget to go to the bathroom because my last months all I did was pee. Sad but true and it wrecked havoc on my bladder. I also have arthritis and used a heating pad, on whatever bothered me, once again not too hot. I massaged my belly, read to the baby, listened to my headset and read. Also making a list before bed gets worries off your mind and you can relax knowing you won't forget those tidbits and can do them tommorrow. No heavy exercise before bed either. Make the last 2 hrs as peaceful and quiet as possible. Maybe invest in a nice mini fountain for your bedroom, try Walmart or Walgreens since they have lots of choices. Good luck and God Bless.

try something for the senses like aroma therapy or some relaxing music. If your hubby will massage you that will help too. I had the same problem and usually a little rub helped, it didn't have to be an "all out" massage. If my husband would just rub my hands, feet or arms, etc I could usually get relaxed, though I never would pass up an "all out" massage. When I got comfy I called it my happy place and I wouldn't move for the life of me.

good luck

L.,
I myself had the same problems when I was pregnant with my 6 month old. I used Tylenol PM and it helped. The doctor told me that it was completely safe and they recommended it to me for my problem. I do know some other things that may help too. Ask your husband to give you a relaxing massage with some relaxing massage cream that you can get at target that is made specifically for pregnant women. That really helped me as well. I also took warm baths just before bed too with some lavender scented Epsolm salts. I really hope these ideas help you. Please let me know if I can help any more!! Good luck and congrats on the new arrival!!
V.

There is a cd at bed bath & beyond called "sleep" it works!!!!!!!!! I used it while I was pregnant w/ both of my children. Good luck! M.

L.,
Bless your heart. I am not sure if you are too far along to be taking baths but have you tried lavender in your bath. There is actually something put out by ivory and one by johnson and johnson it is very soothing. I use it with my 10 year old you just put a capful in your bath. Take care and good luck.
Sincerely,
D.

Is it physical discomfort that is keeping you awake?
Or do you 'feel wakeful' when you should be sleepy?

It is always a good idea to go as natural as possible - before trying pharmaceutical intervention. What flows through you, flows through your baby.

If it is wakefulness - take notice of what you are eating and drinking during the day. [caffeine and sugar effect sleep]
Are you getting adequate calcium, mag, D3 through diet and/or supplements?

Foods high in tryptophan will help promote sleep. These include bananas, dates, milk, nut butters, turkey, tuna, yogurt, figs and whole grains. A cup of chamomile tea can also help Celestial Seasonings makes a wonderful tea called 'Sleepytime' [If you are allergic to ragweed, avoid chamomile.]

Also lavendar oil inhaled helps to relax the body.

Also you might add some night time rituals - such as - a relaxing stroll and a warm shower before bed.
[Why not have that perfect man give you a neck and shoulder massage?]

Also make sure their are not lights [even nightlights] on near the bed. They can effect the brains registering when to fall asleep.

If you find yourself worrying [many of us do] - Don't forget to tie your hammock strings to the Lord - and lay down and rest. He is vigilant on your behalf.

Many blessings to you and your baby.

B. Church
CNC

Drink milk before going to bed. There is something in milk that helps you sleep.

Hi Sweetie, yes, unfortunately when you get this far along it does get harder and it's harder to get comfortable and snuggle with your husband. About the last two months of my pregnancy I slept with a pyramid of pillows under me that kept me inclined. It really helped. I also drank Mylanta because the indigestion got pretty intense at the end too. But try to be as calm and relaxed as you can, you'll need your strength after the baby is born. It is an exhausting time and then as much as you want to sleep, you'll not get much time for that. take care!

I think is our body's way of getting us ready for sleeples nights lol ... But both times i was prego my dr gave me a low dose of benadryl

A relaxing therapeutic massage might do the trick. It will relax your muscles and calm your mind which is undoubtedly filled with a lot of things that "need to get done" before baby arrives. I'm a licensed massage therapist here in Jacksonville, experienced in pregancy massage, I'd love to give you more info if you're interested.
J.

Why are you not sleeping...is it that you are uncomfortalbe...or anxious about the soon arrival...or work....or what? Have you tried reading or doing something relaxing before you went to bed

You can try melatonin. Its all natural, homeopathic sleep aid. I love the stuff. I had bad insomnia after the baby was born and this puts me right to sleep about 30 min after taking it. You can get it at Whole Foods or any health food store, and its safe for pregnancy.

I am old and still will never forget trying to sleep.
Try changing places- I slept in a recliner chair after being in bed for awhile, also, the sofa. I still have trouble sleeping and find that changing places and room temps helps. Like go to where it is much cooler, and cover with a very soft blanket. The tylenol is a good idea, but I question Tylenol PM, is the doc OK with that? Try using vicks vapo-rub on your temples, or massaging with a nice smelling cream. Try doing some physical exercise before bed. Anything you can think of- try. A good walk in the evening with hubby. Good luck, this is a difficult time. Oh, also, a cup of hot chamomile tea.