I Have a Hard Time Falling Asleep, but Once I'm Asleep, I Can Sleep No Problem.

Believe it or not, there is such a thing as "sleep hygiene". This is the process of setting yourself up for sleep - making sure to eliminate electronic devices for a period before bedtime, having a calming routine in the late evening, keeping a regular time to go to bed, avoiding stimulants like caffeine, limiting naps during the day, etc.

Since you need to wake up during the night for feeding, I would NOT recommend any type of medication to help you fall asleep - you need to be able to rouse from sleep to tend to your little one. If you are breastfeeding, you should also avoid supplements like melatonin.

Here are a couple of links that talk about setting up a sleep hygiene schedule that should help you to get to sleep. It may take a week or so of adjusting & sticking to a routine before you notice the benefits. Because you don't have difficulties falling back to sleep after feeding, I strongly suspect the problem is making sure that you are properly tired before attempting to fall asleep. That may require adjusting naps & exercise to find the right balance of energy expenditure, so that you aren't exhausted, but you are ready for sleep when 10 o'clock (or whenever) rolls around.

Hope this helps, sweet dreams to you! T. :)

https://www.sleepassociation.org/patients-general-public/...

http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/getting/overc...

Less screen time before bed is a common recommendation. No TV or computer or phone for 2 hours before. Read a real book (not a newspaper) for an hour before bed, even in bed if you like. Make any lists of stuff you need to do the next day well before you get in bed. Try not to let your mind work ahead once you get ready for bed. We moms tend to use the quiet time after the kids go to bed to do everything else, and that's not good for us! Don't use that time for laundry or dishes or paying bills - yes, those things need to get done, but try to cluster them at other times of the day if you can.

You also have an infant so your body is still adjusting. I agree with the suggestions below about the fresh air and exercise earlier in the day as well.

Learning some slow, deep breathing techniques has helped me fall asleep. Also, placing a spritz of lavendar on my pillow, or the stress relief spray from Barh and Body Works has been helpful. I think it has eucalyptus.

My mother has started having a small cup of warm milk with honey to help her fall asleep. I haven't tried that yet, but she nods right after her milk and honey drink.

Take some long walks with the stroller in the afternoons.
I find some exercise earlier in the day really helps with sleeping well at night.
It can't be too close to bedtime - earlier in the day - like morning - is ok too.
But early afternoon before supper is a great time for it.
In addition you can also have yourself a glass of warm milk or a cup of chamomile tea before bedtime before brushing your teeth.

I agree w both ladies below. Walking should work.

Since I had kids, I moved my bedtime up. Partly so I could get extra rest with the night time feeds when I had infants, but I just find it easier to drift off. It's almost like I get a second wind if I'm overtired, then struggle to fall asleep.

You're probably already out walking (fresh air) in the day - we sometimes did an after supper short stroll, then I'd have a bath, feed baby, and I'd go down not long after the baby and get a good solid chunk of sleep in before that first feed.

I always found reading helped. Dark blinds too if it's light out and you want to drift off before your typical bedtime.

For me I was unable to give in to good sleep when I knew I would soon have to get up to feed. The best I could manage was a twilight sort of rest. I slept soon after ds 1 slept and asked hubs to take responsibility for baby's first feed. Worked well for us.

Best
F. B.