Six Months Pregnant and Losing Sleep Fast

Hi S. and congratulations. I didn't read all the post but what I read you have got a lot of great advise. I would like to add try warm milk before bed. It use to work for me.
Take Care
D.
http://www.donnascandlebiz.com

I had terrible restless leg syndrome when I was pregnant with both my kids, so I totally empathize. The good news is that it goes away when you have the baby. The bad news is it's a real pain now. Here are a couple of suggestions:

I know it sounds weird, but avoiding stuff with wheat late in the day helped. Apparently wheat can exacerbate RLS. So I would avoid things like toast as a before bed snack.

Sometimes I would "bicycle" my legs when I got in bed, or just give in and "kick around" for a little while. It didn't make the sensation go away entirely, but did help.

Finally, a friend of mine with severe insomnia through her three pregnancies got the ok to take benadryl before bed (every night). It made her sleepy enough that she could settle down. My OB had ok-ed tylenol PM for about once-per-week use. You might want to check with your doctor about both of these options.

I'm sure there's lots of other options out there, these are just a couple of things that helped me. Good luck! You're more than halfway!

Hi S.,
The responses offer some great things to try out. My only piece of advice is not to under-estimate what stress can do to your body. You mentioned you were under an unusual amount of stress. Stress can affect your body physically so don't discount it. I would try some of the suggestions already listed. If they don't work, don't be afraid to speak to your OB about being under some stress and how you feel it is affecting your sleep. Once the baby arrives, there is going to be an additional amount of stress placed on you so it's best to deal with it now. Good luck!

My DH and I took Hypnobirthing classes to prepare for childbirth, and the relaxation exercises that they taught put me to sleep every night for the last few months. I highly, highly recommend it. There are lots of practitioners around - ours teaches in Beverly and Newburyport, www.calmhypnobirth.com - hope this helps!

Try Benadryl...it is on the approved medicine list and should help you with your sleep. It helped me wonders through my third pregnancy!! If it is your mind going a mile a minute, try journaling...once the words in your head are on paper your mind will allow you to let it go.

Happy sleeping...

H. Z. (SAHM 5, 4 and 17 month old boys)

I used the Snoogle body pillow for both of my pregnancies. I think you can get it at Babies R Us. It really helped me get into a comfortable postion for sleeping.

I spent the last three months sleeping on our big oversized chair. I found it much more comfortable than trying to sleep in bed. I had very bad leg pains with my first and just lived with it. When I was pregnant with my second I found that by sleeping in the chair my legs wouldn't hurt as bad so I was actually getting more sleep.

Good luck!!

S.,

I am not sure where you are located.....I have found that Svaroopa Yoga really helps me relax and put me to sleep. There are instructors around that have classes for pregnant women and if you want to send me a way to get in touch with you, I will try and find one close to you. This yoga is on blankets...my daughter (24) calls it the lazy mans yoga but I have found that I fall asleep easier and stay asleep when I practice it. You mentioned stress and this might also help. It lowered my blood pressure by 30 points also. The prenatal classes can also assist with the ease of your labor.

My email is a hotmail account and my username is lcturner.

I feel for you - it's so hard to get comfortable as you get bigger. Towards the end, I started sleeping in the recliner with my feet up. Not ideal, but our bed is very low and it was nearly impossible to get out of it once I rolled myself into it. (Picture: beached whale!) I've heard people say they've tried those large body pillows, but I didn't, so I can't say. Good luck!

Try taking a liquid magnesium supplement just before you go to sleep. That should help you with the twitchyness.
Regular magnesium tablets don't get absorbed as well into your body.

I also had one of these long pillows that would support my tummy and reach all the way down to the knees.

Good luck!

H.

Hi S.,
Did you check your iron levels...maybe you are anemic...some of the things you mentioned could be symptoms.
Best of luck,
C.

First of all congratulations! Next I hate to tell you, but it only gets worse from here. I found a nice hot soothing bubble bath before bed though would really relax me before I went to sleep. Then try putting a pillow between your legs to sleep. There are some great sleep positioners out there for pregnant women to help you sleep. Talk to your doctor too they might have some suggestions. I know with my last one when I got really close to the end anyways and I was contracting she offered to give me some sleep medicine. I didn't end up taking it, but that's a personal choice. If it's really become that difficult for you your doctor might be able to give you some relief. Good luck with everything. And I hope you are able to get some rest soon.

One thing you might try is to get some mild exercise during the day, especially early or midday. Walking especially, but also light weight lifting, swimming, stretching exercises, etc. I found that when I could psych myself up to do something physical, I slept better at night (especially when stressed). Also, maybe you could try cutting down on sugar and carb foods a bit? I'm not implying that you have an unhealthy diet and don't exercise -- just some things that have helped me. :) Good luck!

I took prenatal vitamins for the first fews months and realized they were keeping me up all night. As soon as I stopped I slept really well, including not having to get up and pee all night. So you may want to take your vitamin early in the morning or skip them every now and then if you are eating really healthy foods. It made a huge difference. I also used one of those snuggle pillows that looks like a big fat snake. I pretty much set it up like a nest and I slept ontop of a feather pillow to ease my hip bones and rest my belly. I felt like I was in a coccoon. Good luck!

I am 25 and 7 months pregnant, I certainly see where you are coming from! I have a very hard time falling asleep and staying asleep for more than an hour or so, usually it takes a couple of hours just to fall asleep. Always uncomfortable no matter what side I turn to, and I often get RLS (restless leg syndrome). Then once I turn to a different side, the baby takes a while to settle and kicks like crazy. Then I also get heartburn frequently.

Some things that I found helpful are chamomile tea with honey before bed. Propping up the body with a few pillows so that I sleep at an incline, plus a pillow between my legs (I found down pillows work best because the polyester ones make me sweat). Reading for an hour before bed gets me a little sleepier too, or doing gentle stretching exercises. Finally, thinking about how little time there is left of being pregnant sometimes helps, at least when she is born you'll fall asleep pretty quick at every [seldom] opportunity.

I went through the same thing before having my son...months of barely sleeping. Try doing a ritual every night, like take a bath and then read a book for a while. I had to keep a notebook by my bedside to write worries down that would randomly come to me while in bed. Instead of worrying about them all night I wrote them down to deal with the next day. Having a fan on in your bedroom might help, it did for me. Ultimately my dr. told me I could take tylenol pm when it got really bad. Think of it as preparation for how little sleep you will get when your baby gets here!! You'll be a pro at little to no sleep :-) Hang in there!

S.,

There are 2 kinds of body pillows. One is just a really long straight pillow - about 5 feet long and the other is a 'C' type pillow. The long straight pillow you would snuggle infront of you and the 'C' type pillow goes between your legs around your back and under your head. I personnally choose the straight pillow so I could move around. The 'C' type pillow is a little more confining.

You can also try eating oatmeal before going to bed. This helps get you into the sleep mode. Reading before bed to clear your mind. Baths also can help. We also had a sleep CD that I listened to before bed which really helped me get into the sleep mode. Stretching can help - this sounds funny since I'm sure it's hard to bend over but even side bends and relaxation beathing can help. And if all else fails Tylenol PM will get you to sleep. This is perfectly save to take during pregnancy.

I know you have a lot on your mind but after your little one comes sleep will be even harder since you will be getting up several times a night to feed. This is normal and important that the baby gets up several times to feed. It reduces the risk of sids and the baby shouldn't go very long with out food since the need to grow and they do a lot of growing in the beginning.
At 6 weeks and 3 months there are growth spurts that happen and they can really eat a lot to get this growth done.
I read your babies first year week by week which I love. It gives me a lot of info and also games to play with my daughter every week. The chapters are short so it doesn't take long and I'm glad to have a book to reference.

Hope this helps,
And remember to enjoy each day with your little one and give her kisses all the time - they love it.

L. M

CONGRATULATIONS S.! I bet your uncomfortable! Been along while since my first. Almost 27 years! And, my third is just 3 1/2! I am assuming you have checked with your OBGYN to make sure your sleeplessness is not medically related i.e. anemia (iron deficiency)? That said I can tell you releif for me came in many a box/bag of chamomile tea and sleepytime tea while reading. It came in warm baths before bed. It came from the leafy green salads I ate daily. The 64 + oz. of water I drank (hydration is key.) And, finally when turning in or taking a nap in the day, I just couldn't sleep without my BODY PILLOW (oversized, overstuffed, underrated!!!) I glomed right onto it! Hugged it with my arms and held it between my legs while lying on my side (keeping my hips aligned). I had a broken foot with my third so the pillow kept the cast in place as well (not to mention the husband!). Movement and stretching were vital! Yoga can do wonders for those with stiffness or who cannot walk! The break I sustained would not allow for a walking cast so my lily was literally bounced from place to place! I also consumed healthy snacks (a favorite was bite size prunes)when I felt low on energy. Take EXCELLENT care of the two of you. And, begin looking for rest and relaxation techniques that suit you. I think I can speak for most Mammas here, that once your bundle of joy arrives sleep deprivation is a constant battle. Best wishes to you. And, continue ask as these wise women here CARE!

Well you have a lot going on. I used a lg. body pillow and a pillow i got a Babbie's R US which is made for sleeping. That is what helped.My OB had me drink a sm. class of wine before bed to relax me. And it worked. My daughter turned out just fine and she is 2. Good luck with every thing.

I always had trouble sleeping with my 3 children. A body pillow tucked between your legs helps. I also ended up having to sleep on my couch for the last 3 mos of pregnanct. It was the only place I could get comfortable.

You've gotten a lot of good ideas and suggestions so far, but I wanted to add to the 'Welcome to pregnancy!' part. With both of my pregnancies I suddenly would wake up--wide awake--for hours on end and I think it is your bosy's way of preparing you for the nighttime feedings you will have soon. For my first pregnancy, I would sleep a few hours and then get up and read, write or anyting that would be relaxing. I'd go back to bed after a couple hours and sleep fine. Now that I'm pregnant again (due Feb. 9), I have cut out caffeine and anything that would cause me to lose sleep at night--watching TV, surfing the internet, too many naps in the day, etc.
I sleep on whatever side is most comfortable with a pillow between my knees and sometimes one behind my back, too. If that doesn't work, I prop myself up on a couple pillows to help me breath better. A warm shower and reading a little at night also helps me get sleepy. Other than that S., just realize that your body is making a miracle inside and is very busy. In a few months, you'll be a mommy and no matter what kind of stress you are going through (no daddy around? going through this alone?), you will look at that baby and none of this will matter. Please hang in there!! D.

Join the club! Is this your first child? Sometimes it is worse with the 2nd was for me.
A lot of the time it has to do with the position of the baby. Try changing positions to move the baby (doesn't always work though). He/she may not move for some time or may stay in that position until birth (both my kids were in the same position for 2 months straight). But it is all worth it!
Some suggest chiropractic treatments my sister in law swears that it worked for both her pregnancies. Good luck!