Thursday 29 March 2012

Sleep Eludes Me

I am a groggy tired mess. I'm tired all day to the point where I'm tempted to nap. But I don't because sometime when I nap I'm unable to sleep at night. So I resist the urge to snooze on the couch in the middle of the day. Night time comes and I'm struggling to keep my eyes open. So I change into my PJ's (OK that's a lie, the PJ's have probably been on since before dinner time) and hop into bed. Sleep at last???

Not a chance sister!

The second I get into bed something strange happens. My tired body and mind start revving back up again. I am able to silence the mind by doing some yoga breathing, but the body will not be quieted. My sore tired body won't be still. I start getting twitchy and fidgety.

My legs want to be moving. My PJ's wrap around my bump and make me uncomfortable. My feet get cold and need socks on,,, only to then need to be kicked off a few hours later. I have to pee... I think. I try and relax again. Deep breaths, relaxing each muscle at a time.

Just as it starts working I have the need to twitch, or roll over, or pee. The spell is broken and I'm awake again. I'm soooo tired though. So I start to get mad that I can't sleep. My mind starts racing about what I need to do tomorrow, what I forgot to do today, or drifts into that place of bad memories.

Stop it! I snap my mind back in place! But the body has picked up all this new anxiety and tension and refuses to relax. So I get up because I see that no sleep will come at this rate. And I'm keeping The Hubby from sleeping which I feel bad about.

Nothing good is on TV after midnight. So I play around on the internet or read a book, waiting to feel sleepy enough to try to sleep again.

Last night that time didn't arrive until 2:30am. I tried once at 12:30, but it was in vain and I had to admit failure and get up again. So to sleep around 3am and up again in the morning at 8am. Perhaps tonight I'll be tired enough to sleep?? Or perhaps I'll let myself nap if I can. Or perhaps tonight will be a repeat of the last.

I know some will say this is good practice for when Frostina comes. My answer to that......

When I actually have a living breathing baby in my house I will try my best not to complain about not getting a lot of sleep. But until that happens,,,, Mama is tired and needs her sleep!!!

Photo from here

14 comments:

  1. Yep. I am up every night from 330-530. Good times!

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  2. I usually do an awake shift from 2:30-5:30a and then the following night, I can sleep bc I am so tired. The cycle continues. And even though I am on bed rest all day everyday, I won't let myself sleep at all for fear I won't be able to sleep that night. Being awake at night is much worse bc my mind wanders to Crazytown since there is nothing to occupy it.

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  3. My friends and I theorized that your body naturally does this to prepare you for the sleepless nights ahead. Whatever the case, I sure went through it too. I suggest go ahead and nap when you can. Also, I found it easier to sleep in our recliner sometimes. Hang in there!

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  4. i know those days well. hoping you are able to get some rest. and keeping you and Frostina in my thoughts and prayers.

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  5. I totally remember those days (er, nights)! Hang in there!

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  6. I remember those long, frustrating nights. Listening to hypnobabies peaceful sleep now track helped me so much! I wish I had started listening long before the final few weeks.

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  7. I am right there with you :( Sleep is a rare thing for me....at least for more than 2hrs at a time. At least we only have a few more weeks!!

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  8. I have had insomnia off and on throughout this pregnancy. I have resorted to taking Benedryl at night to at least give me a couple of hours of sleep. I just find it so hard to get comfortable. I get up 2x to pee & it always takes a while to fall back asleep. I feel ya, missing sleep is rough!

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  9. There is nothing wrong with complaining about exhaustion, before or after a baby. This is NOT god practice for Frostina, it's wearing you out and making everything harder on your body. (I'm sure you had figured that out all by yourself.) I hope most sincerely that you start feeling better soon!

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  10. Oh sleepless nights are never fun, whether pre- or post-baby.

    Whatever be the theories for the sleepless nights, I just wish you would be able to catch up on some sleep soon.

    How about a warm shower right before bed?

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  11. bleh :( I'm having pregnancy insomnia, too, but not quite as bad as yours. My husband is back on the couch, this time for his own self-preservation. I say nap if/when you can.

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  12. I am always so tired around 4 or 5pm and ready to fall asleep but tell myself not or I won't be able to sleep at night. When nighttime comes I am also wide awake. I don't get it either. Maybe taking naps is the right way to go since sleeping at bedtime isn't working out to well.

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  13. Oh I hope you can get some sleep soon!!!

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  14. I've no magical answer nor advice. As many others responding here, I've got the same thing going. It's not at all funny until I read you describe it so perfectly and then I have to at least smile in relief that I'm not alone when the misery hits. What IS that about being so very tired and then getting to the point it can be fixed (aka blessed bedtime) and your body betrays you?! My worst has been up 'til 4:30 only to be up at 6:30 for work. But I've been lucky in that one night of hell usually results in some solid sleep the next night. I think if its persistent, I'd take the 'nap when you can' advice. Better to get more sleep than less, regardless of when it happens. Good luck - two more months, and it'll all be a different kind of exhausted - hopefully!!

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