I am awake at 4:18AM blogging about insomnia because well, I am 23 weeks pregnant and just got hit recently with an unwanted bout of “pregnancy insomnia”. Man, this really does suck, but it happens, and it happens to almost 80% of us sometime during our pregnancy (as statistics say anyhow!). Well at least I am not alone right? Well to be honest, that doesn’t make me feel any better that there are woman out there suffering like I am. Why does this happen and what can I do to get back to bed?
Pregnancy insomnia is like non-pregnant insomnia as it could be caused by things like you can’t get comfy, you don’t feel good, you have too many thoughts in your head, you feel anxious, you have cramps, you have to pee constantly, you have heart burn or maybe a combination of these or maybe even all of them. So what to do? what to do?
Here are a few ideas:
1) First off, if you have been lying there for more than 1 hour, just get up! Figure out what is on your mind, whether it is work, baby, relationship whatever and go write it down on a piece of paper and just get it out.
2) Don’t drink any more water and if you have to go pee, go pee. Don’t turn the lights up too high if you can because you want to keep your surroundings as dark as possible so your body still knows it’s night.
3) Do something that makes you tired. For some it’s a massage, reading a magazine or a book, having sex, or listening to soft classic music. Whatever you do, don’t do something that is stimulating to you. E.G., For me watching TV makes me wake up.
4) Try to clear your mind and think about sleepy thoughts. Yes, if you have to, try to count sheep. It’s hard to just shut your mind off, but a great sleeper once told me a trick. Stare at a single spot with your eyes closed and keep your mind blank. It hasn’t worked for me yet, but he falls asleep within 2 minutes so, it might work for you.
5) Don’t stress about not sleeping or having to wake up in a few hours. Enjoy the quiet moments of the night and the darkness.
6) Get as comfy as you can. The body pillows really do help during pregnancy. Hug it tight and make sure you are at a good temperature. The warmer you are, usually, the sleepier you will get.
7) If this insomnia is ongoing for more than a few days, try to watch what you are doing during the day and don’t do things like take late naps, drink too much caffine, eat sugar late in the day, or eat food that will irriate your stomach such as spicy foods.
If none of these things help, seeks some professional medical help because sleep is so important. I feel my eyes getting tired so I should listen to my body cues and not resist. You should too try some of these techniques and I hope you get your zzzz’s.
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