Had a baby, and now I can't fall asleep?

Question

My 7 weeks old is sleeping great through the night! But, now I'm back to work, and need to get up early, but I can't fall asleep. I think I'm still used to getting up and anticipating waking up with the baby. It takes me hours to fall asleep, and then I wake up somewhere in the middle, and have a hard time going back to sleep. I toss and turn, and my brain is racing with things I need to do, and just various things. I'm not depressed...but I really need to get a good night's rest, or else I'm going to get sick! Did anyone ever have a hard time like this? If you did, was there anything you found that helped? I tried taking Valerian root, but it's not really doing anything for me. Does anyone have any other suggestion for some sort of sleep aid pills or something?

Answer 1

I had the almost the same problem.  My sleep schedule got out of whack because the baby's schedule was irregular.  After he started sleeping through the night it took me a little while to be able to get to sleep at a normal hour and get back to sleep after waking in the night.  I just let it go back naturally though...Eventually it just went back to the way it used to be before he came.

Answer 2

Every since I got pregnant with my 1st, I have had major sleep issues (6 years later, I am still taking sleeping pills every night). I either take the WalMart sleep aids (gelcaps) or Tylenol PM's .

I hope it gets better for you.

Best of luck!  

Answer 3

go take a jog around the block and then take a hot bath, that should naturally burn your body and relax it to fall asleep. Sleeping pills is a waste of money and horrible for your stomach lining.

Answer 4

Exercising BEFORE bed is not a good idea, as the first person said.  A bath though, is a good way to wind down.

Be sure and do something relaxing instead of soemthing that engages your brain - like t.v. or computer.  Maybe listen to soft music.  

Fighting it is also only making it more difficult.  Try going to bed a little later and take a bath beforehand.

Answer 5

I wake up ALL the time in anticipation that my 3 month old will wake up to eat.  He's been going to sleep at 8 pm and usually wakes at 5 am to eat.  I don't know why i'll still wake up 2-3 times a night.  I'm sure it will get easier as time goes by.

BTW, my alarm goes off at 5:45 for work, but i can never fall back asleep after the 5:00 feeding so I am in major need of sleep also!