Having trouble getting to sleep?

Question

Did anyone else have trouble getting to sleep after having their baby?

Tadhg was a week old yesterday haven’t slept properly since having him.

First it was c-section pain and now that has eased.

Sometimes it’s because he goes to sleep and I know I should try and sleep while he's sleeping but you know the way you start looking at them and you can’t stop. That’s during the day.

Then night comes and I can’t drop off. Every time I close my eyes they pop open.

When I feed him and then put him down I know he'll wake in 3 hours to be fed again. So after and hour of trying to sleep I give up cause I know I'll have to wake up anyway.

The he wakes and I feed him. Then I'm really tired and I'm afraid to sleep in case I'm too tired to get up for his next feed.

My husband is willing to do feeds but I can't help but get up anyway.

It's like when Tadhg is awake I have to be awake and when he's asleep I can't get to sleep.

It's 3:36 AM and I only slept 3 hours last night (not all in one go) and I don't feel like I will be able to sleep at all to night.

I feel sort of wired all the time but I know I'm tired because I'm getting clumsy and loosing my appetite.

My sister in-law says I'm just being hyper-vigilant and I'll get used to it.

Anyone else have this experience?

How long did it last?

Would going to the doctor for a mild sleeping tablet help or will it pass soon?

(I'd prefer not to take anything really)

Answer 1

yes i had trouble to.  I was so stressed about sleeping I couldnt sleep.  What helped me was when I decided that it was ok to not sleep that I would just lie there and relax for a few hours.  Then I would drift off acidentally.  Dont worry about not waking when bubs crys.  You will wake up.  GOOD LUCK AND CONGRATS

Answer 2

not gunna lie...i haven't slept so easily in my life, until having a baby.

im so exhausted from waking up at 6am every day and not stopping, that by 9pm im just done.  

Answer 3

Hi,

I think the most important thing to start with is to get your baby into a good sleep routine.  I had massive problems with getting my 4 month old son to sleep.  He would just lie awake and cry for hours, then when he finally went to sleep he would wake every hour or two hours through the night and cry again!  Talk about pulling our hair out .... we were absolutely desperate for sleep!

It was a baby sleep audio program recommended by a friend that finally saved us. We followed the advice and began by creating a baby sleep routine which included bathtime, dimming of the lights, putting James into his crib, final nappy change and then lullabies. We also made recommended changes to his naps during the day and used some of the other recommended techniques. Within two weeks he was sleeping through the night most nights with just the odd night where he would just wake once!

Definitely start by creating a good baby sleep routine though and you could find that solves most of your baby sleep problems.

Good luck!

If you want to take a look, the audio program is at http://www.babysleepsolution.com

Answer 4

Yes, it was like that for me in the beginning. You're afraid that you won't be there to see every moment. Or that you won't be a good mommy if your baby cries and you are asleep. It will pass after another week or so. Remember, if you are taking sleeping pills DO NOT co-sleep with your baby at all. I don't think you need them though. You will get used to your babys schedule soon.

Answer 5

This exact same thing happen to me when my daughter was born come to find out I had post-partum depression and very high anxiety I was a awake for 7 straight days  before i went to the doctor and they put me on lexapro and xanax.  That is what you need to do.  I also had no appetite.  don't worry it will get better. Just call your doc

Answer 6

Hi. I was the same way with my daughter; every time she was awake I was no matter if my husband said he'd take that shift or not. I couldn't sleep when she was asleep because I kept worrying about when the next time she would be waking up. Rarely got sleep. Then the severe PPD kicked in. Not fun at all. Was hospitalized. Received meds and am doing fine now. But it was partly from lack of sleep as well. I get nervous now just thinking about that time. My appetite was messed up as well. It took me a while to come out of it though. Everyone is different. Just when your husband says he will feed, somehow you have to force yourself to stay in bed unless he needs help. You could always start off by asking if he wants you to help because he knows that you usually get up with the baby anyway.

You might need a mild sleep aid but watch what you take; you don't want to sleep through your child crying. ALSO you don't want to be so groggy at the next feeding (groggy & loopy) that you don't know what you're doing. You need more hours of sleep to be able to take a sleep aid. If your husband is willing to help out at least one night once in a while THEN you can take something. You can try over the counter Tylenol PM or other things. Those can be strong, especially for first time users.

Good luck!

Answer 7

Yes I was exactly the same when I had my son. He's 5 months old now and I can sleep alot better now.

People kept saying "you need to sleep when the baby does" but I just couldnt. especially during the day.

I felt too anxious to sleep too deeply for some reason?

My boyfriend would do the night feeds on the weekends when he wasnt working so that I could catch up on some sleep. I would go into the spare room but I still couldnt sleep! i'd just  spend the whole night feeling really anxious as I could hear him from the other room!

I realised I was suffering from PND but I didnt want to go on any anti depressants so I started taking St. Johns Wort which is a herbal remedy. I feel alot better now.

(although I still feel a bit panicky when I think back to those days!)

The best thing to do is not to make an issue out of it otherwise you could make it worse.

Just relax and realise that you will start to sleep better after a few months. Except the fact that you wont get much sleep for a while - its the only way.

It took me about 3 - 4 months - now im sleeping just as I was before I was pregnant.

Also do the obvious things like take a warm lavender bath and cut out any caffine after 4pm.

Remember it will pass soon and try not to worry as this makes it worse.