what do i do?

[prairiemama]

I can't seem to fall asleep anymore. I tried for 2 hours last night and again today I have been lying in bed for an hour or more trying to fall asleep and I can't when I am desperately exhausted. I don't know what to do about this, I need sleep so badly but I can't sleep and it's not like I can take benadryl or something.

Last night I was so tired I was basically incoherent and crazy and it was good I wasn't operating heavy machinery. We had another horrible night with Robin and I had a window of opportunity for a nap that has been blown and I don't know if I will make it through the afternoon. I am so sick of being in a constant state of crisis and omg what will I do, I can't fucking stand it anymore.

Comments

[patagonia.livejournal.com]

I was there just last week. I think the anti depressants are starting to take effect and I think they're helping! It was a tough decision for me to make, but now I'm glad I did. Elliot had a HUGE fit just now and I actually got through it without feeling like I'm on the edge.

[lolacat.livejournal.com]

i wd like to avoid it but maybe should reconsider :P

[nutmeg.livejournal.com]

Man, I remember that feeling from when E was a baby and I only had him.

I'm assuming you are co-sleeping, so you can't zonk yourself out with some benadryl. Maybe daddy can give you a night off so you can get one night of sleep? I've had a lot of trouble sleeping this week and resorted to benadryl (which I needed anyway because of the hives, I guess)... one night I took it at like 11 and I still couldn't fall asleep until after 2.

I'm sorry... being so tired can exacerbate an already low mood.

[lolacat.livejournal.com]

for real :P thx...

[need4cognition.livejournal.com]

I had insomnia postpartum with James. It was awful. I didn't handle it well. Alcohol was the only thing that sort of alleviated it.

If one benadryl will give you a decent rest, then take it and drink a bunch of water. I don't think one pill will stop your milk production.

Is taking Holly to a hotel one night and getting somewhat decent sleep an option?

Is it time to reach out to a mental health professional?

None of that could be helpful, but it sounds like something has to give.

[lolacat.livejournal.com]

I am seeing a therapist who has made some great suggestions but they will take a little while to kick in.

Thx...

[faithandworks.livejournal.com]

As someone who takes 2-3 hours to fall asleep when things are *settled*, I would really recommend some form of relaxation/self hypnosis CD to listen to when you want to sleep. It's the only thing that has got me through this pregnancy, and there's part of the one I have that states you'll wake immediately if you need to so I don't think there's a danger of being too zonked out, if that makes sense? I still wake in the night, but the sleep I get in between is a LOT better quality, and it doesn't take me anywhere near as long to fall asleep in the first place. Really helped short-circuit the "far too exhausted to sleep" cycle I got into when E was having her bad patch.

[aslant.livejournal.com]

i have no helpful advice, just a lot of empathy. i am so, so sorry you are going through this and i hope it lightens up soon. hang in there, mama. we're all rooting for you.

[lolacat.livejournal.com]

thanks!

[whitiger.livejournal.com]

Oh my gosh!! I had a phone session with a "therapist" of sorts today! We actually discussed some of this stuff, as is pertinent to our situation. (Irony!)

Anyway he suggested two things. 1- Putting an amethyst crystal next to the bed. He thought that it would help Penny achieve a deeper sleep and keep her from waking so often. But more importantly he thought it would help me since I have trouble sleeping because my schedule is split between Penny's early schedule and hubby's late schedule.

And 2- he suggested this http://nuphonics.com/ (I am soooooo gosh darn excited about this one!!!) He suggested the deep sleep cd for both me and Penny. Since we are co-sleeping still I can play it for her when she goes to bed, play it again for me when I finally lay down with her, and then hubby can play it when he comes to bed.

He also recommended the child focus cd. He said it is his experience that children who are intense at the age of 2 are going to be intense their whole life and they get more so as they grow up. He has had really good experiences with their products. They also have music to help when we are feeling depressed, frustrated, etc.

I can not express the excitement and hope that he gave me! These are two really simple fairly inexpensive ways that could potentially have immediate results.

We have a gemstone store here in town and I know they carry Amethysts in different shapes and types. I am going to go buy one, or two, or maybe three! And I am going to order our cd's tonight.

I know some might scoff at these ideas, but I know other people who he has helped immensely. And besides, anything that gives me this kind of hope is so worth giving it a shot, right?

[lolacat.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the tips. I do use a white noise "soundscape" but it wasn't doing the trick on its own last night :P tonight: massage, bath, a glass of wine, lots of praying!!

Let me know how this stuff works out for you, too. We mothers of spirited kids must stick together.

[arrivalofautumn.livejournal.com]

love <3

[lolacat.livejournal.com]

thanks sister

[sarahinajar.livejournal.com]

I have the somna sleep cd ( google it) I can burn and send you

[lolacat.livejournal.com]

that would be fantastic -- thank you!

[sarahinajar.livejournal.com]

email me your address. If it fits, I will just stick it all on an extra jump drive.

[thesaturdaygirl.livejournal.com]

i had this issue a couple of months after wren was born and my m/w recommended the homeopathic coffea cruda. omg, it was a LIFESAVER. i still use it with some regularity. that stuff is amazing.

[lolacat.livejournal.com]

thank you thank you! hey, you're the pregnantest you've ever been!

[thesaturdaygirl.livejournal.com]

haha, i've been saying that all day but it's not quite true -- if this was wren's pregnancy i would have just gone into labor now and would be pregnant for another seven hours. :P

[lolacat.livejournal.com]

theoretically it could happen ;)... I remember passing that moment with my pregnancy with Holly and being like I CAN'T BELIEVE I GAVE BIRTH SO EARLY! ;)

[thesaturdaygirl.livejournal.com]

i am just feeling vindicated that my intuition was right this time since it was SO OFF last time. technically i am as of 7pm officially right that this baby isn't in as much as a rush as wren was. lol!

(but yeah it wasn't hard to have that intuition considering, uh, wren came kind of very early. at least, earlier than any other kids i know "personally." my odds betting that this one would come later were kind of good and not rocket science, iykwim)