I Can't Sleep - Vallejo,CA

There are some great suggestions here already. One thing I wanted to add is that you should try and get some exercise each day. Even if it's just a brisk 15 min walk at lunch time.

Krystal,
Would Melatonin be something safe to take while pregnant? Another thing that might work is I've heard that Dried Cherries have very sleep inducing qualities.
Hope that helps,
D.

I suffer from insomnia myself. And I am not one to use pharmaceuticals of any kind. You might try "Rescue Sleep" -- it is made by the people who make "Rescue Remedy" (one of the Bach Flower Remedies). It is completely natural. You spray it on your tongue before you go to sleep. You can find it at Whole Foods, or any other natural foods/supplements stores. Good Luck.

I am due the 31st of this month with my 5th child and have not had a good nights sleep since the early begining. I would never take anything for it, this has been something that I get with each pregnancy. When I was pregnant with my now 12 year old, the only safe thing to take was a regular Tylenol once in a while. Since then I have heard of women taking so many different drugs it is crazy. I start to wonder if this all has to do with a lot of the infant/childhood disorders that are now so common among our children. Try and stick it out.

I know it can be difficult while pregnant. I am on the South Beach Diet and have found that I sleep like a log. I think it is because I've cut out almost all carbs. I know while pregnant you need to "feed the baby", but you might try cutting out all sugary products (cookies, ice cream, etc.), other than small amounts of fruit (berries and melons), eat lots of veggies and your proteins. Have only wheat bread for the carbs. I also eat a small bowl of Kashi in the morning to keep things "regular." No chips, crackers, etc. No fruit juices, but you can drink V8. Give it a try for a couple of weeks and so how you do. You want to make sure you're eating well though because you are making a baby. Be sure to take your vitamins.

K.,

I'm sorry you are having a hard time sleeping. Have you ever thought about acupuncture? it is relatively painless and it will not hurt the baby as some of the medicines can. the acupuncture can help relax your body, and calm your mind so that you can get some much needed sleep.

good luck to you!

G.

I had the same problem. I would sleep for about 2 hours and then toss and turnt he rest of the night or just lie there waiting to go to sleep. I am now 20 weeks pregnant and I thought WHY NOW? When I was pregnant with my sons insomnia didn't start for me until the last few months when I was completly uncomfortable.

I would take a warm bath, honestly that was the only thing that helped. For me, showers weren't the same. I would get the water as hot as I could and soak for about a 1/2 hour and read a book. It helped. But everyone is different.

I sleep okay now. And when I start to feel restless, I'll take a bath or have my husband give me a massage, something to relax my muscles and my mind.

Good luck!

Have you had your thyroid checked since you got pregnant? If not, you may want to as insomnia often occurs when thyroid levels are off. During pregnancy you can develop a thyroid imbalance even if you didn't have one before. Have it checked.

If it's not the thyroid, try having a cup of chamomile tea after the warm bath.

Good luck!

Go near the vitamins at Wal-mart and get some Melatonin (of course double check with your doctor but I think it will be OK) It does not knock you out like Benedryl however it relaxes you so you can sleep and from experience the nightmares are gone(which is why I use it). Good Luck!

PS- Only costs about $3.00, I only take 1 my husband takes 2 when he uses it, also I usually only take it about a week and then my dreams are fine for a while, when they start to turn bad then I take it again.

I am also pregnant and am not sleeping totally normal. When I walk 30 minutes durring the day I think I sleep more soundly but for a shorter time. I am dreaming stressful dreams. I wake up with my teeth and jaw hurting cause I have clenched so hard. If I am having trouble falling asleep, a bowl of pop corn helps. And sometimes I will even eat candy. But more importantly I am taking a look at the stresses in my life and trying to recognize not to worry about what I can not control or change. If my anziety is coming from never delivering at Kaiser before...go on a tour and ask questions. Stressing about what to name the baby is a waste of time. Once I desided to wait till I find out the sex, the pressure was gone. Reduce the stress you can and let go of what you can not change. This may sound really silly but if I fall asleep before my husband, I sleep better. If I am the last adult to fall asleep, I feel I have to sleep lighter. Strange I know. Oh and since you are remembering your dreams, maybe look up their meaning. Some dreams symbolize totally other things than they seem. Maybe you can identify your stress if you knew what is triggering your nightmares. A friend kept dreaming of her husband cheeting on her. The dream book said that really just meant that big changes were about to happen in her life. New job, new apartment. Good luck and Congratulations on being pregnant.

Ask your doctor about taking melatonin. It is the substance that your brain secretes to help you fall asleep. It is natural and can be found in the grocery store with the vitamins. Ask first of course. Also ask the dosage.
Sweet dreams

Homeopathy is great. I had the same problem in in first pregnancy. I went to a Homeopath who prescribed a remedy for me and took care of the problem immediately. When the second pregnancy came around I didn't wait to so long. I went immediately and slept nicely from that point on.

It is a part of being pregnant. If I were you I would not take anything, just in case it hurts the baby. Sounds like the nightmare is bothering you and that is why you can't get back to sleep. Try falling asleep with the tv on or a radio. It will pass, you will sleep again, but until then find something to do at night while you are up. Listen to the cues of your body, maybe you would be able to sleep during the day. Pregnancy does strange things to your mind and body, and though it is short lived, it is hard. Try sleeping when you normally wouldn't and see if that helps. I have 2 children and didn't sleep when I was pregnant, could never get comfortable. Now I don't sleep because of the kids. Think of this as the warm up. You will adjust.

Have you tried taking a walk or some type of exercise before dinner? That may help. There is also an article on WebMd about foods to eat to make you sleepy. It's worth a try.
Best of luck and congratulations!!!

Hi K.,

Sweetheart, Don't take drugs. Remember when doctors were giving out thalidamide to pregnant women for morning sickness and it caused birth defects? Remember all the people who died using vioxx? How about all those people who took that drug for weight loss and ended up with heart attacks? All these people were told or assumed the doctor was giving them something "safe". Ambien causes alot of side effects that show it has a big effect on the central nervous system. If it is doing that to your CNS then it is affecting your baby's CNS as well. In fact the disclaimer for this drug says it sedates the fetus in late pregnancy.
See for yourself the lengthy list of side effects to the commonly given "Ambien" : ( be sure to read to the bottom)

http://www.drugs.com/sfx/ambien-side-effects.html

I think you will find relief taking calcium, magnesium, and chromium, and vit B complex. B complex regulates the central nervous system. In fact, a lot of the weird side effects that Ambien has on the CNS, are also the weird side effects people get when they are vitamin B deficient.

*FULVIC ACID will give you all the trace minerals listed above, then you can add B complex liquid, under the tounge 3 times a day.

A half turkey sandwich (tryptophan) and a small glass of milk (calcium) an hour before bed might help too.

Any kind of coffee, soda or tea that has caffeine can cause sleep disturbances at night.

Did you have sleeping probelms prior to pregnancy?
Do you feel anxious?
Are you getting enough fresh air during the day and walking or exercising? Try walking earlier in the day, exercising prior to bed can have the opposite affect. How about herbal tea prior to bed?

Hi K.,
Sounds like you may have a lot of things going through your mind that are keeping you up. I think most pregnant women experience these night wakings at some point.
I don't like the idea of taking meds EVER... Especially while preggers.
Try writing your thoughts down in a journal before you go to bed. Unwind for at least an hour (from doing chores around the house or from watching TV)- those things wind up your brain activity. Instead try meditating or reading a good book... Writing in a journal is also a good outlet. That way you don't feel like you have to think things through in the silence of the night, b/c it will already be down on paper.

I hope you can try these suggestions and find something that works for you (holistically). Because once baby is born you REALLY won't be sleeping - so try and get all you can WHILE you can.

Good luck and SWEET dreams!

K.!
I completely understand! I tried all the natural things first. Yoga to relax, a nice warm bath/shower, no tv in the evenings, no offensive foods, even some recommended homeopathic supplements.
One day, after days of little to no sleep, I found myself in the ob's office crying my eyes out telling him how depressed I was and how I felt like I couldn't function (i was about 26 weeks then). He told me that not getting sleep was obviously a detriment to me but to my baby as well. He prescribed Ambien for me. He told me it was completely safe in pregnancy.
I'm not groggy, don't feel drugged, and I get a decent night sleep. Not as great now that I'm ready to have a baby any day now. Not sleeping was awful, I thought I was losing my mind. I worked full time until I was 35 weeks, and I still work 20-30 hours a week. I think that taking the ambien, and getting a good night sleep made this possible for me.
Talk to your doctor and make a decision that you feel is best for you being confident that you are doing what is best for your body that is busy making your baby!

Can you ask your doctor about melatonin? Its natural and supposed to be innoccuous.

Showers typically wake me up so I'm not sure that that will help. Try eating a banana before bed. It has tryptophan in it. That's the same stuff in turkey that makes us so sleepy after thanksgiving. Warm milk? Also has the same properties. As far as what to take... there really isn't anything that is safe. I'm surprised that your doctor approved tylenol PM and/or Unisom. Are you getting enough physical activity during the day to make yourself tired? Do you have a routine? Soft music?

Hi K., please call me, I'd like to talk to you.
###-###-#### A. B.

A friend who was pregnant took Blackstrap Molasses upon the advice of her acupunturist to boost her iron level. I tried it when I was not pregnant and it helped me to sleep better. However, I did not like the taste of it, so you may or may not be able to ingest it... If you google blackstrap molasses you will find information on its health benefit.

My husband's grandmother recently told me that she switched her intake of calcium pills to just before bedtime and that really helped her to sleep at night. If you are already taking calcium pills, try doing that...

Hi K.,

I am a wellness consultant. It sounds like you are not getting enough nutrition. I have heard that bad night mares are from the body having toxins going through it. There are natural ways of getting good sleep.

If you are interested in learning more email and I will share with you.

Have a great week end.

N. Marie

try something natural - like 400mg's of magnesium before bed. Preferrably magnesium citrate or gluconate.

I have severe sleep issues and my doctor prescribed ambien for me to take while I was pregnant. She assured me that it was perfectly safe and I needed rest so I could work. I took it on the nights that I really couldn't sleep and my son is healthy as a horse with no problems and turns 4 on Feb 2nd. You are as important as your baby and in my opinion even more because you are housing the baby while it grows. You need rest so talk to your doctor about something more than what you are taking. And please look at the labeling on all the meds you are taking. All of those are benadryl in one form or another and you may be taking too much. Good luck and happy pregnancy!

I can't believe nobody has mentioned this. I'm thinking stress relief. I'm thinking massage could really help on so many levels. If you're open you may also consider dream journaling as our dreams tend to be our subconscious way of working out issues, especially fears. Maybe giving that a little attention and releasing whatever shows up may allow you to sleep better.
I wouldn't take medications when there are so many other natural ways to help with sleep. Herbal tea or warm milk, laying off anything caffeinated, moderate exercise during the day, listening to new age or classical music... there are even hypnosis CDs to help you sleep. Take your pick and relax...

Dear K.,

I totally sypathize. I had the same problem with my pregnancy. I don't have a lot of suggestions. I spent a great deal of time watching t.v. at three in the morning! YUCK!

I tried tylenol and melatonin and nothing I took really helped. It did seem to help to do some yoga before bed. I had started taking a pre-natal yoga classes and doing some of the poses and lying on the floor doing slow deep brething seemed to help relax me. Also, I would try to naps during the day on the weekends when I was not working. Sometimes I found it easier to sleep during the day when I was not stressing about work or waking up for work.

Also, I found as I got to around 20 weeks I started to sleep better..for awhile.

I hope you get some sleep soon. Hang in there,

N.

Have you done an internet search for homeopathic remedies? Sounds like it's not going to be as simple as taking a pill. And the nightmare makes it sound like you have some anxieties about the pregnancy maybe? Maybe some journaling or something would help to sort through your anxieties - which would in turn help with the sleep? I'm not trying to psychoanalyze - but since medications are a concern when being pregnant, I'd try to dig a bit deeper to get at the core of the problem and address it that way. And, like I said, there may be some homeopathic remedies out there that would be safer to try. I know lavender is supposed to help with relaxation and sleep (buy one of those lavender filled pillows to put over your eyes at night, for example). Sorry I don't have better advice or a quick fix. I hope you find a way to sleep well soon!!!!