Girlfriend cant sleep

lifeandtimes

Hey Everyone,

My girlfriend is 7 weeks pregnant and has been having a terrible time trying to sleep at night,im not sure if our bed is helping at all,not too comfey but does anyone have any tips or advice i can give to her to help her sleep at night?its killing not being able to help her with this..

Cheers
LT:)

Squiggler

Your poor girlfriend, not being able to sleep is the worst part of being pregnant.

There are so many reasons that it can be difficult to sleep when pregnant. During mine I had:
indigestion
bad dreams (the worst I've ever experienced, I'd wake in the horrors with no hope of getting back to sleep)
inability to shut down (stressing about the future, planning etc)
discomfort (mostly in the last couple of months)
baby kicking and moving around (again last few months)
extra sensitivity to noise and light, the slightest sound would wake me.
congestion
needing to pee constantly

These are all fairly common during pregnancy and it could be any of these, or some of her own, that are affecting your girlfriend. Talk to her. Ask her what you can do to help out.

silly

I find that a wind down period is a must.
Have her relax on the couch in the evenings, watching tv or reading a book. I find at least 2 hours of doing nothing before going to bed is relaxing.

annamcmahon

On my last pregnancy I found that I could sleep at the beginning, first 2 months, and then again at the end last month. To be honest there isn't much you or she can do. I went to bed as soon as I was tired even if that was 9pm, tried to avoid caffeine after dinner and put a drop of lavender on a piece of cotton wool by the bed. Sometimes this helped sometimes not. Eventually I just started to sleep again bar waking to pee. She might just need to wait despite how frustrating it is lying there at 4am wide awake.
In the last 2 months I just couldn't get comfortable and had 3 cushions to move every time I rolled over or got up to pee.

Kash

Week 7? Her brain is probably working 19 to the dozen, and her bladder is too. I'm nearly 14 weeks now and I had a real hard time sleeping in the early weeks. I was pretty freaked out, uncomfortable AND it seemed every time I got to sleep I woke up to pee :rolleyes:

I would recommend talking with her if she is a bit worried, even generic, reassuring things helped me loads, like my husband being excited about the pregnancy, telling me that he couldn't wait to be a dad, and that i would be a great mum. Confidence is contagious!

Secondly, make sure she is comfy - I have 4 pillows to myself now, and sleep with one between/under my leg (I sleep on my front normally). And that she soesn't have to climb over you to get out of the bed to pee - difficult to convince yourself you are still asleep if you are focusing on not waking someone else.

Lastly, get into a relaxing bedtime routine. I suffered with insomnia for years and years, and find a routine helps keep it at bay. If she reads, reading in bed can be a great way to help you switch off. Similarly, try to keep all stressful things out of the bedroom - don't keep work there, or check work email, don't argue in the bedroom etc.

Hope she gets a good nights rest soon.

lifeandtimes

Hey everyone,

Thanks for the tips,letting her wind down in bed seemed to really help,going to try keep doing that and reading was good too,thanks for the help you all rock

NextSteps

Maybe a nice herbal tea such as camomile tea before bed? Or Ovaltine and a banana? I think bananas are meant to be good for helping you sleep.

Betsie_xr3i

slepp kinda forgotten what that is the past week or so, i just cant sleep a full night at all im wrecked come 9pm so im off to bed coz i cant stay awake, im awake then by 12.30 and awake then till about 4 of sometimes 5 im just getting back into a good sleep when the alarm goes off, i find myself then around 3is in the afternoon ready to fall down

SSFG

Try some warm milk before bed. Chamomile tea is not recommended during pregnancy.
I went through this myself at roughly 6 or 7 weeks, go to bed exhausted but not be able to sleep until 3 or 4am. Dr told me if you can't sleep, get up, out of the bedroom, try a spare room if you have to. I did get up one night, watched TV on the couch in the hope I'd fall asleep but no joy. In the end it just went away by itself. But it is torture, I feel her pain. Hope she gets over it soon.

dublinlady

SSFG wrote: »

Try some warm milk before bed. Chamomile tea is not recommended during pregnancy.
I went through this myself at roughly 6 or 7 weeks, go to bed exhausted but not be able to sleep until 3 or 4am. Dr told me if you can't sleep, get up, out of the bedroom, try a spare room if you have to. I did get up one night, watched TV on the couch in the hope I'd fall asleep but no joy. In the end it just went away by itself. But it is torture, I feel her pain. Hope she gets over it soon.

Chamomile tea is fine during pregnancy! It's not stimulative at all. It definitely helps with sleeping and relaxing. As with any herbs during pregnancy keep to one to two cups a day. There are some which are not recommended at certain stages but chamomile is not one of them.