I’m tired. Full on, struggling to keep my eyes open, could sleep for eternity tired. So why is it for the past three weeks I have been waking up at 3:30am and then laying in bed desperately trying to go back to sleep?
I thought it might have been stress from leaving my old job, but I’ve left that job and it’s still happening. I thought it might be the effects of the IVF drugs, which it could be. I’m not so sure what’s causing it but I do know I’ve had enough. The last 3 nights I’ve woken up with period like cramping. Last night it was so bad I actually got out of bed and hunted around for pain killers. (Which is something I never do to deal with pain. Despite all of the surgery and IVF I’m actually really against taking medication…)
I spoke to the nurse at the clinic this morning about the pain and she said it’s just a sign that the drugs are doing what they’re supposed to and it’s quite possible that in this stage of the cycle I could have a period. Joy of joys. She couldn’t help out with an explanation of why I’m waking up in the middle of the night.
Tonight I’m going to try some Badger Sleep Balm and see if that helps me out. The thing that I can’t work out is why, if I’m so tired, am I not sleeping through. It’s nuts.
I’m working long hours and really loving my new job, but I’m knackered by the time I get home and still I’m waking up. It’s driving me to breaking point. The last thing I need right now as my hormones are going crazy is to be on a hair trigger because of lack of sleep.
If you have any remedies for bad sleep I’d love to hear them. At this point I’m ready to try anything. (Well almost anything… )
Image credit; left to right, top to bottom: rachelwhiting, iheartorganizing, suziebeezie, decoratualma, thecottagechick, theletteredcottage, vtwonen.
9 Comments
I’m a light sleeper and go through periods of very restless, poor sleep. I keep night-strength Mersyndol in my medicine cabinet for particularly bad nights but for a more natural alternative I would try some form of valerian. You can get tablets or valerian root tea.
I am not sure if is safe when you’re doing IVF, though interestingly the tea is mentioned here http://www.ivfsuccessprogram.com/lupron-ivf-secrets-to-coping-with-side-effects/ as a way to cope with the side-effects of Lupron and ALLEGEDLY can boost fertility.
Ohhh, thanks! I’m going to have a look at the Griffith shops for some. I’m not actually on Lupron so maybe it’ll be ok. I’ll check with the clinic before I start popping/drinking.
Thanks for the tip! Looking forward to Thursday
How’s your caffeine level? That can sometimes effect you. I don’t know about Luperon, never did it. Try writing down your thoughts before sleep. Turn off all electronics at least an hour before bed.
Best luck!
I actually don’t drink anything with caffeine in it, so I assume that my levels would be ok. Yeah, I find the IVF drugs are now my new wildcard. Our bedroom is electronic free zone, so that’s not a problem either. Think it’s just one of those things…
Thanks
If you are able to go to bed earlier, maybe if you wake at 3.30am you can get up and read or sew? Just a thought xxx
I go to bed around 8:30pm, so any earlier and I’d be sleeping at work
admittedly I read for an hour before sleeping. I have thought about getting up but I worry about it throwing everything out. Like I’ll condition myself to wake up at that time everyday…
I find counting backwards from a randomly selected high number – like 10,316 and saying each number in full bores me to snores. The added upside is having to concentrate on the sequence is just hard enough to stop thinking about other lurking things…
OMG! Great suggestion! I’ve tried this in the past, but with limited success and I think that might be because I don’t start with a big enough number. You’re a genius! Thanks
Oh yeah, I forgot another thing I do.. it’s kind of a bit odd but it really helps me. I imagine that I am on gymnastic bars, usually uneven bars but sometimes parallel. I then imagine a routine, sometimes I don’t like my routine so I stop and start again. I think the important thing is the rhythmic nature of what I am imagining helps put me to sleep. And it stops my mind thinking about other things.
A final suggestion, changing your position in bed or even changing beds. A girl I worked with once told me about this and I use it when I am desperate for sleep. I think when I am lying there awake I start to get frustrated with the pillow, the mattress, seeing the same shadows… If I am sleeping alone I will turn UPSIDE DOWN in the bed but as it’s pretty rare that I have the bed to myself I now move to the spare bed. Usually works
See you tomorrow!