[Elfin]

Hello all

I have had insomnia since I was a teenager (am now a little older than that now :0) ) I have 7 children so you would think that sleep would be a breeze but no after a brief spell where I only had a few bouts it seems having my son 4 months ago has triggered it off again.

I havent quite got myself into a managment routine again so I am struggling a little with fatigue in the daytime.

[Martin Reed]

Welcome aboard, Elfin and thanks for introducing yourself. Perhaps the very fact you have 7 children is the cause of your insomnia – life must be hectic!

Have you seen a doctor about your insomnia?

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[Elfin]

'Martin' wrote on '18:

Welcome aboard, Elfin and thanks for introducing yourself. Perhaps the very fact you have 7 children is the cause of your insomnia – life must be hectic!

Have you seen a doctor about your insomnia?

Hi all,

yes I have seen a doctor they prescribe me temazepam and then give me the usual talk about cutting out caffeine have A MILKY DRINK (I hate warm milk and it never works)taking exercise etc.

[Baron]

hi, elfin–welcome! my first thought was the same as martin's: with seven kids, how could you get any sleep at all?! you must be supermom.

i see you have the temazepam prescription. pretty standard fare. i hear good things about soma, as well.

i don't know how well “warm milk” is supposed to work; i don't like warm milk, either. but your doctor wasn't wrong that exercise can help. especially the right kind of exercise at the right time of the day. you should go over it with your doctor. have you tried natural supplements like melatonin? have you also had a hormone blood panel done to see if your levels are in the normal range? i'm a thyroid sufferer, and when my levels are unstable, my sleep patterns will change.

b

[Elfin]

'Baron' wrote on '19:

hi, elfin–welcome! my first thought was the same as martin's: with seven kids, how could you get any sleep at all?! you must be supermom.

i see you have the temazepam prescription. pretty standard fare. i hear good things about soma, as well.

i don't know how well “warm milk” is supposed to work; i don't like warm milk, either. but your doctor wasn't wrong that exercise can help. especially the right kind of exercise at the right time of the day. you should go over it with your doctor. have you tried natural supplements like melatonin? have you also had a hormone blood panel done to see if your levels are in the normal range? i'm a thyroid sufferer, and when my levels are unstable, my sleep patterns will change.

b

Hi Baron

I agree the exercise does work providing I dont do it too late in the day because I usually find myself quite hyper after a run.

Supplements I have to be very careful with a the moment as I am feeding my son, this also means the temazepam is out, but I will run it by the pharmacist thankyou and I will take your advice about the blood panel. I had my thyroid checked a long time ago but I am sure it wont hurt to have it checked again.

I do find my sleep patterns are erratic so you never know it may draw some light onto the situation.

Thankyou for your reply

[MarinaFournier]

'Elfin' wrote on '17:

I have had insomnia since I was a teenager (am now a little older than that now :0) ) I have 7 children so you would think that sleep would be a breeze but no after a brief spell where I only had a few bouts it seems having my son 4 months ago has triggered it off again.

I havent quite got myself into a managment routine again so I am struggling a little with fatigue in the daytime.

I hope some of the older children are pitching in to help with the younger: the fate of older kids in a larger family. How long have your post partum bouts of insomnia lasted before?

While I was nursing my son, I seemed to find a “wormhole” into which I could drop myself and drop off, but it didn't last past nursing. At 11 months, it was clear I needed to go on an anti-depressant, and wean him. Wish I could have nursed him longer, but I really needed relief from the deppression.

I can understand not liking warm milk–mine had better be hot and flavored, even if only vanilla extract. I'd think that decaf black tea with lots of milk is also right out, due to the milk part!

I'm also dealing with thyroid issues, and have been for years: I'm on 125mcg of synthroid these days. One's blood sugar can also affect daytime sleepiness–but I'm not sure what mine is from, unless it's psychologically triggered from seeking avoidance. No way to reall measure that.

I know a wee dram of the local product, Highland or Speyside, won't help. Only time I drink blended or quasi-blended whisky is when I have a cough to quell–and I have to drink rather more than a dram for that. I am allergic to codeine and vicodin, and those are, in the US, the only strong ingredients in prescrption cough suppresants. I'm an Islay girl, though–love that phenolic smoky taste, which is found in the tea world as Lapsang Souchong.

Do look over some of our collection (okay, Martin's) of attempts at insomnia cures, and see what non-chemistry ones might work for you. As to exercise, the only one that makes me sleepy, as opposed to worn out, is swimming in a heated pool (especially in your weather!), which we only have in high summer (the old sun), due to the high cost of heating that much water in the face of cold air and ground.

Marina

Campbell, CA (next to San Jose)

[Elfin]

'MarinaFournier' wrote on '26:

I hope some of the older children are pitching in to help with the younger: the fate of older kids in a larger family. How long have your post partum bouts of insomnia lasted before?

While I was nursing my son, I seemed to find a “wormhole” into which I could drop myself and drop off, but it didn't last past nursing. At 11 months, it was clear I needed to go on an anti-depressant, and wean him. Wish I could have nursed him longer, but I really needed relief from the deppression.

I can understand not liking warm milk–mine had better be hot and flavored, even if only vanilla extract. I'd think that decaf black tea with lots of milk is also right out, due to the milk part!

I'm also dealing with thyroid issues, and have been for years: I'm on 125mcg of synthroid these days. One's blood sugar can also affect daytime sleepiness–but I'm not sure what mine is from, unless it's psychologically triggered from seeking avoidance. No way to reall measure that.

I know a wee dram of the local product, Highland or Speyside, won't help. Only time I drink blended or quasi-blended whisky is when I have a cough to quell–and I have to drink rather more than a dram for that. I am allergic to codeine and vicodin, and those are, in the US, the only strong ingredients in prescrption cough suppresants. I'm an Islay girl, though–love that phenolic smoky taste, which is found in the tea world as Lapsang Souchong.

Do look over some of our collection (okay, Martin's) of attempts at insomnia cures, and see what non-chemistry ones might work for you. As to exercise, the only one that makes me sleepy, as opposed to worn out, is swimming in a heated pool (especially in your weather!), which we only have in high summer (the old sun), due to the high cost of heating that much water in the face of cold air and ground.

Marina

Campbell, CA (next to San Jose)

Hi Marina thankyou for your reply

I must admit my older children are fantastic and they do help me out especially as my husband works night shift 5 days a week.

I have never had this post partum insomnia before, this is the first time I have ever had it right after having a baby.

I really love swimming and hopefully when Sam is a little bigger I can get a family member to come and babysit a couple of times a week so I can go. Sadly I dont have an awful lot of support up here, they seem to offer it to my sister in law who has one child. She is lovely though and would help me if I really needed it.

As for whiskey I really really dont like it so dont think I could go down that route. 🙂

I will sit and have a good look through the ideas on here. I am just getting over the flu so I can now sit and have a good look.

Thankyou again x

[MarinaFournier]

Quote:

I must admit my older children are fantastic and they do help me out especially as my husband works night shift 5 days a week.

I have never had this post partum insomnia before, this is the first time I have ever had it right after having a baby.

Gah. Night shift pays better, but I know I can't do it–good on your husband for doing it, though. And good for your kids for helping.

Quote:

I really love swimming and hopefully when Sam is a little bigger I can get a family member to come and babysit a couple of times a week so I can go. Sadly I dont have an awful lot of support up here, they seem to offer it to my sister in law who has one child. She is lovely though and would help me if I really needed it.

Isn't that the way it goes? I hope you get some of the support you need. When my son was younger, undiagnosed and therefor not medicated for bipolar disorder, I got more lectures from people, even my own sister, about how awful his behavior was and why didn't I impose better discipline? Lotta help that was.

Quote:

As for whiskey I really really dont like it so dont think I could go down that route. 🙂

More for me and others who like it. I wouldn't urgea anyone to do something they can't stand.

Quote:

Thankyou again x

You're very welcome–that's why we're here.

[Author]

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