How do you deal with the AMs if you are NOT a morning person???

[SASM]

I am convinced that the reason God made pregnant women go through insomnia is to prepare us for the major lack of sleep in the coming months! Even though I have two DC who wake up extremely early, I am STILL not used to this routine...and it has been FOUR years! I LOVE sleep and miss it immensely!!!! That being said, I have been trying to go to bed early but my body just cannot get used to this. I would still wake up in the middle of the night, lay wide awake, and then just wait for DH's alarm. :( So...How do you deal with the AMs if you are sleep-deprived and/or not a morning person??? The last several nights I've found myself either reading in bed, watching TV, or checking out the boards...NOT GOOD!!!!! It just makes things worse ~ I finally get drowsy after a few hours, go back to bed and wake up 1 to 1.5 hours later. I wish that going to bed early would solve the problem but I keep waking up. I'd rather just go to bed late after unwinding, getting things done around the house that were neglected throughout the day, and wait for DH's arrival. However, doing this STILL just makes me wake in the middle of the night and lay sleepless (believe it or not I DO take Benedryl). I just miss sleep and HATE being Uber-CRANKY mom in the morning! Help!!!!!!!

I sooooo want to be a morning person, especially since my lack of sleep in going to be exponentially multiplied over the next MANY MANY months to come. You'd think that after having two newborns I'd be a pro...HA!

Editted for typos :) Sorry if I missed some.

[lisams]

I am so not a morning person but both of my children are. They open their eyes and are rearing to go, where I take at least an hour to really feel even ready to do anything. I'm a total night owl and hit my second wind around 9 at night.

What's helped for me is caffiene and protien first thing in the morning. Then at least washing my face and getting dressed. Also, going for a short walk as soon as we're all dressed.

I totally understand! I used to sleep in until 10, sometimes later, on the weekends before kids - it was so heavenly.

[punkrockmama]

How do I deal? Lots of coffee, I can't pry my eyeballs open without it. I'd drink more, but I'm nursing.

No advice but lots of commiseration. Peyton wakes up like he's been drinking red bull all night. And Layla still wakes throughout the night to nurse. So, mornings are ROUGH around here.

I too, miss sleep. I think that that's probably the one thing I miss most about life before kids. Going to sleep when you want and getting up whenever you feel like it...*tear* Those were the days.

[aa2mama]

Have you seen the "instant human - just add coffee" coffee mug? Yeah...I survive mornings thanks to coffee. DH makes the coffee. I refuse to get out of bed until it is made.

I have actually had an easier time getting up in the mornings since DD was born. She wakes up about 6:00am while DH is getting ready for work. He changes her diaper and brings her to bed with me. He turns on the lights, and I nurse her in bed. This makes for a more gradual awakening. In theory, at least :)

[hillview]

At 37 weeks I can SO relate. I try to keep a bunch of DS books next to the bed. Try to put comfy furniture near where DS plays and I lounge til it is about 9 am. Oh and coffee. And on weekends DH.

GOOD LUCK!
/hillary

[moncheechee]

Concerning insomnia, I recently read that you should only get in bed to sleep. I used to read or watch TV in bed but I could not fall asleep. I started using my bedroom as a peaceful room to unwind in. I don't turn on the TV or read. I usually go in there when I am ready to sleep. I do all my bathroom stuff then I do a devotion with a low light lamp on. It really makes a difference. It is more of a gradual let down for my body and mind.

[DrSally]

I think the insomnia and morning person thing are 2 separate issues, although they feed off each other. I really do not like getting up at 5:20-6am! I was always a late to bed, late to rise person. 7 years of grad school allowed me to indulge this habit. I guess I just get up early now b/c I have to. There are days I really miss being able to set my own sleep schedule. I wake up and feel like going back to bed. I do the am nursing in the dark, and lean my head back and close my eyes. DS does the same. That helps a little. I find myself looking fwd to his nap so I can go back to sleep, but usually when that time comes around, I am not as tired and want to get things done, then I just go to bed earlier. I find that first hour in the am is the hardest, but once you are really awake it's ok. As for your insomnia at night, I would try to trouble shoot that. Do you feel tired but just can't get to sleep, or is it that you're not tired at night?

ETA: Oops, sorry I missed that you are preggo. I hope it gets better after the baby is born.

[SASM]

It is reassuring to read that you are like me! Thank you!! :) I have to rethink the decaf route. I have been doing it for so long ~ I really should think about at least doing half-caff. Occasionally, I'll drink it at Starbucks but never at home. Good idea! Other than milk in my cereal, I never would have thought about protein. Interesting! Washng the face and getting dressed immediately after waking sounds like an AWESOME and, obviously, simple idea! I like those! :) Walking sounds soooooo nice but I can barely handle the air-conditioned HUMIDITY in my house let alone outside! Looking forward to trying this out when it is cooler. :)

THANK YOU!!!! :)

[SASM]

HA! Peyton sounds like my kids!!! It is insane how much energy they have! I miss my cuddles on the sofa to help us all wake up gently! They ended the second that preschool let out for the summer...HUGE bummer! Ohhh...It is sooooo convenient how we block out what we do not want to rememeber ~ I cannot remember how old my DC were when they started to sleep through the night. I HOPE this isn't a sign that this little one will be a STINKER! Misery definitely loves company, though, so THANK YOU!!! :)

[SASM]

Wow...ANOTHER vote for coffee! Strangely enough, not what I was expecting! It sounds like you have an awesome arrangement/schedule with DH! :)

[SASM]

Hillary,

GOOD LUCK TO YOU!! :) That sounds soooo nice as long as DS is quiet. :) My DS and DD are insanely loud "readers", which normally cracks me up but not at such an early hour(or shall I say "hours").

CONGRATS and GOOD LUCK!!! :)

ETA: your name. :)

[egoldber]

DECAF??? Are you insane!?!? LOL!!!!!

Caffeine woman! Look into it! Even the most conservative OB I ever saw said that 2 cups a day of caffeine coffee was fine. :)

[SASM]

Moncheechee,

Thanks! I actually never do any of that, specifically for that reason. I have a comfy leather club chair in the corner of my room with a low light but it doesn't quite do it for me. I have the ear plug (Note: just one, so I can hear, if need be), support pillows but not too many to crowd me, and a comforting scent. Noting helps. :( Your atmosphere sounds soooo wonderful...BUT it sounds so different from mine...and it is NOT. :( UGH!

[JBaxter]

COFFEE!! I dont even measure in the morning I just dump it in to the machine
No one talks alot early I hand Nathan a cup of milk and some food. Nathan even knows to ask Mommy's coffee all done yet then I make breakfast.


GOOD NEWS LADIES.... They do all become lazy teenagers! If I would leave Logan and Connor sleep they could ( and do ) sleep till 1:00. It happens about 11 or 12ish. I actually wake them up when I make Nathans lunch I find them wrapped in a blanket with a fan running ( this eliminates any little brother sounds )
Hang it there it gets better!

[SASM]

Sally,

:) Actually, I have a lovely hx of insomnia ~ I SHOULD be used to it, being no sleep and two insanely energetic kids, by now but strangely enough my body just doesn't want to adjust!! Soooooo not fair! I am hoping that the nursing will help me to relax (I completely forgot about its relaxing affects) and wake up slowly in the AMs before DS and DD start going full-speed, which happens to be the moment their doors open!

Thank you. :)

[SASM]

Beth,
I am ROTFLMAO, thank you very much! Not good for the bladder!!! :) Actually, after reading all of these suggestions for caffeine, it would be VERY easy to add into my AMs, as one of my current long-standing cravings has been sweet tea! Instead of decaf with Splenda, I can make it the opposite and drink in AM ~ easy fix! :) Instant caffeine. :)

[SASM]

That is too funny, to all of the above! :)

[niccig]

DH does the mornings. Sorry, not the easiest answer to copy. DH never knows if he's working overtime and he can be home anytime between 7pm and 2am. When DS was a baby, DH started getting up with him in the am and having an hour of alone time, otherwise he could go for days without spending time with him. If I'm up DS will snuggle with me and not DH, so I stay in bed and work on something quietly in the bedroom.

I know I'm very very lucky to have a DH that does this. I am NOT a morning person. I am a night owl and stay up way too late, and I'm tired even with the extra hour DH gives me. I'm trying to retrain myself again. In the past I've set a limit, like 10pm, must start for bed so in bed by 10.30. I find it difficult to do, but after awhile it is getting easier. I think it's all about retraining your body clock. Like we're to do with our kids, push your bedtime back in small increments over a period of time. I also find if I have a warm shower before bed, cozy pjs and then straight to bed (no tv, book etc), I sleep better. Oh, and excerise. When I work out regularly, I always sleep better and wake more refreshed.

I hope you get that sleep you need.

[SASM]

Okay...Coffee/caffeine seems to be the overwhelmingly popular magical ingredient to a "happy" AM. Any other non-caffeinated suggestions out there that help to make your mornings more bearable??

Thank you so much for all of the above suggestions!!!!!!!! :)

[maestramommy]

How do I get through a morning? caffeine. Usually decaf or half caf coffee will do it. However, Dora has been a terrible sleeper this week while we're traveling, so I've been drinking the full strength stuff.

[DrSally]

Oh yes, nursing makes me so drowsy... I hope that helps you. Insomnia right now is the last thing you need!

[Nooknookmom]

I am NOT a morning person either. DD 1 was trained to sleep in by age 2.

I'm workin' on DD2-we go back to sleep till 8:30-9 now. But that'll have to chg when DD1 re-strats school. Phoey!

[michellep]

I've got nothing more than caffeine to offer you, but thought I'd pass along this tip for maybe keeping the kids in bed longer from parenthacks. I haven't field tested it, but I thought it sounded like a great idea http://www.parenthacks.com/2007/08/alarm-clocks-wo.html

good luck!

-M

[niccig]

We put a lamp on a timer set for 7am. It's rare for DS to call out before that. When the light goes on, he knows it's time to get up and he calls out "light on, light on, get up now". DS was 2 when we started it and it's worked for 8 months so far.

HTH

[Ceepa]

Haven't read other responses but I wanted to say I feel your pain. Sleep deprivation makes me so cranky.

Can you try shifting your bedtime earlier little by little to give your body a chance to adjust? Also, if I'm having trouble sleeping I have to get out of bed. I read something about how your body should associate lying in bed with sleeping, not doing work or watching TV or flipping back and forth trying to sleep for two hours.

Also, eat some protein with your breakfast. It helps perk me up.

-Ceepa

[lizajane]

my house is a disaster, my kids are often unattended because i keep passing back out in bed or on the sofa, i am addicted to caffeine, and i constantly crave, and therefore eat, donuts.

i am preeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetty sure i am NOT the person you want to ask.

i have been misssssssssserable for the 2 years since dylan came along and took away all my sleep. he didn't sleep thru until he was 18 months old. and he spent a few months getting up at 4 or 5am this year.