How do you go back to sleep in the middle of the night?

[cookiemonster80]

I need some help- dd2 has chronic nosebleeds that always seem to happen in the middle of the night. DH is great about getting up and dealing with it, but the problem is I can't go back to sleep afterwards- regardless of if I get up or not.

So today for the 4th time in a week I started my day at 3am - I'm on a good magnesium supplement, I take melatonin before I go to sleep but I just can't go back to sleep. I do deep breaths, count backward from 300, think the same word over and over- nothing.

I function terribly on little sleep, and have immune issues - I've got to find a way to go back to sleep.

What do you do??

[basil]

It's not the most terribly healthy thing to do, but I get a blanket, lay on the couch, and turn on Qvc. The endless mindless chatter usually puts me out.

[newnana]

I do a variation of corpse pose with a guided relaxation technique I learned in prenatal yoga a million years ago. Something like this but I start from the top of my head and work my way down:
https://www.sivananda.org/teachings/asana/final-relaxation.html

I'm sure there are better guides out there or a youtube video to listen to when you first learn it. I hear the instructor's voice in my head from long ago as I do it. "Clear your mind of all thoughts. If a thought comes into your mind, acknowledge it and gently push it away..." I'm typically back asleep before I get to my knees. Having something relaxing to focus on other than the spooling up my mind does is key for me.

[JBaxter]

Have you tried the time release melatonin?

[twowhat?]

I don't know about falling back asleep (I don't have that problem, fortunately) but I'm wondering about the nosebleeds. DD2 also used to have them, and 95% of her nosebleeds would happen at night (I wonder why that is??). We'd wake up to crying, and what looked like a crime scene with splatters and everything :/ It got to where I was layering her sheets with a fleece blanket sandwiched between then so I could strip off the bloody sheets and she could go right back to bed. Had to use the fleece blanket because the blood would soak through the sheet.

Have you brought it up with your pediatrician to see if there is anything that can be done? Ours took one look in DD2's nose and said "you have to make her blow her nose before bed. Make her blow, squirt lots of saline up the nose, and blow again". Once we started doing that, her nosebleeds decreased dramatically. At that age DD2 HATED blowing her nose (she still does but she recognizes that it helps now) so it was a struggle at first.

Anyway we recently started using the neti pot once a day before bed (we skip some days now and then but this is generally part of our bedtime routine) and now I can't remember the last time she had a nosebleed during the night. She tends to only get them around colds now, and during the daytime (hooray!) and during those days that she is recovering from illness and has a nosebleed, we do the neti pot, and then I put a glob of polysporin on my pinkie, shove it (gently) up the affected nostril, massage gently to distribute it, and then use a tissue to gently squeeze out the excess (no Q-tip!!) before bed. It provides barrier protection to help the vessels heal (ENT friend suggested it to me - it totally worked).

All of those things have her nosebleeds totally under control now.

Anyway, good luck!! Just thought I'd throw in what worked for our nosebleeds:)

[BDKmom]

I sometimes find that white noise helps. Just gives my brain something to focus on instead of whatever else is running through my mind. Even counting can be too stimulating for me at times [emoji4]. I use an app on my phone so that I can put the volume really low and put it near my head (in airplane mode).

[cookiemonster80]

I don't know about falling back asleep (I don't have that problem, fortunately) but I'm wondering about the nosebleeds. DD2 also used to have them, and 95% of her nosebleeds would happen at night (I wonder why that is??). We'd wake up to crying, and what looked like a crime scene with splatters and everything :/ It got to where I was layering her sheets with a fleece blanket sandwiched between then so I could strip off the bloody sheets and she could go right back to bed. Had to use the fleece blanket because the blood would soak through the sheet.

Have you brought it up with your pediatrician to see if there is anything that can be done? Ours took one look in DD2's nose and said "you have to make her blow her nose before bed. Make her blow, squirt lots of saline up the nose, and blow again". Once we started doing that, her nosebleeds decreased dramatically. At that age DD2 HATED blowing her nose (she still does but she recognizes that it helps now) so it was a struggle at first.

Anyway we recently started using the neti pot once a day before bed (we skip some days now and then but this is generally part of our bedtime routine) and now I can't remember the last time she had a nosebleed during the night. She tends to only get them around colds now, and during the daytime (hooray!) and during those days that she is recovering from illness and has a nosebleed, we do the neti pot, and then I put a glob of polysporin on my pinkie, shove it (gently) up the affected nostril, massage gently to distribute it, and then use a tissue to gently squeeze out the excess (no Q-tip!!) before bed. It provides barrier protection to help the vessels heal (ENT friend suggested it to me - it totally worked).

All of those things have her nosebleeds totally under control now.

Anyway, good luck!! Just thought I'd throw in what worked for our nosebleeds:)

Thanks- yep we have a regimen. Saline x5 a day, humidifier, cypress essential oil ( it's a coagulation agent) saline gel- probably works similar to the Neosporin, our ENT told us to use afrin for bleeds that won't stop. I'm praying she grows out of it soon.

[SASM]

I have a white noise app that I use with an earbud in one ear (DH doesn't like the white noise)...it's called Relax Melodies by Ipnos Soft. I actually have it on my kids' iPods as well for when we are driving at night and they have issues sleeping (iPods are not allowed in their rooms at night). When DH is not home and this doesn't quiet do it for me, I whip out my Paperwhite, put on my orange glasses (to block out the blue light), and 5 minutes of LIGHT EASY reading will usually do the trick.

[twowhat?]

Thanks- yep we have a regimen. Saline x5 a day, humidifier, cypress essential oil ( it's a coagulation agent) saline gel- probably works similar to the Neosporin, our ENT told us to use afrin for bleeds that won't stop. I'm praying she grows out of it soon.

Ugh - I'm sorry! I hope she grows out of it soon too.

[MelissaTC]

I'm waking up in the middle of the night a lot these days. I have a word that I fixate on. I spell it in my mind, say it over and over and think of the image I associate with it. Works every time!

[elbenn]

I like to do some sort of list or math in my head. For example, if I grocery shopped that day, I might recall each of the items I bought and add them up and see if I get to the total of the bill. Of course, this only works if you pay attention to prices. However, there are plenty of variations of doing math or some other sort of list.

[gatorsmom]

I don't usually have trouble going to sleep but reading will do it when I do have trouble. Makes me sleepy right away when I'm tired. Maybe if you keep a slow-reading novel near your bed like a Jane Austen novel that might help.

ke

[rlu]

FWIW, when DS begins to spiral his thoughts and he can't sleep, we tell him to think about puppies ice skating (a la Bambi but he likes puppies better). Seems to work for him as we usually will check on him in 15min and he'll be out.

[DualvansMommy]

Reading a chapter or two usually helps me when I have trouble. I usually don't have issues falling back asleep, DH is quite envious of my ability to do so. He's like you, and for him watching old classic black and white movies help him to feel sleepy and fall right back asleep.


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[KrisM]

I start reading and usually that does it for me. If not, I move to the couch and put on something I don't much care about.

[pastrygirl]

I start praying the rosary. It works pretty quickly every time, but usually I've been awake a whike by the time I realize I should try it. The repetition is what helps, so it doesn't have to be prayers. Just something repetitive. I've taught my kids to do the same.

When I was younger and didn't share a bed, I'd flip around so that my head was at the foot of the bed. For some reason, that worked, too.

I struggle with this almost every night. Melatonin didn't help me at all. I was hoping it would.

[nfceagles]

Not every night, but when I'm desperate to make sure I get a full night's sleep I take 1/2 a Unisom early in the evening, like 8ish. I can still function in the middle of the night if I have to, but I'm drowsy enough to fall right back to sleep.

My other sleep trick is I listen to audiobooks when I go to bed and when I wake in the middle of the night. I plug earbuds into my iPhone and put the earbuds under my pillow.


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[JenChem]

I like a version of guided meditation where I build a scene in my head. I like to build the beach. I start with remembering the feel of warmth and sand. Then I try to recreate the other senses, the smell of salt, the feel of the wind, and then I make my breathing into waves moving out and in. Works well for me.

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[mackmama]

I usually grab my phone and search the internet for a few. Or I think about an old friend - anyone I used to be friends with in a very acquaintance-type-way like someone who was in some random college class I haven't though of in years. It's just kind of a bland way to relax.

[melwe]

I use earbuds and podcasts. There's even a podcast called Sleep With Me which is a person in a rambling, monotone talking about absolutely nothing. It works for me when nothing else helps.

[KpbS]

I pray through the alphabet for friends, family, concerns. Usually works great even for those nights when I've been woken up by a child accident/bad dream/etc. Hope you can get some relief soon! :hug:

[AnnieW625]

I read a book and most of the time it works. I like the idea of praying the alphabet.

[lalasmama]

I count-breathe from 100. Full inhale-hold-exhale-100-hold. Full inhale-hold-exhale-99-hold. I had to practice a bit before it worked well. And if I try to count in the middle, or on the inhale, I go too fast and it doesn't work, and I get annoyed.

I also needed to treat my sleep apnea... I would have a harder time falling, and staying, asleep when my apnea wasn't well controlled.

[squimp]

It rarely happens, but If I can't sleep I do the thing where you release your body from you toes up. Relax your toes, relax your feet, ankles, etc...

[Mommy_Mea]

I thought of this thread last night when DS2 woke me to put his covers back on. I sang the alphabet song and it worked like a charm!

[hillview]

I count by 3s to 100 and back down. I sleep with ear plugs. If nothing works I get up and read for a bit. It sucks.