Insomniac

It started sometime last December. Apparently, postpartum insomnia isn't all that uncommon. At least, a lot of women seem to consult Dr. Google about it. It started off with my being exhausted but entirely unable to fall asleep. I would lay in bed tossing and turning, my mind spinning about the most minute details of our lives (and, usually, looping the lyrics to some children's song - almost always Baby Beluga). Finally. I'd give into the fact that I couldn't sleep and come downstairs to read or watch tv or zone out in front of the computer. I'd eventually be able to settle into something resembling sleep somewhere around 3 am.

It hasn't really gotten any better. I ended up in the hospital in early February for a massive migraine and absolutely unbearable vertigo. They ran tests and couldn't come up with an answer. My Dr. proudly proclaimed, however, that they'd "ruled out anything that could kill me." Always a good thing. The vertigo lasted for a long time and now still comes and goes. In August, I'm going to the Great and Powerful Oz to see if they can determine anything. We think we know what's going on, but want to be sure (they're currently treating me for this condition, given my family history - the trip to Oz is to verify the diagnosis). There's some debate about whether or not lack of sleep affects the migraines (which, thankfully, have been few and far between) and the vertigo/Meniere's symptoms.

Still, though, I can't sleep. Now I toss and turn until somewhere near 5 am. Fortunately, J is a heavy (read: oblivious) sleeper, so he doesn't care in the least that I'm forever rolling around next to him. I try to limit my caffeine intake after 9, but I honestly don't think a Diet Coke is keeping me awake. Fortunately, the Muffins sleep in so I can get a bit of sleep every morning, but still - I'm going a little crazy.

Dr. You're Not Dying gave me a prescription for sleeping pills in early March. I was taking one on a weekend night for a while b/c I didn't want to be totally out of it if a baby woke up. Maybe now that the Muffins' sleep is under control I'll talk to J about doing one a couple nights a week to see if that'll work. Still, I don't want to rely on pills to get some sleep.

Valerian does not work for me. I tried it in my late teens when I was having sleep issues and it always made me feel hungover in the morning. And it didn't help me to fall asleep any faster, it just kept me asleep once I managed to find my own way to dreamland.