Postpartum Insomnia: What to Do?
I recently did a poll on Instagram and over 65% of you said you struggle with postpartum insomnia. This is a significant amount of mamas not sleeping, even when your baby is sleeping. So let’s talk about it!
Why does Postpartum Insomnia Happen?
There are a few reasons our bodies struggle to sleep after having a baby. First, our circadian rhythm, or our “internal clock” gets thrown off. We’ve spent our entire lives staying awake during the day and sleeping at night. Now, suddenly we tell our body it’s time to be awake at night to care for our newborn and to sleep during the day because, you know, “nap when baby naps.”
Although the above situation is super normal, please know that once your baby is sleeping longer stretches, it’s time to get your body back on track.
So, How Can You Do This?
Expose yourself to natural sunlight first thing in the morning. Remember, light/sun let’s your body know it’s time to be awake. Getting outside or opening the windows first thing in the morning tells the brain it’s daytime and it’s time to be awake!
Get rid of screens one hour before bed. This means put away your phone, iPad, tv and any other electronics. Again, light means day so if you’re staring at a light screen, your body will have a harder time falling asleep.
Have a bedtime routine. Yes, just like babies, adults need bedtime routines, too! You can meditate, do yoga, read a book or take a hot shower. Anything to help your body relax and get ready for sleep will make a big difference.
Reason 2: Hormones
The second reason women often struggle with postpartum insomnia is because our hormones are absolutely crazy after giving birth. Once we deliver, we have a huge drop in progesterone — one of the hormones that plays a big role in our sleep. Our bodies also just created a human life, so being deficient in vitamins and minerals is very common since we give a lot to our babies!
I recommend getting some blood work done to see what your body needs and go from there.
Me personally? I needed progesterone, vitamin D. Vitamin C, vitamin B complex and magnesium. It’s made a world of difference.
Reason 3: Postpartum Depression
And the third reason you might struggle with insomnia is from postpartum depression. After my second baby, this was one of my top 3 symptoms! I had no idea it was part of PPD but my doctor explained it’s a big part of it because of the chemical imbalance going on in our brains.
If you have any question in your mind that you might be struggling with Postpartum Depression, please talk to your doctor and get the help that you need! You deserve to feel like YOU again.
While postpartum insomnia is short, it shouldn’t be your new way of life! Figure out what it is that your body needs to get back on track.
You’ve taught your baby to sleep all night, right? Now it’s time to re-teach your own body to sleep all night again.
It’s worth the effort.