While over-the-counter sleep aids are available, Samuels believes that popping a pill is not the solution. He says that those who suffer insomnia often have a predisposition for it, such as having a Type-A personality or growing up in a stressful environment. “Perpetuation is the issue,” says Samuels. Behaviours that can worsen the sleeplessness include watching TV and using laptops or iPads in bed - anything that leads to hyper-arousal. Parents often have poor sleep patterns, due to night feedings. It occurs when normal sleep is chronically disturbed by an emotional or stressful event, which can include child rearing. Physician Charles Samuels, medical director at Calgary’s Centre for Sleep and Human Performance, and a vice president in the clinical division of the Canadian Sleep Society (CSS), says that insomnia is common among women - more so than for men. I’d lie there thinking, ‘I’m really going to be screwed tomorrow.’” I knew I wouldn’t be able to nap like I did with Amy. “I worried about being able to function the next day. It was crazy anxiety.” When her second daughter, Phoebe, came along, momsomnia struck again, but even worse. “I was so worried about keeping her alive. So I would lay there and listen,” she recalls, describing her experience with her first daughter, Amy. “What I was most worried about was not hearing the baby. I’d obsess about not sleeping, then I’d worry about all the things I had to do the next day, and how I would get them done on no sleep.Ĭalgary mom Stacey Polet was afflicted with momsomnia from day one of parenthood. As a new parent, I knew I’d signed up for sleep deprivation, but I didn’t know it’d be due to my own inability to turn off my brain. I was hyper-alert to every whimper and rustle Annabel made. I’d wake in the wee hours of the morning, and to-do lists and scenes from the day ran through my mind. At last, I could catch up on my zzzs, I thought. ![]() The momsomnia began suddenly when my then-nine-month-old daughter, Annabel, started sleeping for a miraculous eight-if not 10 to 12-hours continuously. I dubbed it “momsomnia,” and it plagued me on and off for months. I’d been a prize sleeper pre-baby, crashing easily anytime. Crushing exhaustion permeated every inch of my body, yet I’d be unable to fall asleep. While my baby was snoozing soundly, I’d lie awake at night.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |