I get this way at times...and now that i'm retired, a good bit of my nighttime "problems review" tossing and turning is gone.
I think that, at night in bed and in the dark, there is no other stimuli to occupy your brain, so it goes to it's "to-do" list.

Solution? I don't have one. With new house, pregnancy and two children....you have a lot on your mind.

I am the same way Nicole. When we were having our house remodeled I was terrible. I would lay there and think of things that needed to be done or if we were spending too much and how I was going to cover everything. You name it and I worried about it.

I found that if I got up and typed up lists on the computer so that I wouldn't forget these things and what I decided I was able to go to sleep. My brain would shut down for several hours and then it would wake up and start all over again.

I am a perfectionist so this happens to me all the time even if there is nothing going on to worry about. My brain will think up something. Of course Mike never worries about anything and sleeps blistfully without a care in the world. He tells me he doesn't have to worry since I do enough for the both of us.

No answers here either, Nicole. DH falls asleep in a matter of minutes, it usually takes me almost an hour also. Tossing, turning, scratching,thinking about everything.

I was like all that for 13 years and it just kinda got better. I have no way of accounting for why it got better, but I'm not knocking it. I took Tylenol PM for years and years, until I probably was immune to them. The thing that has helped me the most was to have a routine at night and go to bed at the same time every night. I get ready for bed and crawl in w/ a book and the TV remote. If I don't read first, I'll never go to sleep. Although the insomnia is better, I wake up really early and that's it. I've been up since 4:30 and went to sleep around 11:30. I don't nap during the day b/c that makes it worse. But, like I said, it's been better lately and I've stopped the Tylenol PM. Maybe being pregnant exacerbates your insomnia. I sympathize w/ all insomniacs. It's truly a desperate feeling.

No not me....I can fall asleep anywhere, anytime. Sometimes I fall asleep even when I don't want to...LOL...(like church, here on computer, while playing cards, I even fell asleep once while dealing the cards out...I was still in process of dealing and from far away I heard my daughter say..."mom are you falling asleep") that was way back when the kids still lived at home...LOL I'm a case, I tell ya.

Only thing is every little noise and my inner alarm that tells me it's time to "GO" (potty break from sleep) But I fall right back to sleep.

Only once in awhile I do have "those" nights that I do the fipping and flopping thing. Usually when I know I have to get up in the morning and need to go to sleep.

Nicole...too bad you can't store up sleep...so you could save it for later...you are going to be needing it in a few months....

But there is nothing better to loose sleep over that cuddling and feeding a new sweet smelling baby.

patti

The same thing has been happening to me lately. It seems like I do the thinking for everyone else in the family. Lately they all have been in extra activities in school or sports or our horse activities. I'm not a big worrier but I am concerned that I'll forget something. Making all sorts of lists does seem to help releive my 'over thinking at night'. Still lately I have been up alot. If I had more time at night I'd take a warm bath, drink cammomile tea, read a book and crash into my pillow. yea, right, maybe this summer.

Yep - I feel you guys' pain, I really do. Haven't been able to sleep for months without a sleeping pill or a muscle relaxer, or somethin'!

I have no problem falling asleep. I go to bed within an hour of the same time every night. I learned how to break the 'squirrel cage' thinking at night time a long time ago. My problem is staying asleep. I sleep an hour to an hour and a half and wake up. If I have an attack of restless leg syndrome, it will take a while to go back to sleep. If I take anything to help me sleep, it makes my mind fuzzy but I wake up just as much.

Shirley

It's worse for me when work is very hectic. I find having an evening routine and sticking to it helps. Second, if there is some thought that my mind keeps coming back to I'll write it down on a notepad on the bedside table. Then, with it written down my mind can let go of it.
I have also found that sleep time can be a great problem solving time. There have been times when I can't get something figured out and will ponder it while falling asleep. The brain will keep working on a solution while you sleep. I've awakened in the middle of the night and the solution will be there crystal clear. Then I need to write it down while It's still fresh.

Ron

I've been know to say out loud to myself "shutup glenda"
Sometimes it works, but most times it DOES NOT!

I have the same problem, after tossing and turning and an hour has passed,I will get up and I will read a few chapters in a boring book, I then go to bed and fall asleep right away. I usually have 2 books going...one a page turner and one boring!

I found that when I was having the insomnia cuz I wouldnt shut down either thing,that the caffeine intake was too high

I slacked off of the coffee and anyting related to it,and try not to have any after 4 in the afternoon.

I also found that getting out in soem fresh air helped as well.

Take deep breaths thru the nose and out the mouth Nicole,really deep,while you are trying to quiet down and with any luck at all you should drift off.

I used to fall asleep fast....for the last few months I can't seem to sleep past 5 hours. I get up most mornings at about 2-3:00 am and watch tv, read or get some cleaning done. I just can't lay there and try to get back to sleep...it makes me crazy! DH has been a poor sleeper for the last 2 years. Up and down all night. I usually don't hear him get up if I'm sleeping so it's not him waking me up.

Just the opposite here. I am good to go all day, but when evening comes, I have a hard time staying awake. I have all but quit watching tv, because I just can't stay awake.

Being sleep deprived will make it harder to fall asleep, I think about when the kids were real little, if we'd been out late and they're getting to sleep later then usual, the night seemed to progress badly, because they were overtired and had trouble settling down.

Barbara Colorosso (spelling) advises having kids become accustomed to reading for a short while before going to bed, to relax the mind and make it a 'signal' for the brain to start shutting down, just like other nighttime rituals do (brushing teeth, changing into jammies etc). As long as you're not reading something heavy or scary, I think this works - it has helped me a lot, because I was similar, taking an hour to fall asleep because my mind wouldn't stop. Now I read, and when I feel the 'heavy' feeling I stop and go to bed. Someone else mentioned about how there's a window when you can fall asleep (you're feeling sleepy) and you should grab it, instead of forcing yourself to stay awake and get one more chore done, because then it's as if you've missed the 'window of sleeportunity'.

Do you worry or feel panic as bedtime approaches? That can contribute to trouble sleeping, this all should pass and become better, it's just a question of when! Good Luck.

Get a small little MP3 player and some comfortable earbuds. Load on some relaxing music (Stephen Halpern) and just let your mind float with the music. You'll be asleep in no time.

I'm the same way about 4 days a week. The other 3 days, I also sleep very little as the cat keeps me up. Now, if I fall asleep on the sofa with the tv on, I will sleep all night. Go figure.... But, yes, my mind races all the time once I hit the sack and it does make it very difficult to relax and sleep. What the heck is it? Is it just stress?

I'm a fan too of message pads and small flashlight by the bed. Brain dump it. You are so busy with family, is there time for a warm bath soak before bed? Is your bedroom cluttered? My bedroom is at war with me - if I can clear it out and keep it cleared out (sleep hygiene they call it) I feel more relaxed. When it's cluttered, I 'feel' cluttered too.
Give the writing pad a try so you don't have to carry the mental load all night. Let go. Let us know if you try this and give it some time. There's lots for Moms to do and remember. LOL
Peggy

I have this saying on my bathroom wall right by my light switch. I try to repeat if everynight before I get in bed.

"It is night
the night is for resting

What has been done
has been done.

What has not been done
has not been done

Let it go."

Another thing I do when my mind gets to rolling is to pray/think good thoughts through the alphabet. I start with A and think of someone to pray for and just keep going all the way through. It takes the focus off my mind and turns it to someone else.

~Lynda