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Night time anxiety. (kbin.social)

submitted 2 years ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Hello fellow tired parents. So I just wanted to ask if anyone else suffers pretty significantly with anxiety around their kids 'overnight activities'.

It's something I've been dealing with since my eldest was a baby, but it's got significantly worse since our second came onto the scene 16 months ago (he's yet to sleep through the night and requires constant soothing).

When they're ill I feel this constant sense of dread throughout the day. It's gotten to the point where I'll just lay there for hours on end just waiting to hear them cry, sometimes I even hear phantom cries.

It's really starting to effect me. Is this normal, do we all have it? Any tips??

Thanks.

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[–] Obscura 1 points 2 years ago

I suffered with this too (my son just turned 2 and didn’t start mostly sleeping through the night until a couple of months ago) and sometimes it can creep back when my little one has a bout of sickness or teething and I know he’s going to be fussy in the night.

First of all, the other advice in this thread to ask for help from a doctor is absolutely valid, however there are things you can do yourself at home too and I personally found I felt completely different once I got some actual sleep!! Sleep deprivation is awful on your mind, body and soul, and it spirals and becomes a vicious cycle.

What really helps me is listening to guided meditations once I get into bed. Having an external voice to focus on instead of my internal voice worrying away is a game changer. An added bonus if you leave the playlist auto playing as you drift off, is that they’re so positive and motivating as they seep into your subconscious that I was waking up the next day full of renewed spirit. :)

This is the deep sleep one I start with and then I queue more from the same series:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/77AGce8ysjMZD0UYc0RD6B?si=WdOwdq74Qp2IFIlrA9hx0A

Secondly, even though it was the last thing I wanted to do when I was so knackered, I committed myself to exercising more. I started going for longer walks during the day and doing a short 10-20 min workout before going to bed (growwithjo on YouTube is fantastic for finding a workout for whatever time you have that night). After a while I upped the time or difficulty of the workouts. Getting into bed physically tired enough to need sleep would win more and more against my overactive brain.

I believe our babies pick up on our anxiety too. I was getting anxious which was making my son more unsettled which then in turn was making me worse, repeat ad nauseum. Getting just a few hours extra sleep over a couple of days made such a positive impact on my mental fortitude that it had an impact on my son too, and he started to sleep better and settle quicker. I noticed a positive cycle instead where a little bit of improvement snowballed into better nights for us both.

Another factor for me was realising that my son is neurodivergent and has extra support needs. This can often include difficulties with sleeping and self settling. Approaching night times with that in mind and trying specific advice for settling autistic infants helped a ton. Not sure if that is applicable for your situation but thought it was worth mentioning.

Take a deep breath. I know it seems endless and overwhelming right now, but this is not going to carry on forever. I promise. I was in your shoes a couple of months ago and now I feel more like my old self again. You’ve got this! If you ever need to talk or vent to someone who went through the same, please do message me.