A Little Pillow Talk

I have been back on Ambien for three weeks now. Last month, for three nights straight I had no trouble falling asleep but woke up between 2 and 3 am either unable to fall back asleep or not until around 6 am for a brief 45 minutes. Last night I decided to venture off the meds again and tried to go to bed at 11 pm with Tylenol and Diphenhydramine HCl (it's a weaker over the counter "non habit forming" sleep aid), but was still awake after 1 am. I didn't help that I have read that going off Ambien can lead to temporary "rebound insomnia", which was making me nervous about whether or not I would get any sleep at all.

My mind would start to drift off, then these little flashes of lightening would make my heart jump and my head clear and realize I wasn't asleep yet. Meanwhile, my skin and legs and arms would tingle as they desperately tried to fall asleep. This of course would be followed by the anxiety of knowing morning was only getting closer. I ended up taking half an Ambien which put me to sleep soon after and I woke up sometime before 7 am. I am pretty sure sleep aids should not be mixed, but I really just needed some rest. Having debated whether or not to take the Ambien for an entire hour, I determined the other had lost its chance anyhow. Tonight I will try just half the pill and then ween myself off it altogether over the course of the week.

I saw my doctor last week who claimed this insomnia was most likely hormonal and would clear up during/after the next pregnancy. I don't remember sleeping very well during my last pregnancy or after it, so I don't know that I agree with his conclusion or want to take something to level me out. While I really like getting sleep, I have this fear of contributing to the growing population of over medicated Americans who take drugs to wake them up in the morning, to fall asleep at night, and a little dose of something to keep them happy in between - not to downplay the essential roles these play in some people's lives.

There are several lifestyle changes that could certainly help: more exercise (squatting in the garden isn't enough?), better diet (Carnation Instant Breakfast, I love you, but you can't sustain me), and more socializing with adults ("BA BA BA BA" isn't the most intellectually stimulating). So maybe I will pull out the "Dance off the Inches Hip Hop Party" dvd and start bustin' some moves. The nutrition thing will be tricky. I am averaging 1500 calories a day, which isn't quite enough for a breastfeeding mom. Based on height, weight, age and activity level, I should get around 1900 cal before breastfeeding, and breastfeeding probably adds another 300 cal to maintain my weight. This means I need to take in another 700 cal a day. Bring on the pizza, baby! Just kidding. Would someone please pass the veggies?