Hello Wedding, Goodbye Sleep
February 29th, 2008 @ 1:21 pm by Mrs. Hummingbird
As yesterday marked the four month countdown to our big day, things are revving up.
Unfortunately, things are revving up to the point that, at the end of the day, my engine is unable to rev down, making my sleep patterns, at best, erratic.
Not only do I have a hard time falling asleep when I’m supposed to, but I find myself getting exhausted when I’m not supposed to, like in the heater-warmed afternoons at work. I’ve been able to get through it, thanks to copious amounts of caffeine and after work naps, but the other day during my lunch hour, I felt down right narcoleptic as my eyelids kept slamming shut while I was trying to eat. It was incredibly frustrating, having to shake myself awake so that I didn’t accidentally pitch forward and drown in my soup (it was Hearty Vegetable too, which would have made for a chunky yet nutritious death).
So, because I’m still over a hundred days out, and because I deeply value my sanity (and the sanity of my beloved Mr. Hummingbird), I’ve got to ask - has/did anyone else experience a change in sleeping patterns leading up to the big day? What did you do about it?
Editor’s Note - While composing this short blog entry, Miss Hummingbird yawned no less than ten times.
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15 Responses to “Hello Wedding, Goodbye Sleep”
I’d say about 5 to 6 months out from the wedding, I was losing sleep all the time. I couldn’t ever get to sleep. I even took Tylenol PMs and Valerian Root, etc. I’d be up sometimes until 5, 6, or even 8 AM.
I work on wedding stuff in the evening sometimes. What really helped me was that a couple of hours before bed I put all wedding stuff away. For those couple hours, I do not allow myself to work on wedding stuff, think of wedding stuff, or talk about wedding stuff. THat way I am not thinking of it when I go to bed.
It has helped tremendously. I am 3 months away from the wedding now. It helps having a handle on wedding things and knowing that I have made progress and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I still have the occassional wedding nightmare though.
Good luck!
hmm im a june bride too and i feel so sense of urgency whatsoever! i sleep absolutely fine, no dreams, no nothing. everyone around me though seems to be a bit sleepless and stressed out. whats wrong with me?
I awaken to wedding related tasks, constantly add things on my to do list during the day, go to bed thinking about what other details I MUST get to before it’s too late….and occassionally have nightmares about a blizzard on my big day…so yeah, I’m delirious too!
My solution to sleeplessness might not be the best for everyone, and it’s not meant for night after night, but here goes…
Brew one hot cup of chamomile tea.
Add one teaspoon honey.
Add copious amounts of whiskey.
Stir.
Drink.
Sleep.
As a lifelong insomnia sufferer, I can tell you that herb tea and other herbal remedies can help– it really depends on you own body chemistry.
I do have a hot tip about how to get the most out of whatever amount of sleep you are getting— elevate your feet! Supposedly it’s an old ballerinas trick and 20 minutes with raised heels = one hour lying flat.
I can’t swear to that ratio, but the the benefit is supposedly derived from your heart not having to work as hard bringing the blood back from the far reaches of your lower limbs in that position.
I sleep with my feet elevated (on a little foam pillow) every night and I can tell you that I do seem to fall asleep easier and don’t feel as wiped out when I get way-less-than-eight hours. Also works great for naps! 
Yes - I think when I was in hyper-planning mode I definitely lost sleep. I would come home from work and get on the computer to start my night job as a “wedding coordinator” and would get excited/nervous/organized/scared - and get ramped up and not be able to fall asleep until 2. Real pain.
I think if you can set aside timelines - say I’ll only look at the guest list until 10, and then I have to start transitioning to bedtime, you may be better off…my thing was that I never set limits!
i’ll have to try that out sometime beanchar.
i don’t have any of my own tips but i just had to add that the picture of the cat cracked me up. it leads such a hard life 
I find that when I go to sleep right after using the computer, I never sleep well. I try to read or do something quiet for even 10 minutes after getting off the computer, that seems to help a little bit. That and a fan for white noise.
My problem isn’t with planning the actual wedding, it’s with planning the sale of two houses and the purchase of our first “together house”, which happens in April, the coordination of belongings, etc. Is anyone else struggling with this? Wedding planning is a breeze compared to that, which makes me worried that I’m not thinking of things that I should be doing (of course, I’m not nearly as creative as all of you, so I have no DIY projects on the horizon). My sleep habits were so disturbed by the stress that my dentist is making me wear a retainer so I stop grinding my teeth so bad!
I am that kitty in the picture. I want to fall asleep in a bowl of kibble.
Sometimes I feel like you girls just read my mind. I’ve been thinking this exact thing lately. I’m getting married in June and have been reading up on our honeymoon destination (ITALY!!) before bed. BAD IDEA! Thoughts of wine, food, and new honeymoon outfits = no sleep.
I think the rule no wedding an hour or so before bed is a keeper! Turn that wedding brain off!
Wait until you’re three WEEKS out!! Mwa ha ha ha ha….
But, yeah, I’ve definitely had the same problem. Melatonin worked somewhat (30 min before sleep time, smaller doses work better than large), but made my migraines worse.
The best thing I’ve discovered is turning off my brain by counting. Yep, just like the sheep. But it keeps me better occupied if I do intervals — e.g., backward from 300 by 3’s, or up to 700 by 7’s. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in it that I start to resent it when I get too sleepy to remember the next number!
I too am having odd sleeping patterns! Weird dreams and craving coffee all the time (and I’m not a big coffee drinker!!) I was driving home tonight and I was falling asleep! I had to open my sunroof to keep me awake! And it was like 60 degrees outside!
We’re hitting our 4 month mark soon!
[...] been suppressing for weeks just poured out of me in my own unintelligible squeaky cry language. The lack of sleep. The wedding nightmares. The starting over with the bridesmaid dresses. The invitations deleting [...]
Mrs. Hummingbird, Toronto
Age and Occupation: 25, Publishing Coordinator
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Videogame Designer/Cartoonist
Engagement Date: May 4, 2007
Wedding Date: June 28, 2008
Blogging Since: September 18, 2007
Venue: A garden wedding followed by a tented reception on Mr. Hummingbird's father's property.
About Me: I’m a pop culture loving, vintage obsessed foodie living in Canada’s biggest city with my fantastic fiancé and our lovable fluffy cat Bettie. I’m stoked to marry my best friend and to throw what I hope will be
the most fun and colourful party of our lives.
I just dreamt that I forgot to pick up my wedding dress, that the ceremony seating was all wrong, and that I didn’t have time to shower or do my hair before the wedding.