Sleep Deprivation

I am so tired. Can't even see straight. So ironic b/c just last week I was saying that my newborn sleeps ALL day and now suddenly she is hardly sleeping at all! How do you ladies survive this stage? I am so not functional without sleep.

Re: Sleep Deprivation

Call someone up. Have them come over so you can sleep! I went to my parents yesterday --- they were in their glory with Jack and I was in mine in the sun!

Re: Sleep Deprivation

Is there someone you can ask for help?
I was at that point a few weeks ago and I called my parents up to ask for help. They took Lily for the day and I got some much needed rest. It made a world of difference!

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Luckily my mom came over a few times so I could take a nap. Now that I'm back at work though, I never seem to catch up...

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I couldn't function - we actually had a baby nurse come when Sophie was about a week old because I couldn't do it - and that was only after a week! I caught up on sleep and then after the nurse left I thought I would die.

DH and I took turns getting up at night. Or I would try to go to sleep at lke 9 pm, he would do the 1 am wake up, I would do the 3 am wake-up.... just so I got a few hours of sleep. it is so so hard- that was the worst part for me!

Do you have someone that can come for a few hours to help? If all else fails, you can drop Madison off here!

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I was so exhaausted all of the time...Jacob was colic and cried 24/7 for the first 2-3 months. We hired a babysitter and she came 3 times a week during the day so I could sleep. We also had family help us...it becomes so emotionally and physically draining

Re: Sleep Deprivation

the first few weeks with emma i think i got 3 hours sleep total. my mom would come over and help out but i could not get to sleep or take a nap. you get exhausted but i think my body just adjusted and then before you know it they get somewhat into a routine

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15 months later and still exhausted... DD was never a good sleeper or napper

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I've gotten used to it I think. I get up for all of the feedings since I'm BFing. It was really hard when he was going through his growth spurt and had me up every 2 hours. Now it's about every 3 hrs.

I try to grab a nap during the day while he's sleeping and on the weekends, sometimes my DH will take our DS over to his parents with pumped BM and let me sleep in. (I pump once I get up.)

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18 months on, the kid sleeps 12 hours a night and we are still exhausted. Its exhausting being a parent!!! It does get better, Just nap when the kid naps!

Those are my words of wisdom.

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It was rough in the beginning. My MIL came over and my parents helped aout a lot in the beginning, so I could sleep
Ask for help, and hang in there it is NOT forever

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I just got used to it. It was awful. Lily did not sleep through the night until she was 6 months old. We live far away from family & friends so we had no one to help out. When DH was home (he travels most weeks for work) he was amazing! He would get up with DD in the morning and let me sleep in until I had to feed her again (when I was BFing.) It does get better.

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I know its hard.. after 18 months I still have horrid nights.. (see my post from today) And all I can say is that eventually your body will adjust to no sleep. Well mine did anyway. In the beginning I will not lie, it hurt, PHYSICALLY HURT to have no sleep. Then I noticed as the weeks went by I was able to feel okay on 3-4 hrs of sleep a night.

Coming from someone who's baby did not sleep thru the night until a year old, it really sucked. Hopefully that will not happed to you, and you will get some much needed rest soon. Nap when the baby naps, that's good advice. Although I never followed it. Mainly cause Jacob never napped. Maybe you have a family member that can take the baby for a few hours while u nap. Good luck, and remember... This too shall pass...

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those first few weeks are so rough - I have a whole new understanding of how sleep deprivation can be used as a form of torture.

Ask your mom or someone to come over specifically so that you can nap - very shortly you'll be amazed at how well you're functioning on so little sleep - it's amazing how our bodies just adjust!

Re: Sleep Deprivation

Honestly - You get used to being sleep deprived...

's - It'll get better for you... just give it some time.

Re: Sleep Deprivation

somehow now i am used to it
i could never rest when people were at my house

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Thanks everyone. I had a mini nervous breakdown after my first post and called my Mom in PA who is on her way here now. I feel so bad b/c she was here for 10 days after the birth and she just left a week ago, but I am seriously about to lose it. I know I need to get my sh*t together and learn how to deal with this but I really just need help right now. I called DH at work who didn't realize it is getting this bad in terms of no sleep and he offered to help me out at night, but like I have posted in the past...he has a tough time getting DD to sleep so I don't know if he can really help. Anyway...I'm looking forward to getting a few once my Mom gets here. I am seriously going to wrap my arms around her ankles when she has to leave again though I am such a baby myself.

Re: Sleep Deprivation

Don't under-estimate the effects of sleep deprivation. There's a reason it's used on POWs!

I got so little sleep the first 3 mos...it was awful. I was a physical and emotional wreck. I was physically ill all the time...until FINALLY some family members saw that I was falling apart and starting helping. Even getting a couple of hours a day to take a nap will make a HUGE difference.

It also helped when my DH and I decided to alternate nights waking up with the baby. That way, every other night you got a full night of sleep (sort of )

Hang in there!

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Ask for help. My mom and dad were life savers.

DH would come home by 6- I would sleep when he got home. He would stay up with her til 11ish. If she was asleep at 11, I would just sleep til she woke for the next feeding. We did this every night til she was about 4 months. It was the only way I could survive. Thank gosh DH was so helpful.

Also, sleep or rest when she sleeps during the day.

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I had no help and it was rough. Just remember, it will get better! That's what I had to keep telling myself. Around 2 months she was sleeping all night.

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I am glad you are getting help! Enjoy the time with your mom.

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DD is almost 14 months and she still wakes about twice a night. I mean, I do get to sleep, but I'm used to waking up with her and I guess in the end I total about 6 hours of sleep a night. However, it's really not enough for me, my ILs live downstairs and they usually take her in the mornings while I sleep in. I would not have survived without their help!

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I don't know if this is going to help you at all, but 18 months down the road I don't remember any of the sleep deprivation that I went through. I am sure that I went through it, but thankfully, your brain will let you forget!