sleep deprivation or pnd - how do i tell?

[choolie]

Ds is nearly 9mo and been a crap sleeper since 4 months, rarely sleeping more than 90mins in one go. I am working on his sleep and have seen a slight improvement this week, so fingers crossed on that one.

However, the last couple of months I've been irritable, snapping at DH constantly, not wanting to go anywhere, no energy to do anything and day times have just become so functional, that I'm not able to have lots of fun with DS like i did in the beginning and am feeling guilty about that. most days I have a cry about something (this morning, DH was ranting at the radio and that set me off).

do you think this is a normal reaction to lack of sleep and I should just ride it out, esp as hopefully i'll start getting more quality sleep soon, or do you think I should go see my Dr? - I've had depression in the past, so am paranoid about being more prone to pnd. Be grateful for any thoughts if you've experienced similar. TIA.

I've got 4dc who have all been fab sleepers. However ds2 went through a stage where he was up between 6-12 times per night! He kept coming into our room but didnt want us, it was just habit. We put a stairgate across his door and he stopped waking up after day 1! after my first full nights sleep in months i couldnt believe how good i felt and it made me realise just how bad and zombie like i had previously been. So i guess you could be like this through lack of sleep, but why not go and see your gp anyway? Mine prescribed vallergan to make ds sleep, however it did nothing for him!

I don't have much useful advice to offer but felt I couldn't ignore your post.

I really couldn't cope with the lack of sleep in the early months and really felt I was heading for pnd. People underestimate the toll that lack of sleep can take on your body and mind, and I think as a Mum you feel that you should be able to cope on ridiculously little sleep. I also felt guilty because the other Mums seemed ok with it but I just couldn't manage like that, luckily DS got into a good routine fairly quickly.

Can your DH do at least one full night a week that way you could see if you still feel the same afterwards. Ditto frazzled as well, can't hurt to go to GP.

thanks both, think will head to GP and see what she says. she is at least a sympathetic mum of 4, so i do feel I can talk to her. DH would gladly help out, but I still BF, so that's why DS wakes so much. He does still take 2 feeds at night, try as I might I can't get more into him in the day. DS does insist I lie-in on the weekend as much as I can bless him.

We did have a better night last night, only 2 wakings, straight back to sleep after feed and slept till 8.30 so I felt much more positive, but then was in tears in less than an hour over something daft.

I can't believe I used to think I was tired after 7 hrs sleep pre-DS!

thanks for your posts.

Hi Choolie, you sound like you will have an understanding GP. I read up a lot about the impact of lack of sleep on your rain and it seems that repeated lack of sleep and extreme stress (ie, small kids!) puts strain on your limbic systom in your brain apparently after so long it loses its ability to heal itself and all the necessary hormones get out of kilter. The main one being serotonin which affects mood. I was just the same as you for a long time (DD now 4 and DS 3) and eventually I realised lying on the floor howling and smashing kids toys was not normal. I now take prozac and it helps enomously. My sleep is better (even though DS stil up 2 times a night) and I feel more positive. If you cant change your physical circumstances sometimesI think it is etter to change your ability to deal with them.

I am coming off the tablets next year when the kids are both at school ad I can claim myself back a bit I can now see a future for me and my marriage!. It DOES get better!

monkeybutler, there's someone on another thread who needs this help and advice. I've no idea how to get you there, but its in Feeling depressed: Starting to feel crap again. Take a look if you can

Will do, am always on the Feeling Depressed pages?