Chronic sleep deprivation

[Haggisfish]

Hello all, i know this will be a familiar topic to lots of you! I just wondered if anyone else suffers real physical symptoms of chronic sleep deprivation? I have 3yo DD who will sleep through occasionally, but usually wakes once or twice - often just needs a pat and hug, but occasionally a bf and will curl up on my bed, and also a 6mo DS who wakes for a feed about 3-4 times a night. So, in total, I get woken up about 3-4 times a night on a good night, up to 7 on a bd night. I go to bed about 11pm and we all wake up about 7am. i am currently on mat leave so DH doesn't get up in the night, and also DD screams for mummy anyway.

Recently I have been very light headed and dizzy, and my muscles are tired and heavy - walking up stairs is like wading through treacle and my leg feels like it is going to 'go' from under me (it hasn't as yet). My arms and legs feel like they've had a really hard physical workout, but they haven't. I have been to GP who has taken bloods to look at all sorts of things (mainly thyroid and diabetes, but FBC too), but just wondered if anyone else suffers similarly? My memory is shocking and I just feel out of it a lot of the time!

Not looking for any advice about sleep training etc - I think DS will be better once he is weaned (a very hungry little boy!) and DD is getting there.

Sympathies to anyone else going through the same!

Hi
I've had some problems similar to you in terms of physical symptoms. Including heart palpitations, feeling 'low', nausea on and off and that feeling of just like I've had too much exercise. Memory problems too! For us we only have one DD but she's been a terrible sleeper for the last 6 months and there is something to deal with every. single. night. When I'm up in the night I find it really difficult to get back to sleep making things worse. I've been told difficulty falling asleep could be related to depression (caused by lack of sleep!)

Vicious cycle isn't it!?

I'm working 3 days a week too so it does make it hard to cope sometimes.

I once read that adults need 7-8 hours sleep a night. Losing one hour a night can add up to a whole lost nights sleep over the course of a week. So it's not surprising that these symptoms occur. I guess all we can do is hope sleep improves and/or try to nap / have a lie in at weekends if we can.

Hope things get better for you soon and sorry for the massive moan from my end!

God, yes, I forgot the palpitations! Went to GP today and all bloods are normal - she looked at me like I was mad when I told her how little sleep I've been getting and asked how on earth i was still relatively normal! She said I need to get tough with 3yo and wean 6mo asap, so I gave him some porridge today! My first was a bad sleeper, too, but she did start to get better around 9 months, and again at 2yo - she can manage a whole night but it depends on how physically exhausted she is. I found she sleeps much better with no daytime nap, and has been the same since about 2yo. Hope your LO gets better at sleeping, too!

Yes yes yes. I have to be very careful walking across the landing as I stagger through tiredness and I'm scared I'll fall down the stairs.
HV told me to go to the GP but I think it's more likely to be the fact I only get an hours sleep at a time at night and no sleep during the day.
HV told me other mums got up that much too and weren't as tired as me which has made me feel awful.
Stupid HV. If I wasn't so knackered I'd have thrown her out

Hi - if really tired I too get soo dizzy, no memory and have the heavy muscle feeling. Carbs, chocolate, and walking the buggy in the fresh air help. It's a bugger as only sleep will cure it...but we all know that! Hugs and sympathy. It's really tough. Is there no one who can drop by and take over whilst you have a nap? A few times I have cried and DH has packed me off to bed for an hour on a weekend. We need to draw up a rota between us all to give each other a break...well it's a nice idea anyway. X

I'm really lucky in that my Mum comes over and sends me to bed - I've been away with only DH and sprogs recently, and he just doesn't get the need for a nap - I feel better today as my mum packed me off for nap. Is it your first, purplecatti? I would avoid HV at all costs for exactly the reason you say - they often make you feel crap about yourself! I have seen my HV twice with my second after receiving precisely zero useful info with my first. My GP came out with the classic 'your baby shouldn't wake up at night at six months' line - I would have argued about recent research suggesting otherwise, but she's a nice lady otherwise and I just couldn't be bothered - too tired! Hope we all get some more shut eye soon - I often close the stair gate so I don't fall down them!! Glad I'm not alone.

You may be on mat leave but you are becoming physically ill and unable to function. In my eyes that means your DH needs to do some of the wake-ups. I do understand that it's no good to be sleep-deprived at work (we were in a similar situation a while back) but 1-2 wake ups a night won't make him unable to function at work. When I was in your shoes I realised that my safety looking after the kids was compromised, and that is more important.

If I were you I'd go to bed when the kids do or shortly afterwards, and give DH responsibility for dc1.

Fwiw our non-sleeping 6mo's sleep improved hugely when he went onto solids, and went into his own room. So there is light at the end of the tunnel!

I had a nightmare DD1 who didn't sleep through till she was 2.5. DH and I ended up alternating night duty. Saved my sanity and made him more aware of what sleep deprivation does to a person. I was ready to leave him if he hadn't pulled his weight on this one, I really was. Good luck!

Absolutely! But why are you staying up so late?? Bedtime for me is usually when the kids are in bed, and if I'm knackered it can be as early as 8.....