How did you survive lack of sleep?

[Timeturnerplease]

I need some practical tips on how to survive sleep deprivation - not necessarily tips on baby sleep, but what did you do/eat/drink to ensure you could function?

DD1 was a bad sleeper so I have experience in this area, but DD2 is outdoing her by a mile now. She’s almost 7mo, always been FF but is a milk refuser so has to take most of her calories overnight when she’s sleepy enough to accept the milk. Been weaned since 17 weeks so thankfully has gone from hourly wake ups to 4/5 x a night, which doesn’t sound bad but DD1 age 3 is now going through multiple nightmares a night. DH deals with these but we live in a tiny house so I hear her shouting even through white noise. DD2 self settles like a champ and is happy in her bedside crib, just wakes so much that between the two of them we’re knackered.

At the moment it’s ok because I go to bed early and DH gets up early with them, but when I go back to work in April I’ll need to be up until at least 10pm every night working (I’m a primary teacher), plus will have additional marking at weekends and housework (DH does cooking, packed lunches, food shopping, gardening etc so it’s cleaning and laundry for me).

DD1 started sleeping properly when she dropped her final nap at around 18mo, so I’m thinking we’ve got about a year left of this to survive - hopefully less if DD1 gets over the nightmares soon and we can just share DD2’s wakes.

I don’t drink tea or coffee but am surviving currently on Pepsi Max, which I know isn’t great, and craving sweet things like mad in the morning I guess for energy. I have insulin resistance so porridge is a no no for me - I eat a lot of cheese, nuts and cured meats in the day but it’s not cutting it.

Sorry for the long post but what did you do to survive? Caffeine and cake? Healthy eating and fresh air?

@mishmased Hadn’t had my sleep thief yet at that point! She did the same thing and nothing made a difference, not night weaning, not praying 😭

@TheSpottedZebra

Really specific but when I'm really sleep-deprived, my eyes get horribly dry and scratchy, so I use fake tears/viscotears. A sort ofbgelmthatnyou squeeze in to moisturise your eyes a bit.

Good idea

Thank you - this is exactly what I need, practical ideas for when I’m back at work!

I should have clarified that I don’t work completely until 10pm; I do 7.30-4.30 in school unless I have a late meeting, then around 7ish to 10pm once the children are in bed. I adore my job and work at a brilliant school (not to mention we live in a very desirable part of the South East so need my salary for the mortgage - DH self employed), so we just need to survive until they can both share DD1’s room and we can take it in turns to sleep in there with them when needed.

DD2 actually slept ok last night - woke at 7.30pm and 8.30pm to finish the bottle she refused at bedtime, then again at 11pm for milk and then again at 3am for singing, when she came in with me. Found DH on the sofa with DD1 at 6am this morning, having handed her a tablet with the CBeebies app and buried himself under a blanket for peace. Unfortunately he’s forgotten his giant flask of tea and I can’t get hold of him to find out where he’s working today, so he’s going to be very tired when he gets home!

Yes @stuntbubbles! 😂 Also:
Go to bed straight after baby does (DH and I are asleep by 7pm most nights)
Special fancy coffee so dragging yourself downstairs at 4.30am when baby is wide awake and ready to party doesn't seem so hellish
Ds takes a longish lunchtime nap now so when I'm off with him I always nap here too
Iron and multivitamins
Cosleeping on particularly rough nights
Lots of weeping and swearing under my breath
The thought of banging a saucepan every morning at 7am when he's a teen

Ds still doesn’t sleep well at almost 2 years. I have no idea why. He eats lots, exercise, outside, routine etc.

Anyway, on the worst days I find outside and fresh air helps. So even when really tired, maybe take baby in pram, toddler in pram/ waking/ buggy board. Tea in thermos cup. And a short walk. Might get baby to nap, might wear toddler out a bit, you still have tea, and the air wakes you a bit.

I couldn’t and wouldn’t work late on lack of sleep. At one point I nearly fell asleep driving it was that bad. So get to bed by 9pm every evening.

@Shehasadiamondinthesky

I'm sorry to tell you this but I was never sleep deprived with DS he had to be woken for feeds as a newborn and always loved his bed. He only ever cried in the night if he was ill. He was such a relaxed baby. He's a pretty laid back adult too. He's a professional artist.

Helpful

@Timeturnerplease just wondering how are you getting on? Reading your thread as my almost 3yo woke DD up for 2h last night ( always been horrible horrible sleeper ( secretly I reckon all under 3 are LOL don't quite believe all the stories about the perfect sleeping babies) I am working full time ( love my job) and need to focus but unable to do so when sleep deprived :( Think I'll have a nap in my lunch time (wfh).