Anything that helps with exhaustion?

[firsttimemother22]

I’ve just woken up from an awful night with my 10 month old. He’s never slept more than 2 hours but last night was the worse it’s been in a while and I honestly don’t know how I will get through today 😫
I’m not working today thankfully so it’s just me and him at home but how am I gonna get through it? I’m worried I’m not alert enough and won’t be able to properly watch him.
It was easier when he was a newborn because he didn’t move! But now I have to have my eyes on him constantly and when I’m feeling like this… it’s hard to concentrate.
I’ve had a coffee but thinking of getting an energy drink. Anyone have any recommendations which one to get ?

It sounds counterintuitive but don’t have energy drinks - you’ll just have energy peaks and crashes.

Short term does he have a reliable nap? Can you rest then? Getting out in the fresh air helped me to wake myself up a bit it's so hard but having no choice I just tried to make those days easier on myself if I could. Playgroup? At least they are entertained without you having to think there and might nap after. Walk in the night with a nice takeaway coffee if you can treat yourself. A splash in the bath together with stuff you like the smell of, and an early night for you if you can.

Longer term the only answer is sleep, night weaning saved me with my second wish I'd done it earlier with my first.

@Moonlightsonatas thank you, yeah I figured there was a reason why I hadn’t had them before! I will give it a miss then.

Hello fellow sleep deprived mum!

My baby is the same. She wake a million times a night but is getting better at nearly 12 months.

I find that I tend to get a second wind but when I'm exhausted, I nap when the baby naps. This only works if your baby naps and if there are no other kids in the house.

I would avoid energy drinks and try to stay hydrated with water instead. Its best to invest in your bodily system working efficiently than straining it with an energy drink which will lead to an eventual crash. This old start a horrible cycle. Replenish energy naturally by going for a walk with the pram for fresh air. If you have a partner, go for a nap when they get home to get caught up on sleep.

If you feel totally exhausted, the baby won't nap and you have nobody to help you, pop your baby in the pram, strap them in and stick them in front of cartoons on youtube while you doze on the sofa. I've done that when desperate and assessed the baby more at risk from me being a zombie than a bit of TV. Try to get a chunk of sleep this evening to refuel a bit.

I'm with you in the trenches!

@NewtoHolland yes he has 2 naps so I’m counting down till then. Will try and get some fresh air, if I can be bothered to get dressed that is. I’m honestly at the point of night weaning too, I really didn’t want to go against the guidelines but I think I will be a better mum without this exhaustion. How did you night wean yours? Mine is breastfed and feeds all through the night 😁

My baby also breastfeeds all night and I'm considering night weaning too.

Lots of drinks, maybe hot Vimto as it’s so cold!
Lots of snacks.
Get out the house, I agree it’s easier to be out doing something when you are that tired. Otherwise you are battling to keep awake from the sofa.

Op this might sound so basic but I've found if I leave out my clothes the night before it's so much easier to get dressed then next day. Sometimes even the thought of opening the drawers or looking for something in the wardrobe is too much for me to handle when exhausted.

i have 'morning clothes' that I use for the school run. Tracksuit bottoms and a hoodie, clean pants and socks are ready for me each morning. This means I can dressed quickly without too much mental drain. I rewear the tracksuit for a few days to wear in the mornings but often get changed during the day, when ive woken up a bit. You're more like to go out and get fresh air when you're already dressed.

I night weaned at 8 months when he was waking every couple of hours. His sleep dramatically improved after that! At 10 months yours doesn't need milk overnight, so all it's doing is giving him energy to wake up more!

Short term, lots of water and snacks. Aside from being incredibly unhealthy, energy drinks are bad for your milk

My partner tool a few days off and I'd do the bath and feed making sure a good night time snack had been had, then he cuddled/rocked/shushed her on each wake up (I slept downstairs) and he'd give her to me when she woke in the morning (any time after 5) and he'd get his head down, she woke less from the second night and then reliably slept through after a week :)

After the most awful nights I sometimes summon my last bit of energy, pack a bag, scoop the baby up and go to a farm, zoo or theme park for the day. It stops the day dragging like it would if you were at home. Have a nice lunch there and by the time you get home, it will almost be bedtime. I'm sure tonight you'll get more sleep.

Getting a Play pen or travel cot big enough for baby to play in and some toys, would give you the chance to make something decent to eat, something with slow release energy rather than the instant hit of sugary stuff. Also could give you a few mins for a nice wake you up shower.

100% this. I night weaned my older two at 7 months, and my youngest at 5 months, with our doctor’s blessing. They all started sleeping through the night from that point. What you are describing in terms of sleep deprivation is dangerous, unhealthy, soul-crushing, and unnecessary!

My son slept through from 11 weeks. Now 9 months and wakes up once. Tempted to night wean. Any tips? Advice?

My son was an awful sleeper. I went to bed at 7pm -12am and dh dealt with wake ups (I expressed) then I just grabbed what sleep I could in the day. A couple of things that helped were-
Stopping night feeds
Dropping dummy
Teaching him to put himself to sleep.

My DD doesn’t feed at night anymore; she doesn’t want to. She still wakes 1-2 times a night though! Night weaning doesn’t necessarily lead to sleeping through!

Tips for coping with little energy - try to get out if you can. The day drags so much when you’re at home. Stick ear plugs in and go to bed, tell your DH that he’s on baby duty until 11/12pm, and get some sleep the moment baby goes down tonight.

Longer term, how does baby go down at the start of the night? If you can teach him to self settle he will wake much less overnight, even if he doesn’t sleep through.

Short term - go outside or to a group? Wonder aimlessly round a shopping centre.

Maybe co-sleep for part of the night, we used to reach a time where we couldn’t hack it anymore and would bring ds in with us and I think overall we got more sleep.

longer term do you have a partner who can share the wake ups with you?

It will get better!