How little sleep can I actually survive on ??

[Sunshine31]

I need someone to commiserate with me. DD2 is 10 weeks old now and for the lat 4 weeks has had a nasty cold which turned into Broncilitis. Thats gone now but she still has the horrid cough and loads of stuff on her chest she cant seem to shift. I cant give her anything and ive done stuff like raise the end of the cot up, steam us in the bathroom with the shower as hot as itll go etc.
Then last week DH started a new job at the other end of the country, meaning hes only here at the weekends.
I reckon Im getting about 5 hours sleep a night, with maybe 2 hours at anyone time if Im lucky. My MIL stayed with us a couple of nights last week and is coming today to stay until Tuesday.But they live a good 60 miles away and there is only so often she can come stay
Im knackered and an emotional wreck. DD1 just gets me shouting at her the whole time. And I really cant see an end in sight. It could be another 5 weeks before this cough goes. Anyone else out there in a similar situation and can make me feel better ?

I have been in a similar situation due to ds having a sleep disorder. It is really tough but you need to make sure that you rest as much as possible. Even if you cant sleep rest. Also I found having stuff for ds to do constantly so that he had no opportunity to get up to mischief helped. I know it seems impossible as you are knackered but i found spending 10mins laying out a variety of toys to distract him helped. Rely on the tv if you need to. for a short bit, lots of tv will do little harm if it means you spend less time shouting.

I overloaded on caffine which is not desirable but was the only way that i could cope. It does get better and there is an end in sight. Most importantly when dd2 gets better you will need to seriously rest. for quite a while after. Not that opportunity will often come along. Be aware that you are more likely to come down with a cold or virus so if vitamin suppliments work for you then I would suggest taking them as a precautionary message.

Hi Sunshine

Oh poor you - I know how you feel because my average night's sleep is 5 hours of broken kip - and has been for the last 9 months (sometimes less, sometimes a tiny bit more, but rarely much).

All I can say is, although it's not ideal, my body's adjusted and I can manage fine, provided the total amount of sleep doesn't go much below 5 hours for too long. I might have a power nap (ten mins) during DD's first nap, but otherwise I don't get extra during the day and go to bed around 21.00 or so.

I don't have much caffeine as the quick fix makes me feel worse in the long run. Likewise I tend to avoid booze.

I would say the best thing for me was accepting that 5 hours is manageable and stopping myself stressing over the (current) impossibility of 7 or 8 hours sleep and just getting on with it.

It's knackering, especially if you have another child, but I agree with EinsteinsMum about doing stuff so you can at least chill out a bit during the day.

Try and make sure you have some fresh air and exercise every day and eat healthily - and yes, TTSP, TTSP...

You are not alone! HTH [hsmile]

Sleep deprivation is so awful, don't think I can say anything to help really. You do have my utmost sympathy.

I had two awful sleepers with an 18 month age gap, the result was over 2 1/2 years of 4 - 5 hours broken sleep a night. I survived, just.

This too shall pass.

As a sufferer of insomnia (OK, I know your situation is different but the effects are still the same), I do know how utterly dis-spiriting sleep deprivation is.
Things that wouldn't effect you if you've slept well can seem like a mountain.

It may be of little help to know this; but human beings are capable of going for a long time with little sleep. Look at Ellen MacArthur's sleep timetable when she went solo around the world. I think it was something like 4 hours on and off.
Perhaps it will give you some comfort.

Hi, I am with you on the lack of sleep. for different reasons, mostly my own fault as people like to inform me at every opportunity, my ds doesn't sleep as well as he could, and what with one thing and another including dd being sick after o/d'ing on slimey eyeballs as a haloween party yesterday, i have had a grand total of 5 hours sleep in 40 hours. And its not that uncommon either.

I get around 4-6 hours of broken sleep most nights, the most i get in one sitting is about 3 hours, with 30 mins or so between sleep periods, sometimes more, sometimes hours . I am surviving. Not sure it is much more than that at times, but let me tell you that when i sleep for 4 hours straight, which happens occasionally, i feel as good as i used to on 10-12 hours and it is amazing that i consider that a good night!

Get your DP to give you a break at the weekends so you can catch up.

I was getting 3.5 hours during week for months - pure hell.

Got lie ins at the weekend to compensate a bit and give me a bit of sanity.