Can extreme tiredness make you physically ill?

[DesperateHousewife21]

I've heard that tiredness itself can't make you ill but can make you run down.

I have ds 2.10 (never been great sleeper but better recently) and dd 6mo, bf through the night so don't get that much sleep but could be worse.

I'm used to feeling v tired but muddle through. Ds has nursery tues afternoons so that's my one opportunity for a daytime nap (weekends sometimes but we're usually out/ family things)

This morning I was up at 6am with dd after a few night wakings so not too dreadful but from about half 8 started feeling v sick, dizzy, eyes droopy just want to sit/ lie down but with two small children that's not easy!

So can tiredness make you feel so ill?? I hope this doesn't last all day

I feel physically sick when very tired. No idea whether it's actually something physical or psychosomatic but it feels real enough to me!

Glad not just me then! So annoying it happens on a day when there's no chance of a nap, bet I'm full of beans tomo when ds is at nursery!

I'm sitting here giving dd a banana with one eye shut because I can't focus properly

Of course! When you're run down you can feel crappy and I often get coldsores when sleep deprived.

I also hallucinated when DS was a baby and decided that sleep was for wimps.

If it persists and doesn't seem to match bad nights you could always go to drs who might check things like your iron count, maybe give advice on vitamin supplements etd perhaps?

Yes! I find I'm physically sick when tired and eventually end up with colds flu etc. A good multi-vitamin, healthy diet, fresh air and walks plus resting when you can all helps.

Exhaustion puts a lot of stress on your system.

Doodle- yes I may do that I've been wondering about my iron. It was slightly low in my last preg but I feel like my tiredness isn't quite the same as other people's however bad their nights are I always feel not 'with it'

I agree about feeling physically sick when I'm badly tired. Poor you, it sounds like you are having a rough time (life can be harder when you're tired). Hope you are able to benefit from the advice here

Yup, sick and dizzy when extremely tired or jet lagged.
I get to the point when is almost impossible to keep my eyes open.

Yes!

When DS was 4 months old I fainted...unfortunately at the top of a staircase.

Was much more careful with sleep after that

Do whatever you can to get a reasonable amount of sleep & know that it doesn't last forever

(Also, be very careful standing up to quickly. The effects are worse when you're tired/dizzy)

Dd isn't a great napper unfortunately! She sleeps best either rocked constantly in the car seat or being fed.

I don't feel as bad now as I did this morning, I'm telling dh that if they wake at 6 tomorrow I'm not getting up, he is!

I'll hopefully have a nice sleep with dd while ds is at nursery tomo, that'll keep me going til the weekend hopefully.

Yes - I felt ill for about 4 years! Not quite that long, but if felt like it.

The good news is that it doesn't last forever. I now get up earlier than mine at the weekends.

My tip would be to go to bed as early as possible in the evening. Sounds really dull and joyless, but if you can crash out for a few hours before the "dreamfeed" or whatever that 10.30pm ish feed is called your second, it will just help you catch up a bit. Doesn't have to be 7 nights a week, but it may just keep you hanging on.

Yes some nights I go to bed once ds is asleep 8ish and it does really help

I think his morning was 3 night wakings plus up for the day at 6 and then I spent the first couple of hours dashing around doing washing/ putting dinner in the slow cooker and looking at my phone too much I think my head couldn't keep up!