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Original poster

Did your personality get better once you got your sleep back?!!?!

25 replies

peardroplets · 30/04/2016 17:22

My dd is nine months old and has never slept through. Four to eight wakings per night is the norm. I'm tired all the time. I can't remember what it felt like to feel 'normal' but all I know now is that I'm grumpy and anxious all the time. I have no interest in sex at all (but maybe that is a breastfeeding thing?) Poor DH.

I tell myself that it's just the tiredness but I'm worried this is the new me...are all mums grumpy and anxious or is it just sleep deprivation?!!!! I have in the past had depression and I know I'm not depressed now so I can't put it down to PND..

OP posts:
HurryUpPlease1234 · 30/04/2016 17:58

I feel the same - I feel nasty as I get so jealous of other babies who "sleep through". I'm just hoping I return to a normal, nice person when (if?!!!) my baby ever sleeps! X

InsaneDame · 30/04/2016 18:08

When ds2 finally started sleeping through at 22mo (he is 24mo now) I can safely say my sense of humour and patience improved enormously. Is is so refreshing when people ask if he sleeps and I can answer yes! As for the sex life..... Still waiting for that to appeal again..... Confused

InsaneDame · 30/04/2016 18:09

P.s my anxiety and 'PND' practically disappeared over night too......

ppandj · 01/05/2016 03:32

I am the same op. I often wonder if it is PND or if it's a personality change, but on the very rare occasion that I get more sleep I am back to my old self. DS is 12 months and I am trying to completely stop bfing so fx that helps. You're not alone!

icklekid · 01/05/2016 05:46

Yes it's sleep deprivation not personality change. I did sleep training at 6 months with ds and honestly the difference was incredible. I hadn't realised how much it affected every aspect of my life to be so exhausted. Keep going it will get better

Eminado · 01/05/2016 06:22

It is the tiredness!

My DD finally slept when I stopped bfeeding her at 10/11 months and getting decent sleep has made me feel human again. But now I am pregnant again so.... Here we go again Sad.

pregnantgrump · 01/05/2016 06:25

In exactly the same situation except baby is 10 months and I'm back at work. Is reverse cycling so feeding every couple of hours.

Fraggled · 01/05/2016 06:43

My 'baby' is 2 and a half and has started waking every 2 hours in the night. She then gets up for the day between 5 and 6am. This has been going on for 3 weeks and I feel depressed, angry and impatient. I feel like she's destroying me quite honestly. I recognise all these feelings from the first 18 months when sleep was consistently awful.

Sleep deprivation definitely has a profound effect on me.

waitingforsomething · 01/05/2016 08:11

You will get back to normal. I was lucky that dd slept through early but ds took 8 months of being awake every 2 hours before he suddenly went through. I was a tyrant and a misery for the last 6 of those months

poocatcherchampion · 01/05/2016 08:18

I did some exercise yesterday morning for the first time since 6mo was born. I had no afternoon nap and and and was horny in the evening!!

Eminado · 01/05/2016 08:51

. I had no afternoon nap and and and was horny in the evening!!

Grin
KP86 · 01/05/2016 09:13

Yes! If I'm tired I am a foul person to be around. I know I'm irrational and cranky, but I can't help it.

I think it's because once you are a parent you never get to catch up on sleep. So it's a case of take what you can get and if the small amounts (or even reasonable nights) are taken away that makes me behave like a right madam.

Original poster
peardroplets · 01/05/2016 17:14

Thanks everyone. It really does give me hope as I'm totally fed up of myself, I'm sure everyone around me is too. I look forward to my shiny new personality when she sleeps through (if it ever happens!)

OP posts:
InsaneDame · 01/05/2016 17:42

Yes, I got to the point where I was sick of hearing myself snap at DH constantly and for no reason. She will sleep through St some point - I promise! Smile

poocatcherchampion · 01/05/2016 18:10

I know emin living the dream I tell you!!

isthatmytshirt · 01/05/2016 19:12

There's hope?!

Oh thank goodness. This thread has made my year.

HalfStar · 01/05/2016 20:23

Oh yes. The sun will come right out again once your baby is sleeping. It's a great feeling. Hang in there Cake

0hCrepe · 01/05/2016 20:30

Yes and dd's did too. We were both a lot lot happier once she slept through. id had enough of being a big human dummy all night and let her cry. It was horrible but didn't take long.

HaveYouMetTed · 01/05/2016 20:35

Currently sat beside 9mo dd on first night of sleep training. It's killing me already but I can't take the lack of sleep anymore. Sad

I know from ds that it does get better though. Can't remember exactly when he started sleeping better but by around a year I was definitely more human & enjoying life/sex more Flowers

tinymeteor · 01/05/2016 23:19

It's the sleep. Nine months is the pits, in my experience. Not only will you be a nicer person when she sleeps through at last, you'll be so bloody cheerful about getting 8 hours sleep that you'll be nicer than you ever were before.

Miffyandme · 11/05/2016 21:03

I'm bumping this oldish thread as I read it some days ago and kept meaning to go back. I had been considering if I have PND but I really think it is exhaustion. I actually said to someone last week that I felt that my personality has been sapped. I do hope it returns when DD2 starts sleeping better....

Original poster
peardroplets · 12/05/2016 08:24

Miffy I totally understand. I often wonder if I have mild PND as I also have insomnia even when she sleeps and I read it could be linked. Or it could just be my body not coping with the frequent wakings. I'm not sure about taking anti depressants though as am still bf but I read they can help with insomnia too. Ironically this week she has started sleeping loads better so I've decided to give it a few weeks to see if my sleep/mood improves before I see my GP.

OP posts:
Miffyandme · 12/05/2016 09:01

Pear, yes I agree. On the days I have managed to get a reasonable nap, or a little bit more sleep (I think sometimes it depends at what stage in a sleep cycle you are woken, sometimes I feel okay, sometimes I feel dreadful on wake ups) I do feel an improvement, so I'm just hanging on in there hoping the sleep will improve!

GlitterGlassEye · 12/05/2016 10:42

I totally understand this as dc3 is 21 months and is up every couple of hours still. My moodiness started during pregnancy right enough as I was running about after my older 2dc and studying full time. I now can't even sleep when she's at my mums for the night as I'm in the habit of being awake all the time.

I also find myself being resentful of having to attend social events as I can't be arsed trying to make myself look nice and nothing makes me look more awake Confused. Unfortunately I have 2 parties this weekend that I must go to as I've cancelled loads already due to feeling detached from reality.

Thank god she's cute I tell you! Grin

farfallarocks · 12/05/2016 22:32

Yss! I was a tired and anxious depressive until my ds started sleeping more than 2 hrs ina. Row. The lack of sex
Drive is breastfeeding related I hit my mojo back when I stopped

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