This is not an original complaint but I'm really worried that I'm becoming quite ill. My 21 month old DD is lovely. She is bright and happy and sweet, but her sleep has always been difficult and at 21 months she still shows no signs of sleeping through the night.
The best we've ever had is one seven hour stretch once.
I co-sleep to try and get us both some more rest and I does help, but she grabs and kicks throughout the night most nights and it is just dawning on me that I haven't slept properly for more than a handful of nights in almost two years. Her dad is a chocolate teapot when it comes to nights and always has been. He's great during the day but he just can't seem to cope with even one or two disturbed nights and my DD is a bit of a mummy's girl too which doesn't help!
It's just starting to take its toll on me now. I look far older than 35. I feel older. My memory is appalling. I struggle to keep up at work and I can't concentrate in meetings. I cry quite often and over not very much. I could be a bit depressed but I think more than anything I just need to sleep properly.
How do people cope?
How do you keep up with a household and a workload and be present and patient and kind and remember birthdays and personal details of friends and loved ones when you just aren't sleeping?
I worry that I'm shortening my life and not being the best I can be for myself or my DD or anybody really, but I don't know how to change it. We've tried so many things but increasingly I don't have the energy or mental resource to try yet another toddler sleep programme when she just really wants her mum and at least we get a little sleep if she is allowed to cuddle up to me.
It all feels so very hard and sad.