How do you get through the sleepless nights?

[Bettymissy]

My baby is 5m nearly 6m, he’s waking up 6/7 times, I am so exhausted. I don’t get out much because I’m so tired and worry about driving tired, I’m starting to get a bit depressed, and because I’m tired my patience is soo slim. I love my baby so much, I’ve never loved someone this much, but I think I need to start giving myself some love as I look and feel like a mess. I’m just so tired. How do you stay patient during these awful night shifts? How do you get through the day the next day? Tia.

Do you have anyone who can give you two hours whilst you nap? Family/friends or paid?

6m is a brutal peak because the love hormone honeymoon post birth fuels you for the first 4 months and then by 6m you are very very tired.

Do you have a gentle rhythm/routine already? Any medical stuff to sort? Started weaning? Does baby nap well in the day?

Sending so much love. I was finding it very hard around now too and then things turned a corner thankfully. I was too tired to see the light at the end of the tunnel at the time. I had a call with a sleep consultant which was the pep talk I needed to get me through. X

My first baby was a terrible sleeper - we started giving one bottle at night and my DH did this and I would go to bed as soon as I had done the last breastfeed - say 8.30 or 9pm - he would do the next wake up ( between 11-12) and then go to bed and get 6/7 hours straight through and be fine for work and I would get 9-3 ish and maybe 1 more hour later in the night - it saved my sanity and made me feel human

Feel for you, it’s rough! When my little boy was waking every 45 minutes 🥲 I used to go to bed the same time as him which meant I had no evening but slightly more sleep. I also really lowered my expectations of what I would do in a day and rested as much as possible. Napped when he did as much as I could (he contact napped a lot so not always possible) and drank plenty of water.
it’s so hard though, I remember feeling like worrying about sleep had taken over my life 🫠
oh I also co slept which I know isn’t for everyone but made it slightly more bearable for me