Bipolar owner and puppy

[Alaaya]

Please please please be gentle with me. I'm so angry and upset at myself for having created this situation and I just want what is best for the puppy.

DH and I got an OES on Wednesday. He is lovely. Sweet, eagar to please, adorable. But very full on, very needy, and needs company through the night with regular trips out to pee etc.

DH has come down with a really bad chest infection (might be pneumonia) so can't sit up with pup. He just can't. I have been doing this but it's beginning to get to me. I have bipolar disorder and I'm meant to get a minimum of 6 hours sleep per night. I know I should have thought of this before getting the puppy but I've not had an episode in a really long time and originally DH and I were going to be sharing the load with this.

Now we can't and I have not had more than two hours sleep solidly in days. I can't eat, everything tastes funny, and I'm beginning to get a weird buzzing at the edges of my brain. Dreams are very vivid and I am a bit disoriented at times when I wake up as it seems real.

Please please don't shout at me. I love my pup. I want what is best for him. I know I should have thought of this. Didn't know DH would get pneumonia. Didn't think the lack of sleep would be this bad.

What can I do? Does the sleeping get better? Can I make it get better? Pup can't sleep in our bedroom as fur and chemicals if we have to clean up accidents is too rough on lungs. I think I could cope with sleeping on sofa if it was for longer patches of sleep.

I am so sorry I've made such a mess of this.

[Cath2907]

I had this with new puppy - my sleeping is easily disturbed by worrying that it will be disturbed! I was up all night for the first week we had the puppy - waking him, dragging him out, etc.. I eventually got the hang. Sleep next to crate on sofa, pop fingers in and make soothing noises if pup cries a little, if he barks open crate and carry him quick to the garden. Return to crate after. He only needed a pee in the night for about 3 weeks.