Losing it over lost sleep

I'm at my wit's end. Check that, I'm long past that stage. I'm at the not coping stage and on the worst days swearing my head off, some times at my kid which I hate myself for, and fight off thoughts of self-harm. How can a not-quite-18 month old need less than 9 hours of broken sleep overnight and 2 hours at nap time? I need 9 hours of solid sleep to feel rested, I'd take 6; I've had a 6 hour stretch maybe 10 times since T was born and I feel utterly broken and unhinged. A psychologist I've spoken to recently tells me everyone's sleep requirements vary, which of course I accept, but can night after night of multiple wakings that frequently last more than a couple of minutes over 9-10 hours be healthy for one so young?

Oh I hear you. About to post my own vent of a similar theme... if my little guy will stay asleep for long enough to let me type. Sleep deprivation is awful and I totally get that it makes you feel 'broken'. Another one losing my mind over here. Huuuuge hugs Hun. I wish I had a solution for you. My only suggestion is to ensure (as much as you can, and I know how hard this is... see my post if I ever get it done) that he's getting enough sleep through the day and going to bed early, as it seems here that lack of nap-sleep and over-tiredness makes the night sleeps worse.

Sending you vibes for a deep, long sleep tonight. xoxo

I agree with Santosha. Sleep promotes sleep, apparently. If DS has crappy day sleeps, the night is a shambles. I spent the first 6 months.of his.life feeling broken and tired and struggled to cope. It seems our sleep issues are back, I think teething and learning to crawl has disrupted the half decent nights we were having.

What helped me was to forget about everything except essentials. Sleeping, eating., paying bills. I would nap religiously when DS did. On those terrible swearing my head off days, I would go out. Anywhere. Usually to wander a mall aimlessly. A wise woman once said it's much harder to be a homicidal maniac in public. She was right. Another thing I found useful was to be very gentle with myself. Avoiding stressful situations as much as possible, and reminding myself that I was a good mother.

These suggestions come from the.obvious basket, but I'll put it out there anyway. I substituted sleep for food. Food gave me the energy to.carry on through the.sleep.deprivation. Enlist help. Even if it's only 2hrs a month, get someone to take over for a bit so you can recharge even a little. Do you think a sleep school might help?

I know the pain of sleepless nights. It really affects our ability to cope, and to function. Give yoirself an RDO asap, and go.from there. Sadly I never found the magic solution, but things did improve by themselves. And if all else fails, remember- this too shall pass.