Will I ever sleep again?

[nicodemus]

Proud parent of a 15 day old son, but man, I'm turning into a zombie. I'm so incredibly sleep deprived. I just started laughing out loud the other night I was so tired and couldn't stop for about 5 minutes. Totally laughing at nothing. I'm probably averaging about 3-4 hours a night (if that.)

When does it get better?

 

[~Mrs. A2J~]

The way we coped with the lack of sleep was cosleeping. When our daughter started to whimper I would just latch her on and I would doze while she nursed and she would nurse herself back to sleep. My hubby's sleep wasn't disturbed much at all and we were all better off with the more sleep that cosleeping produced .

 

[CarrieAg93]

The first 2 mos. are the worst. I remember thinking "What did I get myself into?" Hang in there, you'll make it.

 

[I'ddie4him]

Proud parent of a 15 day old son, but man, I'm turning into a zombie. I'm so incredibly sleep deprived. I just started laughing out loud the other night I was so tired and couldn't stop for about 5 minutes. Totally laughing at nothing. I'm probably averaging about 3-4 hours a night (if that.)

When does it get better?

To provide a bit of humor here, Probably about the time they turn 18 and move out on their own.

Seriously tho, Reading thru the replies, I saw one that caught my eye. Cosleeping.......We took turns sleeping, Basicly shifts. After I got home from work in the evening, She would go take a nap and try to revive a bit. I took care of matt while she napped. My wife and I shared the late nite feedings of our son after he was born. She took the 1st one, I took the next one. Most nites she would be able to put him back in his bassinette and he would sleep til the next time.
I could usually be found out on the couch with the little guy in the crook of my arm snoring away. He is now a real Daddy's boy and has to be with me almost every waking moment. He drives me to the point of insanity somedays, But, I wouldn't change a thing. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
It will get better as he gets older, Matt started sleeping thru the nite at about 3 months old. Children differ in this respect. He should start sleeping thru the nite soon. Hang in there.

 

[E-beth]

I was also a zombie for at least the first couple of months. My son had days and nights mixed up, so the only sleep I got was after the morning news and before the noon news. I used to pass out holding him and would dream Jerry Springer cause I had left the TV on.

It will get better. Once everyone gets into a routine then your body adjusts to your sleep patterns. Then you learn to have power sleep and also to sleep more restfully. When the baby is new, you don't sleep deeply because your senses are tuned in to every whimper that comes from the monitor that you have pressed against your ear. You will learn to relax a little and only will wake up when the baby cries for something specific.

God bless ya. It does get better. Although my son is almost three and I still need a nap.

 

[erin74]

It will improve - but Blue is right - you do need to make sure you sleep. There is nothing else that needs to be done when your baby is asleep that is more important than you sleeping. So what if you have relatives coming around and the place is a mess - perfect people to clean it for you while you sleep. You are not there to entertain people at the moment. The only welcome visitor is a helpful visitor. Harsh, but necessary.

On a slightly lighter note, I think the lack of sleep is what makes it more likely for people to have more kids - cause frankly the first few months are a blur and mostly forgotten cause you don't get enough sleep. So cause you don't remember how hard it was then you go ahead and have more!!!

 

[lucypevensie]

You've already gotten some good advice so I have little else to add. The first 6-8 weeks are just plain hard. Thankfully it's only 6-8 weeks of your life, but when you're going through it it seems like an eternity. At the other side of the transition period you will probably look back at it and wonder where the time went.

 

[jesusfreak34988]

i get only maybe 2 more hours than you it will get better Turst in the LORD he will let you get sleep

 

[ShannonMcCatholic]

co-sleep-- hands down! My youngest (of four) is 5 months old and wakes a few times a night, but it is not that big of a deal- because I can just fall right back to sleep.

And NAPS!!! When your baby sleeps-- sleep!!!

At two weeks old -- there is a temptation to go out, shop, visit with friends-- but your baby is NOT ready for this. It is vitally important to respect the "lying in" period. It gives your baby time to figure out this new world...and for you to figure out your baby.

I go almost no where (Church and the doctor) for as long as possible- about 6 weeks usually--and it makes a huge difference. Even when my baby was born, despite having three other young children-- I was able nearly everyday to nap or at least lay down with the baby for a nap. It made such a huge difference!

 

[Jengi]

Our little girl is 5 weeks old. We had a rough start too. She would sleep an hour and then wake up for like 4 hours and just cry. I have never been so exausted in my life. I tried to sleep when she slept but found that I just could not settle down while there were things to be done. Besides the fact that I had to use that time to do things like eat, shower and use the bathroom. For the first few weeks, if she was awake, she had to be held!

We moved Ellie to her own room at 3 weeks and it has made a huge difference. It was so much easier to start a bedtime routine with her in her own room. When she was sleeping in the cradle in our room I tended to let her follow our schedule. I think also I listened to every little noise she made and responded to them so she expected it. We also switched to formula about the same time and I think that also made a difference. I think when she was breastfed, she didn't always get a full tummy before we put her down. She tends to be a "snacker".

Since we moved her to her room she has her own bedtime ritual. She has a bath and then we change her and feed her. We try to give her 1oz more than she takes during the day. Sometimes she takes it and sometimes she won't. Then we put her down. I try to put her down about 11. (She does nap with us before then) She sleeps untill about 2 or 3 and I get up with her. Then she sleeps until 5 or 6 and my husband gets up with her since he is getting up soon for work. He usually puts her in the bed with me after he feeds her and we get another hour or 2 of sleep. On the weekends we switch shince he doesn't have to get up for work, he gets the middle of the night feedings and I feel like I have gotten a full night's sleep! When we started that last weekend I felt like a new person the next morning!

I keep hearing how everything gets better at 6 weeks so I have my fingers crossed!

 

[EmSchmem]

Co-sleep if that is what you and your wife choose but not only so that you can get more sleep. There is more to it than just convenience. I don't think that the sleep deprivation has killed anyone yet. It just felt like it. I was taking care of my nephew with my mom (his parents were "too overwhlemed"... with what I don't know since they literally did nothing for the first year of his life) and going through the same thing. We took turns so every other night I got sleep but thats not a great arrangement at 16 when you have to drag butt to school the next morning. It killed neither me nor my mother, though we nearly killed each other a couple times. I remember not being able to imagine loving another kid enough to do that for them and it wasn't even my kid.
I'll be praying for you and your wife.

 

[Hisrosebud]

no. I have given up on sleep, showers by myself, watching an entire tv episode, or being able to read an entire novel with out forgetting what I was just reading....hehehe.

seriously, sleep when the baby sleeps, the house work will get caught up later. If people ask how they can help--point them to your dishes, stove and washing machine. (they only offer a lot for your first!)

congratulations again!

jane
mother of jason (17) caleb (5) and Hannah (2)

 

[AdJesumPerMariam]

Proud parent of a 15 day old son, but man, I'm turning into a zombie. I'm so incredibly sleep deprived. I just started laughing out loud the other night I was so tired and couldn't stop for about 5 minutes. Totally laughing at nothing. I'm probably averaging about 3-4 hours a night (if that.)

When does it get better?

Short answer, no you'll never really sleep again. It gets worse as they get older. Mine are completely grown, and I still worry!

 

[Leanna]

It was really hard the first 6 weeks. If you are consistant in teaching him to sleep at night and REFUSE to play with him at night the baby will learn that nights are for sleeping and days are for being awake. After those first 6 weeks of constant feeding and crying it got a lot better and we got sleep at night. By 10 weeks it was back to "normal" sleeping schedule. Be consistant and realize it is only temporary.

 

[Leanna]

My son also cried a lot at first. Several hours a day. It was really nerve racking and energy draining. That also gets better. This is the hard part. Every month it gets better and it is definitely worth the lack of sleep at first.