I Need Sleep! Please advise

My son is only 12 days old but i have a three year old as well. Even when given the opportunity to sleep during the day I can't fall asleep. My body jerks awake every 10-15 minutes. At night my newborn screams for hours and even if my husband is tending to him I can't fall asleep through the screams. Plus it isn't fair for my husband to have to deal with it by himself. So we are both working on less than 3 hours of sleep per night. I don't know what to do. It is so hard to function and be a good parent for my three year old. He needs our attention but when I am barely conscious it is hard to tend to him.

Re: I Need Sleep! Please advise

Have your hubby do a "late" feed early in the night (like 8pm-12am... right after one feed and through the next) & all associated with it so you are guaranteed 4 solid hours. You will get more sleep on top of this... But it will be icing on cake.
Pump or FF for that feed.
Then, sadly, you suck it up & let him sleep.
As for YOU falling asleep... You will eventually (or put on a noise machine for yourself).

I Need Sleep! Please advise

I read in your other post that baby is good during the day. I would call in some help, a parent, sibling, godparent, friend etc..Have them come play with your 3 year old and then you and hubby swich off during the day napping for a few hours while the other tends to the baby. Even if you guys can get 2 or 3 solid hours during the day it will help.

Re: I Need Sleep! Please advise

I was the same way with my babies, especially my 1st who was extremely fussy/colicky. If you can't sleep even when you have an "opportunity" to do so, you might want to speak to your OB or Primary Care Dr. You could have some PP Anxiety. Xanax and Lexapro helped me so much! I was able to relax, sleep and be myself again. I never had PPD, just couldn't sleep/anxiety with both DD and DS. It really helped me function. I toughed it out with DD (my 1st baby), but got help for DS (2nd baby). It made a world of difference!

Re: I Need Sleep! Please advise

Re: I Need Sleep! Please advise

I know not everyone believes in this but I would try to get the newborn on a schedule as best as possible for during the day. I did this with my two and they were both sleeping from 11-7 starting at around 8 weeks.

my doctor told me during the day to wake them up every 2- 3 hours to feed them (I choose every 3 hours that was their schedule when they were in NICU) and try to keep them awake has best as you can during the feeding and at night to let them sleep as long as possible. I did this and feed them their last bottle usually around 10:30-11pm. they still got up but after a little bit they started getting up less.

also if you can try to have some one come during the day so you can have some help. not sure If sending your older DC to daycare for part time is an option but if it is that may help too. when I was on maternity leave I sent my older DC to daycare 3 times a week.

Re: I Need Sleep! Please advise

i had the same issue when my second was born...i was tending to a 15 month old and dealing with a colicky newborn...no fun at all!

In terms of daytime naps...
I had issues napping too...my body just cant "shut down" at the drop of a dime so many days the kids were napping and i was staring at the ceiling. This has been a problem my entire life, not just child related and ive been told there is nothing that can be done (aside from taking meds but they require you get 7 hours consecutive sleep which we all know with a newborn is not possible).
I would ask for help from someone...a family member or even hire a babysitter to come in two or three times a week for 3 hours to watch your kids so you can nap. you may not get to nap for the entire 3 hours...but you should get a good hour or two in.

As far as night time...split it up between you and DH. If you find it easier to sleep earlier in the night, lets say 10pm-2am He deals with the newborn and from 2am-6am you deal with him. Its hard...my husband would sleep through all the crying so i literally had to wake him to go feed/change our newborns...so i never got the uninterrupted sleep, but it was easier for me to get back to sleep if i was laying in bed without getting up.

newborns are hard. no sleep is harder. it will get easier. dont feel bad asking for help

Re: I Need Sleep! Please advise

this was like me for my 1st and it was awful. it last over 14 months.... so the lack of sleep for 14 months has pretty much destroyed me. ill never get it back and i still have sleep issues now. do whatever you can to get some sleep. take turns and wear earplugs. i dont know... i didnt figure it out but .... i just dont want you to be like me! the lack of sleep has taken years off my life, i swear.