Sleep - how best to manage it?

[Jane]

I could sleep all day at the moment but have 3 children, animals and my husband to care for - my husband has stepped up to the plate this week and I can't complain at all as he's doing the cooking and taking a lot of the childcare out of my hands. But I am soooo tired all the time.  I slept this morning for 2 hours after a solid nights sleep then being awake for 3 hours with my youngest two. Hubby woke me up as I'd arranged to take middle daughter out with my friend and her girl.
I had to force myself to get dressed and go out - feeling tired the whole time I was out and on getting home I'm so tired my eyes are stinging like i've not slept all night.
I'm really worried if I sleep too much I'll be up in the night as I normally 'stress' around 3am when I'm feeling bad. I haven't been doing this recently though.

I don't want to be sat up at that time at the moment partly because I am scared of thinking too much and being alone - don't want to leave myself vulverable.

How do you manage your sleep when you have commitments ?

[Buttercup]

I have the opposite problem, sometimes I only sleep for 2 or 3 hours a night. My hubby is fantastic too and does a lot when I'm tired.
Thankfully GP gave me some sedatives which knock me out when I'm really bad.

[Jane]

I have had this problem in the past when I can't switch my brain off.. 'ping' awake at 2.30-3am for the rest of the night till the kids are up when i'm dead on my feet then. particularly when something is worrying me but this time I'm just tired.. so very tired.

I'm glad your hubby is supportive and that the sedatives help for you.

[Buttercup]

I'm bipolar so sometimes I can cope with little sleep and other time I just feel tired.

Hope you feel better soon. Have you spoke to your GP?

[Jane]

Yes saw him during the week and am on B6 supplement for a month - he's trying to avoid anti-D's for now as I am positive it's around a week before and during my cycle it flairs up. I've started an emotions diary and just started a journal here to be sure what I'm telling him is accurate. I'm hoping in honesty it is right as that would mean i'm not 'depressed' but suffering from PMS or PMDD. I know that likely sounds like a cop out but I don't know how my husband is going to take my being 'depressed' if I am diagnosed with it also i'm worried as I'm in Uni and not sure how it'll affect me with workload etc etc. I dunno just worrying me. So much going on and I've no motivation to get any homework done and that is worrying me too.. deadlines in 22 days and I've not started two assignments.. and exams in May.. I'm thinking if I am not any 'better' when I see my GP I may ask to do my exams privately - so not in a hall of 500 students to avoid the pressure that will bring. I'll still do the exams but won't ahve the added stress.

Sorry I'm rambling.

[Buttercup]

I remember those uni days well. Nightmare.
Don't worry about rambling, I find it helps me to just type whatever comes into my mind.

[CharleysAngel']

I had this problem for a little while, I slept day and night and was near passing out if I was awake too long. Now I'm completely opposite, I can't sleep but I am exhausted all the time. I don't sleep much at night or in the day, I just feel the need to lie down and 'try' to sleep most of the time. Most days I have usually had enough by lunchtime and get pretty desperate for some sleep or rest. I don't get this at school so I usually end up in tears.

In terms of management? Well you could try to stay as active in the afternoons as you can so you are really tired for the night, I know that this is MUCH easier said than done. I think the best idea would be to speak to your GP and see what they suggest. I hope you get it sorted out soon xx

[Jane]

Thanks both - i did manage not to sleep yesterday afternoon so that was good. Again tody I'm shattered come 11am. i will sleep today though as we're going to a restaurant for my daughters birthday party for 2 hours.. I am worried I'll feel fidgity but it's frankie and bennys' so i'll be able to get up and wander to the loo etc with my youngest etc.. so that should help. I was desperate to get out of the house yesterday morning.. hubby wanted to wait till after lunch but I just couldn't do it.

I am having nightmares at night each night too.. I dreamt I had snakes I was scared off in a fishtank - that wasn't mine but had turned up in my house... very strange.. I remember dropping a dead mouse the cat had caught into it... being petrified of the skinny snakes. Will def talk to dr if not any better when I see him.

[Sweetpea]

Hope you manage to have a nice time at Frankie and Bennies.  Good idea to mention your strange dreams to your dr when you next see them if only to put your mind at rest.

S x

[Jane]

Thanks Shaz, feel sometimes like I'm reading too much into it all but it's not 'normal' for me.

[Sweetpea]

I too get concerned about the dreams I have too, and I know others here do to.  Just think its our minds and the way we worry about things and they come out in dreams.

Take care

S x

[Jane]

yeah that makes sense. thanks

[Sweetpea]

Hope it doesn't seem so scarey for you now.  You are not alone.

S x

[CharleysAngel']

I have nightmares and weird dreams too, I also went through a phase of really bad sleepwalking, like every night. I still do it occaisionally but not as much now. I think its common when we feel like this to have bad dreams and sleep disturbances.

[Jane]

Thanks Shaz :) it's worrying me as in the past i've woken up panicking and crying / panting out of breath in the past with nightmares so am scared a bit I'm heading back there.
Icelolly must be scary waking up somewhere you've walked.