Surviving the sleep-deprived months
General, been-there tips for getting through the worst of the broken nights.
Tadpole Wellbeing TeamVerified expert
general information, not medical advice. if something's worrying you, speak to your GP or a qualified professional.
Sleep deprivation makes everything harder — patience, mood, even driving. Where you can, tag-team the nights so each of you gets one longer stretch, nap when the baby naps instead of doing jobs, and lower the bar on everything non-essential for a while.
It does pass. If exhaustion ever tips into feeling unsafe — like nodding off at the wheel — treat that as a reason to ask for help, not to push through.
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- Emergencycall 999If you or someone else is in immediate danger.
- Samaritanscall 116 123Free, 24/7, for anyone in distress.
- CALMcall 0800 58 58 58Campaign Against Living Miserably — for men. 5pm–midnight daily.
- Shouttext SHOUT to 85258Free, confidential, 24/7 text support — text SHOUT to 85258.
- NHS 111call 111Urgent (non-emergency) mental health help — call and select the mental health option.