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I don't know but I thankfully can function with very minimal sleep. My hardest part is getting through the 2-3pm part of the day. Usually I am dragging by then. I need to get up, go get some fresh air, ice cold water, coffee. Something to change up what I'm doing to wake up.

It's very difficult. I work 15-20 some from home, but some days are out of home meetings in a suit. R doesn't STTN. Ever. My 3 year old doesn't nap. Ever. So I drink a lot of coffee and am a big bitch to my husband.

@winniebee: I feel you on this!

Power naps save lives. I shoot for a mental reset every 4 hours (nap, snack break, shower, etc), try to drink a lot of water, and if my brain isn't working, I accept it and figure out a way to rest.

My son literally did not sleep the first 4 months of his life and I had a breakdown somewhere around 10 weeks and since then our household has totally revolved around MY sleep basically. I work 3 days a week and stay at home 4.

In the morning, DH gets DS so I can get that extra 10 minutes of snooze. I get a cup of coffee and make sure to eat breakfast and start the day. Countdown to lunch time/nap!

Sure there are days I don't get a nap but I basically shoot for a 30 minute power nap in the afternoon and it saves me. Mental clarity, energy boost, everything.

We started doing independent playtime where DS is in a childproofed space or a PNP, turn on some music and hand him a snack and I step away for about 30 minutes. If I'm exhausted, I will literally take a power nap in the next room (within earshot but out of sight). I got one of those sleep masks with the beads inside and it's like instant darkness and relaxation. If he naps in the afternoon,I also drop everything and get in a power nap. I've also been known to keep a pillow and blanket under my desk at work and if I need to wolf down lunch while I'm working to snooze during my actual lunch break so be it.

When I wake up, I pound a glass of water, throw a cold splash of water to the face, and if needed, a glass of cold Diet Coke.

In the evening, DH takes over after dinner and gives DS his bath and plays/reads books with DS while I have a sweet and a tiny nip more diet coke or water on the recliner (like right now) so I can do a burst of dishes and cleaning up the kitchen. We say goodnight to DS and then I do whatever else is left that HAS to be done. If my brain isn't working, I take a hot shower as another reset and then try again. Then I try to get to bed ASAP.

@mrs.kiwi: I never valued sleep properly until I got a colicky reflux baby. He's a decent sleeper now, but I got PPA/PPD SO BADLY from the sleep deprivation if his infant days and I have like PTSD about it. When he goes down for a nap and its like stop drop and roll. I have this ingrained fear that I will never sleep again if I don't sleep RIGHT NOW. Every time I put him down for a nap I have to ask myself "Am I tired? Do I need a rest? Is there something super pressing that cannot wait 30 minutes? Can I go until 630pm or 10pm without a break?" I would say over 50% of the time, nap or at least a quiet zone out break on the couch or recliner wins out.

Coffee.
I went back to work at 7 weeks postpartum and LO didn't STTN for a loooong time. I agree with PP suggestion to exercise, water & sunlight. When I exercise regularly I do sleep better, even if I feel too exhausted to do it.
I still try to go to bed early if it's been a tough week.

Caffeine.

I started a new job after my 12 week maternity leave. I remember telling my new boss (who fortunately I had known professionally for a long time) to expect a surge in my productivity in about a year! I was just stupid until she started to sleep (around 8 months old).

I found that for me, naps were worse than powering through. Napping has always left me feeling nauseous and groggy for hours afterward, and that didn't change post - baby.

@winniebee: YES to being a bitch to the husband. I get more sleep than you, and I still do this. I use up all my sanity and patience at work and with the kids and so Hubs (and any object that annoys me) gets the brunt of what's left, which isn't pretty!

Coffee helps me too. And chatting with friends. I don't think I could work effectively from home - I need to see other people to help wake me up!

@regberadaisy: Same here. I find the afternoon hour to be the biggest struggle.

Caffeine during lunch and getting up to walk around a bit helps, but I second doing menial tasks to get by like responding to emails, lining things up that need to be done, doing work that doesn't require too much brain function then working up to more productive stuff once you're in the mind set.

Just.. tough it out.. And I won't be that productive at work, haha. I actually don't really rely on caffeine either since I've been nursing/pumping this whole time.

@winniebee: hahaha, I'm always afraid I'm giving K another reason to not sleep! Honestly most days I feel like coffee doesn't even really help!

Cold brew coffee. I just pour it out the night before, stumble to the fridge, and chug. It kicks in pretty quick. Bed early.

exercise, cold water, coffee, soda, and talking with DH. We've found that we can't tell when the other is tired and we try to take turns with the rough patches.

and laughing - you do silly things when you're tired. I put my keys in the fridge at one point.

Go to bed early, nap when the kids nap, and coffee. I didn't start drinking it until a couple months ago. It helps a lot but i think i am addicted now.

Caffeine period.

And some days I just suck at my job... but I try to make up for it on other days.

I'm just used to it by now. I work overnight shift part time but my 2 year old isn't in daycare so there are some days I'm up for over 24 hours and can only nap when he does. When he stops napping eventually, it will be even worse. I remember when my husband was saying how he's never been so tired before when my son was a newborn, and I'm like yeah, this is nothing lol. Eventually you just get used to the lack of sleep.

Oh and of course Starbucks helps.

@gingerbebe: THIS!!

I have mild case of narcolepsy that is controlled with prescription stimulants, similar to ADD medication. Of course, those were off limits when pregnant and nursing. My kids didn't STTN until they were 13-14 months old. The only way I survived was power naps. All I needed was 10-15 min whenever I could get it (along with coffee, LOTS of coffee), and it made things much easier to handle.

Now, I agree (<3) with @winniebee: , there was a lot of bitching to my husband as well. Since he stayed up later than I did, we worked out a plan where he would get up with either kid if they woke up before 1am, and I would get them anytime between 1 and 5am (when I needed to get up for the day).

When I was sleep deprived the first year of DS' life.... Not because he didn't sleep but because I had insomnia since pregnancy. It was freaking horrible hearing everyone sleep around me at 3am while I was wide awake knowing that DS would wake up early whether I slept or not. Every freaking morning after 4 hours of sleep I'd throw on workout clothes and brough DS to a baby boot camp class and worked out like a mad man. That surprisingly gave me energy to last until 3am that night since naps also alluded my insomnia ass.