Sleep waking

[MichelleO]

Does anyone know if you have psychosis can you hurt your baby if you sleep walk because of psychosis ? I only say this cause I've been sitting up in bed thinking I have a glass of water or food and my husband said I sat up and did the motion of signing something. This is one my biggest fears I will hurt my son in my sleep when I'm unaware. So do you think psychosis is related to this ?

[BrokenChloe]

Im not cosleeping in any way because i have night terrors, n the nights im not screaming im still kicking and punching. My kicks or punches have been so targeted at my husband that i have gotten to the point where i believe it isnt me when im asleep. I would assume other parasomnias could be similar (such as sleep walking), where you could have the 'purpose' of sleep walking somewhere and do something, when in reality u have accidentally harmed someone else, but i would doubt ud specifically harm ur son, or even ur husband unless ud shown signs of doing it before (eating food/sitting up in bed seems relatively benign in the spectrum from 'harmless' to 'harmful'). Is the sleep walking cuz of pp or the meds taken for pp? Cuz if its just a side effect, id request changing medications. If its part of pp, id tell ur dr u have distressing sleep walking episodes (he may be able to give u something to minimise it as most parasomnias are a result of increased adrenalin inhibiting the paralytic effect of deep and rem sleep).

[Hannah_at_APP Administrator]

Hi MichelleO

Welcome to the forum, I hope you have been finding the shared experiences here helpful and reassuring. I've been reading your other thread too and can see that the sleep walking/actions you describe are worrying you. I am not a medical professional so can't be sure of what you describe, but it sounds as if this might be symptoms after the initial pp are similar to anxieties, and this is completely natural after pp, which can be a very traumatic experience for everyone concerned, not least yourself.

When I had PP in 2009, I was completely out of it for a good few weeks and have very little memory of it. When I came round, I was sure that something terrible must have happened (but had no idea what) and had huge anxieties about everything, especially connected to my baby, for some time. I can only describe it as completely debilitating and it's great that you are able to come on here and express your thoughts, as I don't think I would have known where to start.

I know that you are in the US and your little one is 5 months old from your other post - I was wondering, do you have any professionals who come to the house and can perhaps provide you with reassurance? When I had the worst of my symptoms, I was in hospital and then a Mother & Baby Unit for about 3 months in total so this was helpful to me (although it didn't feel it at the time!)

Your husband sounds to be providing good support to you and I hope that you are feeling some reassurance from him being there. Sleep is a time when we do odd things sometimes, even when not recovering from psychosis, so this would be something that the sleep specialist can give you more information and guidance on. I also know of people that sleep walk and talk and it is completely unconnected to anything else though, so try not to worry. I think that we try and connect everything back to the pp sometimes, at least I know I did, and it can be hard to tell what is part of recovery and what is just normal.

If you haven't come across them already, the APP Guides might be helpful, there is one about Recovery which gives good information on this, together with a partner's guide your husband might also find useful. Here is the link: app-network.org/what-is-pp/...

I hope that you are able to get some rest and please feel free to keep asking questions, we are here to listen. Thinking of you, take care, xx

[MichelleO in reply to Hannah_at_APP]

I forgot to mention I don't sleep walk I'm afraid of sleep walking but I do have a referral pending to see a slee doctor to see if I have a sleep disorder but now my paranoia and anxiety is up in the sky because I was doing much better now boom another bomb it's bad enough they might change my medicine which is traumatic and if I find I have a sleeping issue as well I'm gonna be terrified of the world I also have been having my husband sleep on my legs because I am so afraid I will wake up and find I did something really bad because I was hallucinating or had an episode it's mostly just paranoia like what if because it's not on a slap on the wrist if something happens to my son I want him safe

[Lilybeth Volunteer]

Hello MichelleO

I know it's hard for you at the moment. Is there any way you can ask for your counselling and psychiatrist appointments to be fast tracked so you don't have to wait so long? All the worry of what might happen with your medication is a big concern for you. I just wonder if you can be seen asap you might be able to feel reassured by the psychiatrist? I'm not sure about care in the US but here in the UK we can refer to a Crisis Team, so I don't know if you have something similar .......

I hope when your mum visits you will find a way to relax and sleep. Is it possible that your mum can sleep in a bedroom with the baby in the cot beside her so that you will be able to sleep peacefully in your room? Perhaps you could try relaxation, or just take a few deep breaths and exhale slowly?

Take very good care .... we are here to talk if you need us.

[MichelleO in reply to Lilybeth]

Thanks for the reply I did see my counselor today for consultation so mostly just history and medical conditions he did say some of the things were psychosis symptoms which makes me feel like you know what he sent all the notes to my psychiatrist who I meet for the first time on the 9th which I'm so scare they will make my medicine worse it's a big fear I'll get worse. And sleeping in a different room doesn't do anything for me cause I fee like all I have to do is walk out of my room to them. It's so terrible I just want it to be over. And the counselor is going out of town go figure so that won't happen till the 22nd but he is going to try and get me sooner which I need to do and I also have my sleep specialist appointment this week and nervous about that everything is a mess!!

[Lilybeth Volunteer]

Hello MichelleO

Good to hear from you. Try to calm your fears ..... your sleep specialist appointment this week might be helpful in giving you advice on how to cope and also it's not long now until the 9th when you will see your Psychiatrist.

I hope the company of your mum will be ressuring. All these appointments can be exhausting .... not easy but try not to be nervous. Perhaps writing questions down which you need to ask will make you feel more confident?

Thinking of you ..... we are all here to talk things over.

[MichelleO in reply to Lilybeth]

So they squeezed me into a sleep consultation and they ordered a sleep study this Sunday but the doctor sounds like it's related to psychosis now more fears I feel like I'm such a dangerous monster

[Hannah_at_APP Administrator]

Hi MichelleO

It's good to hear that you have a sleep study on Sunday. Please try not to worry too much, you are not a monster, or dangerous, pp is an illness and none of this is your fault. I hope that you can get some answers from the study (and good support afterwards) and hopefully a little rest too in the coming days. Take care, we are all thinking of you and wishing you the very best, xx