How tired are you if you have young dc?

[pastaparadise]

Dc are just 5 and 3. I am always exhausted. Trying to work out whether it's due to
a) my age - 43 - and this is normal for an older mum
b) Possible peri menopause
c) having young dc. Dc2 has always been a crap sleeper. He did finally start sleeping through in the summer, but now back to waking x2 per night. We bedshare to make this easier, but my sleep is still very broken.

I get about 7 hours broken sleep per night, but some nights i fall asleep putting dc to bed so get as much as them, and am still knackered. Is this normal??

Exhausted here all the time. Sometimes go through phases of being slightly less exhausted but still perpetually tired. Only a handful of unbroken nights in 8 years

Me, too! I’m always so tired. I could just close my eyes and sleep at any time of the day. I used to think there was something wrong with me but I think I’m just too busy.

Two under two here. I'm so exhausted I'm actually going for a blood test tomorrow to check I'm ok! I feel like an old lady. Everything aches. My joints hurt and I'm in bed by 9 each night (and then up three times for night feeds). I'm fed up

I vote c). When my children were that age I was permanently exhausted. They're 11 and 9 now and, even though I'm older, I feel less tired, fitter and healthier overall.

I’m just tired. All the time. It’s been about 6 years now since I had a full nights sleep.

DS5, lone parent. 42. Im EXHAUSTED daily. I do get enough sleep. I think it's my age.

Sorry to hear everyone else is exhausted but relieved! maybe a handful of unbroken nights in 5 years has definately taken it's toll. DH keeps telling me to exercise more and that will help, but by time chores ate finished or abandoned in the evening I can barely peel myself off the sofa

As fuck. Too tired to even reply properly.

3 and 1-year olds here and exhausted a lot of the time. I've always been a 'tired' person but having young children takes it from tired to exhausted.

It is definitely mostly down to the amount/quality of sleep I feel. 3-year-old was always an awful sleeper but since she dropped her nap has whisper been sleeping through 12/13 hours pretty reliably most nights. 18-month-old has generally been a better sleeper but has the usual ups and downs.. probably sleeps through 60% of the time.

When I've had a good run of them both sleeping through, I do feel better.. What you have to remember is that even if you do get the odd good night, there's still X amount of nights of chronic sleep deprivation that has built up.. Even now getting a good chunk of good nights, I still feel my sleep debt is massively in the negative! And I think seven hours of broken sleep is enough to make you feel rubbish.. particularly if you're bedsharing so even when you're not being woken, you're probably being disturbed.

Oh the other thing I've noticed is that water does seem to make a big difference. I think when you have young children it's easy to forget to drink.. It's only since I've been back to work when I've actually got the time to make the effort (I have a big bottle of water on my desk that I constantly drink from) and I really notice the difference the next day. If I haven't drunk much I feel much more sluggish the next day whereas I feel a lot more alert when I've drunk lots.

My DTs are 20 months, and I’m permanently shattered. I feel like I’ve just reached a level of exhaustion and my brain is tricking me in to believing I’m not tired so I keep on going.

Ironically, I struggle to fall asleep, partially because there’s just not enough hours in the day and my brain is constantly busy and won’t shut up, and a little bit is because I just love the peace and quiet of everyone being asleep.

I have one DS, almost 18 months, and I’m constantly tired in a way that I never would have imagined before having him. Even when we have a few unbroken nights sleep in a row (which, touch wood, we do get now from time to time), there’s still this underlying level of tiredness that never seems to go away. I think it’s the cumulative effect of months of disrupted sleep, coupled with being constantly on the go when awake. The mental effort required to do my job is also a contributing factor. Huge sympathy and solidarity with all those struggling with sleep deprivation. It’s brutal.

I'm knackered and my DC sleep all night. They're 6 and 4. I put it down to age (39), I'm perimenopausal. I've also had problems with low iron. My diet is pretty shit at the moment and I don't do any exercise. I work full time and right now we're in the midst of moving home which doesn't help.

45 with one DD4. Constantly exhausted. I reckon my brain is about half as clever/competent as it was previously, too. I’m about to try to get back into work, and frankly pity my future employer, as they’ll get about half the value out of me that my last employer (pre-DD) did.

I’m 33 with a 4 and 3 year old. I’m exhausted and can’t remember the last time I felt well rested. My younger child is an awful sleeper and my older one is an early riser. I quite often fall asleep putting them to bed.

I often google "will I die from tiredness" and then feel a bit disappointed that the answer is "no", as I'd love the peace and quiet of just not BEING anymore. So yeah, pretty tired! 4 under 5 here.

Three children. Two have never slept through. I vary from exhausted to feeling so tired I feel sick. It’s not fun and I do feel it is ruining this stage of their childhood.

When dc were younger, I’d fall fast asleep as soon as they went to bed and I settled down to watch some tv. So around 8.30pm.
Dc are older now and I’m not as tired even though I’m older than you.
Get a blood test done.
I was low in iron and vit d and take supplements.

Only 1 toddler but work full time and yes I’m shattered! Literally always something to fucking do or be done!

I'm 27 with a 5 and 2 year old. I'm so fucking tired. I struggle to wake up in the mornings, could nap at any point in the day and falling asleep on the sofa come 9pm.
5pm is usually when I start to get really crabby!!
2 year old has never been a good sleeper, also since having him I'm up at least 3 times a night for a wee.

Fucking knackered. Mine are 9 and 5. Massive sleep issues. They are both still awake and will be for a while.
At least they now sleep thru although I no longer do! I'm 43 too.
Zzzz

Constantly completely knackered. I used to think parents were exaggerating...but yeah...nope...parenting is a level of tired I had no idea was possible. Possibly exacerbated by health problems too though.

Mine are 7 and 1. I’m 32, fit and healthy. Lone parent. Constantly exhausted. Engaging my brain for work is a daily challenge. Memory in particular is shot to shit. Reaction times are rubbish. Keep walking into my own doorframes! Am trying to eat well and telling myself it will get better...

It’s not just the disrupted sleep, awful though that is. It’s just never having any fucking downtime or rest, ever, all day long, every day. Literally there has never been a single time since DD was born where I didn’t have something to do. I haven’t stopped all day, yet here we are at 9.30 pm, DD is still awake, the kitchen is still a shit-tip and I still have to wash her water bottle and iron her dress for tomorrow. Before I then tidying the sitting room, and hang out the just-washed laundry to dry. Then it will be bedtime, and even if I take absolutely no downtime for myself and go straight to bed, I still won’t have enough time to get as much sleep as I need, before getting up at sparrow’s fart to start it all again. When do I get some time off?

I actually think my tiredness is starting to affect my mental capabilities now. I forget things I wouldn't have usually and it can take me longer to make my brain engage iykwim.

Haven't slept through for 7 years now. Doubt I ever will again.

Not too bad but I tend to get 7/8 solid hours of sleep plus one lie in at the weekend. Do get a blood test to rule out anything more. I did feel exhausted at a point and it was a vitamin d deficiency