To ask if this is normal levels of tired

[Yourcatisnotsorry]

Ainbu = this is normal
Aibu = not normal

I am basically a zombie after 8pm, I can’t really do anything other than watch tv or play games on my phone. Even reading is too tiring. I sleep 11-7, work 9-5 and have 2 small children (who thankfully sleep 8-8). I go to the gym 4 days a week and am generally fit and healthy otherwise. I have busy weekends with the kids but I’d love to have the energy ti do some chores or crafts or read on an evening. Is this normal or is there something wrong with me?

So I'm very interested in responses.

I think that's a normal level of tiredness. The fact that you're questioning it, makes me think you may have managed more before ?

I can't manage more than that and manage a lot less, but I also have a health condition which causes severe fatigue.

You're neither being reasonable or unreasonable.

You're described tiredness is normal though.

Most people with fatigue cannot function. You can work full time, look after 2 children and go to the gym 4 times a week. This is a level of functioning that most people can only dream of.

If you want to engage in chores and crafts in addition, then you'll need to cut down on your gym time.

I'm following as I feel similarly exhausted all the time.

Id say no. I think its normal to feel this tired a couple of nights a week with those commitments and particularly in the winter.

But as a fit and healthy adult getting 8 hours sleep a night think thats quite early to be in a zombie state and not even enjoying your relaxing evening. Especially to feel like that every evening week in week out.

Id probably sleep 10-7 instead for a few weeks to try recover and at least enjoy my two hours of evening.

Bloody hell, that's loads you do there. But is it normal for you?

Try having to have a rest in the middle of the washing up! And having days you can barely function.

I would say that's borderline not normal levels of tiredness though you do have quite an active time when you are awake. Have you had any blood tests? Low vitamin d levels can make you feel very tired

What is your health and fitness/ weight like?

I don't have DC, work 40hrs a week and exercise about 5 days a week
Permanently tired and don't feel it's "normal" but then I have some chronic conditions
Fell asleep today at 6.30pm and woke up 2hrs later
So.. pass!

Have you had blood tests recently? It might be worth checking B12, folate, Iron & vitamin D. Low of any of those can cause tiredness.

Be aware that any B12 in the 4-6 months (supplements, energy drinks, etc) will cause a false high result and doesn't mean it isn't the cause! Low folate can also cause a falsely normal B12 result.

Make sure you don't take any iron supplements in the 5 days before the test either!

I'm happy to try and help you interpret results. I was unwell for years, getting more and more exhausted all the time. At my worst I was waking/sleeping the following:

Waking around 7am.
Fall asleep at my dear around 10.30am at work for around an hour on and off.
Go for an hours sleep around midday.
Fall asleep at my desk around 2.30pm
Sleep in the car as a passenger on my way home at 5pm.
Go straight to bed when I got home around 5.30/6pm where I'd stay til the morning.

I had no energy to eat a meal, never mind cook one.

At a weekend I'd sleep til 2-3pm.

Obviously it built up to this, it wasn't instantly like it! When I read about B12 deficiency it was like a lightbulb. My level looked low normal but my doctor agreed to trial it. Monthly injections made a small difference. I then bought my own to self inject - I saw my doctor after 3 weeks of every other day injections and she couldn't believe the difference and instantly prescribed it to continue at that rate. It gave me my life back,

Sounds normal to me, I’m constantly tired and not as busy as you

Sorry just read you are quite fit and healthy.

I felt like this would go to bed when my daughter did one or two nights a week. Had some blood tests that showed me vitamin d was low. GP gave me a loading dose and felt so much better. Now take a regular daily dose and don't feel quite so knackered

Sorry to jump on but can you just go to the doctor and say you're struggling a bit with fatigue and they'll do blood tests? I don't know if I'm low in something? But I function for work (because I have to!) But I do get terribly tired on my days off and sometimes after work I'm needing to go to bed by 9pm.

I've just come up to bed after falling asleep on the sofa, but I was up at 5:20 and have driven 80 miles today. Why not try going to bed earlier ?

I think it probably depends on person to person. The way you worded the post comes across like it hasn’t always been this way, in which case I’d say possibly not normal. However if it’s been like this since having kids for example; I’d lean towards it’s just general tiredness from having young children.

I have Crohn’s disease and am prone to becoming anemic pretty regularly and when I feel like that (and haven’t had a busy day at work/with the kids, just a standard kind of day) it’s generally a sign that either I’m about to go into a flare, I’m already in a flare, or I’m anemic in some capacity. I mean I’m tired all the time, joys of the disease coupled with children, but manageable tired. When I’m fatigued tired I’m literally dragging myself through parenting, work, life really and it lasts longer than a few days.

No harm in going to the GP for a quick blood test to rule out a few standard things like anemia, vitamin D deficiency, B12 deficiency, thyroid issues etc if it’s a new problem that’s come up.

Why do you go to bed so late if you’re a barely functioning zombie from 8pm? If I were you I would go to bed earlier (and I do).

the fact that you manage to go to the gym 4x per week suggests you’re not that tired.

This seems familiar to me. I usually make it til 8.30-9pm but after that it's literally sofa, shit tv for an hour and bed.

It's not normal for me. I'm not very often tired and I sleep less than you.

Yeah you can. I was anaemic once and that was causing it

I have virtually the same schedule and level of exercise and I feel the same. So maybe we’re both not normal. I wouldn’t be particularly alarmed but keep an eye on it.

I’m reassured by the fact that if I have a ‘lazy’ week and skip the gym a couple of times (even if it’s because I’m busy at work) I can stay up so much later.

I think this is normal for someone who works full time and has two small children and goes to the gym four times a week. But no harm in going for a blood test to rule out vitamin deficiency.

I don't think it's weird. But it might be worth getting some tests done to check for the obvious ones like iron and vitami d.

Do you ever get a break? It sounds like you are working, wrangling kids or exercising and have very busy days at weekend. When do you sit and relax? I find that of I don't get at least a morning every few weeks where I can take things slow, I am just exhausted.

How old are you Triffid1 ? What you describe is quite normal at 50+ less so at 30. I remember getting so pissed off with the midwife (DC2) who kept telling me I needed to take it easy. I was a junior doctor with a 2 year old, taking it easy wasn't really part of the deal. My blood pressure was fine, I wasn't aneamic. I think her advice was based on her own perceptions (50+ and overweight).

I love being tired if it means I will sleep well (!!)

I think being very tired after a very busy day (what OP is describing, day in, day out) is very normal.