AIBU to go back to sleep and expect to feel better

[Stilllearningg]

My 5 year old still wakes up in the night and wakes early. I’m someone that needs a lot of sleep. When he’s with his dad I end up staying up late, so as to feel as tho I have a life, when I have ds with me I read inbed after I put him to sleep at 7pm and I end up asleep around 10/11.
im absolutely exhausted and I’m sick of having no energy.

My morning routine is as follows :

530/600am DS wakes me up, goes on his tablet in m bed whilst I attempt to get back to sleep

800am I dive out of bed panicking at the time, feed DS breakfast, have a coffee, get dressed, get DS dressed for school then do the school run

my question is, if I was to force myself out of bed when he woke me at 6am ish and I got ready for the day, got stuff round the house done etc, would I end up feeling better? Or just even more knackered ?

I think you know the answer to this - there's only one way to find out, give it a try and see (I do sympathise as I absolutely hate getting up before 7.30)

It’s never bloody ending! Roll on teenage years

Not a single parent but my son is exactly the same! I now get up at 6am as it’s easier than trying to get back to sleep uncomfortably which never actually happens! I lay tossing and turning annoyed by the sound on his tablet! So I get up and feel more prepared and no less or more exhausted! I’ve just accepted it now!

If I were you, I'd go to bed around 9.30am then get up when he wakes. I bet that hour or 2 in the morning, when he's in with you with the iPad, isn't particularly restful for you. Adapt your sleep pattern. Good luck

I always find if I go back to sleep in the morning I go into a deep sleep and feel more tired when I wake up. I get up around 6.15 and do some yoga to wake up a bit before kids get up. Might only be 10 mins of stretching but it helps.

It doesn't have to be 6am Vs 8am.

Personally I think you're giving your son bad habits. He's getting 2 hours of tablet at the start of the day, before school, that's not great.

Then he's rushing around with what, 30mins to get changed, eat and leave the house? That's stressful.

At 5, he can play with his toys for an hour, then get up together at 6.30/7am.

Have you checked your bloods to see why you're so tired after 10hours sleep and time to yourself when he's with his dad?

I would also recommend getting your bloods done. I’m always knackered and I’m low in vitamin D and folate on this occasion. It’s usually iron. Before going back to full time work I could easily get the kids out the door and sleep until I had to go and collect them, as well as having a full nights sleep. Apparently that’s not normal.

I know the tablet isn’t ideal, it became an easy habit to try and get more sleep but now stuck in this pattern. My mental health is very up and down, which doesn’t help to try and fix his sleep and be firm with boundaries etc

It’s not ten hours sleep, I wish 😂 he wakes up in the night too and it takes me ages to go back to sleep each time.

I’ve had my bloods done recently and it’s not that

Thanks for all the responses, tomorrow I shall aim to get up and get showered when he wakes up and start the day without rushing and doing the school run looking like I’ve been dragged through a bush !

There's probably an element of him waking early to get tablet time though.

I get the mental health, but you need to address this for both of your sakes. Are you having therapy and medication to help with your mental health?

I am having both yes and have been for quite some time, neither seem to be helping much, but I also think I may have ADHD which would explain why my mood is so up and going regardless of meds and counselling

If you go to bed at 11pm on the nights with him and wake at 5am, then stay up late on the nights he’s with his dad then yeah you’re going to be tired!
You need to go to sleep earlier.

OP do you go to work after school run ? If not could you go back to bed when you get home? You could then get up about 7 ,not rush and have less tablet time for your son .

It's worth trying to wean him off screens, as there is less incentive to wake up early.

it will be hard but a month of no screens at all in the morning might help.

Also put him to bed an hour late and or try and do a.long walk in the evening.

You must live really close to school to be able to get up at 8, do breakfast etc and then get there on time.

And you need to go to bed earlier. It's really really boring but try and get to be asleep before 10, then you will have a full 8 hours before 6

And more exercise for him to wear him.out

So a walk, cycle or even swim if possible after school everyday.

Try and do a really long walk to exhaust him

For years DS1 was a 5.30am waker.

The only advice I have is to embrace it, it won't last forever.

My routine used to be up at 5.30am and in bed asleep by 8.30/9pm most nights.

I do not cope well on minimal sleep.

UPDATE :
so last week I decided to get up and have a shower etc when he woke me at 6am and I felt much better. I started a sleep jar with him, where he gets 10pence for going to sleep without constantly shouting of me, 10pence for not waking up in the night and shouting of me and 10pence for staying in bed until his clock says morning. The last two mornings he’s slept through and came in my room at around 730am (sleep clock is set for 700am) so fingers crossed it continues.

I have also realised that I feel much better and less groggy by getting up when I first wake up instead of falling back to sleep fitfully.

Oh well done op. That's a really great update.

Fingers crossed it keeps going well