Is this a normal level of tiredness?

[susannahmoodie]

Just wondering if I am normal or what I can do to boost my energy levels....

I work FT in a demanding job and have 2 dcs aged 6 and 3. They are early risers so I am usually awake between 5 and 6. I am out of the house weekdays usually between 7.15am and 5pm. I struggle to fit in exercise and my diet would be healthy (lots of fruit/veg/proper meals) except I do love chocolate too much. Drink a couple of units of alcohol on a weekend but not much more unless a special occasion or rare night out.

By 9am, sometimes earlier, I cannot keep my eyes open. I could easily go to bed at 8.30pm. Everyone at work talks about broadchurch/line of duty/homeland but I know I just could not keep my eyes open to watch anything like that and I feel I am missing out on good tv!! I haven't watched a series properly since maternity leave....

This might seem like a trivial reason but I do wonder if I am normal.....I know exercise might give me more energy and I am trying to make a concerted effort to fit it in. Also wondering what foods will help. I do drink a lot of tea and wonder if changing caffeine intake would help....

Why not go to the GP for a blood test to rule out things like thyroid and anaemia?

Watching with interest.

I could have written your post. Out of the house 6-6. 2 younger DCs, early risers, don't often sleep through. Desperately plan to exercise when i get in or stay up past 8.30-9pm but it's is almost impossible.

So normal for me, i suppose.

I had blood tests a few months ago because of irregular menstrual cycle but they didn't show anything.

I would rule out thyroid and low iron, but in the meantime, why don't you buy some spatone as it is a completely natural, liquid iron, harmless to take once a day while you are waiting on results.

If you wake up at 5am why WOULDN'T you want to be asleep by 9pm?

If you work full-time and care for children - you are doing two full-time jobs on ordinary days and more when they are ill. Of course you are tired by 8.30. Go to bed - rest when you can. This part will get easier as they got older.

I think if you are getting up at 5 routinely, then being in bed by 9 would be very normal. I get up at 6.45 and one night a week I daringly stay up till 11, but am normally in bed at 10.

I was exactly the same, but my children are adults now. I was working fulltime, up at 5am, home at 5pm, try to get a meal together, do bare minimum of housework, but used to fall asleep at 8pm and then literally crawled upstairs to bed, couldnt keep eyes open. Blood tests were ok. In the end i had to give up work, was subsequently diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I have been out of work for 3 years now but am no better.

How is your sleep at night? I have terrible broken sleep

Sounds normal to me. I'm up at 7 and in bed by 10, and I do not have the demands of young children.

Go easy on yourself!

Get some tests done, for peace of mind.

9pm-5am is 8 hours sleep so sounds about right ?

I suppose when you calculate the 8 hours it sounds ok. I don't even cook though- she does all of it, and have a cleaner and an ironing person 😭.....I often have to work after kids are in bed too....

dh not she!

I have a cleaner too and I just don't bother ironing . Nothing to apologise for! I couldn't manage without her, like you I often have to work once kids are in bed too.

I would ask your GP to test your vitamin B12 and D levels, and also test you for ME/CFS - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I have it and it doesn't matter how many hours of sleep I get, I never feel that I have had a proper night's sleep. Having young children definitely impacts upon this too. I hope you get some resolve to your situation.

If you're up at 5am, sixteen hours later is 9pm. It would be abnormal to not feel tired at this point and you're expecting too much of yourself.
(There aren't tests for ME/CFS btw, it's a diagnosis of exclusion).

Your schedule would kill me. I'm not surprised you're tired!

Try Yorkshire Tea decaf if you are worried about caffeine. It tastes like proper tea and you aren't abnormally wired from it.
A bit of exercise can help with fatigue but you are buzzing about so much don't underestimate that.
I actually have regular fatigue from MS so those are the pearls of great wisdom I can give.

I don't have dc but do have a similar schedule and am often in bed by 8.30-9pm
It's normal when yr awake early

I'm up at 6am asleep by half 9 . I have a 4 and 2 year old. I down work but couldn't stay up any later.