Tired all the time, no real reason, just tired

[Indecisivelurcher]

Is anyone else just tired all the time at the moment? I don't think there's a health reason, I just wake up tired. Is it just life?! Am I getting old?!

I'm 37, got a dd5 and ds3, it's rare they both sleep through but I generally get I'd say 7hrs sleep with a wake up. Sometimes less of Dd is up. Is that just not enough? I have sciatica which can disturb my nights too. Do I need to go to bed at half 8?! My 5yo only goes to bed then!

I have a healthy diet, home cooked, chicken, fish, bit of dairy.

I'm not getting as much fresh air as I would like, dh is furloughed and I'm working from home 4 days. Dh does school run and dog walk, I work 8-5, play with the kids, do bedtime, then do a bit physio for my back, cycle once a week, put TV on for an hour, go to bed just after 10. Do I need to go out more?!

Every day I just feel tired, borderline migraine, coffee doesn't seem to help.

Maybe ask your dr for a blood test, this sounds exactly like me at the beginning of the year. I was so exhausted at work I could have fallen asleep at 10am every day. It turned out I was deficient in B9( folic acid) I'm a vegetarian which is why but years ago I was B12 déficient before I stopped eating meat?
I have 3 children and work 10hr days as well which added to the joy!
Hope you can get to the bottom of it!

I don't eat much meat or dairy. Should I try a supplement maybe...

Weird question but do you mouth breathe? I used to be like you but have found that concentrating on nose breathing all the time has made a bit of a difference

A supplement can help but how will you know the dose. If you are deficient which most likely you are considering your diet , you need to know your levels first. Call your GP , let them know about your diet and exhaustion levels. It's a simple blood test. Who knows your levels might be so low that you need injections and an oral supplement would just not help enough.

Similar feeling here OP, young DC, working from home and knackered all the time, a little broken sleep but not so bad to explain feeling like death every morning and constant headaches. I just got my blood test results back saying I was deficient in vitamin D, B9 and B12. So without wanting to prejudge your situation, maybe supplementing might help you. No harm trying for a month anyway?

I found my Vit D level was low (27) so ask for that to be checked. Normally level for this time of year is more like 75.

I struggle when the weather is crap like yesterday. I had to have a sleep after WFH yesterday and got an additional 2hrs and then got another 8hrs during the night. Don't feel particularly refreshed this morning.

Request a blood test and hopefully you'll start to feel better soon

Please have your thyroid checked at the doctors. An under active thyroid can really sap your energy.
Sadly it's common after having children but can go under detected.

If you don't eat much meat are you sure you're not iron deficient? (I'm a veggie and it's not easy to fall short if you're not careful)

I would not take a supplement before getting a blood test at the GP, so you get a real view of the levels you have and can then get the right support if you are deficient in anything.

Good luck OP!

Thanks everyone, some interesting comments. You know when you're not sure whether it's just normal to feel this way 😂 I've been genuinely sleep deprivated for years so while that's improving I've forgotten what normal feels like. I might give the doctor a bell if it's not time wasting.

Blood test booked for next week. Thanks for the advice people.

It sounds to me that your not getting enough sleep. 8 hours is what the average adult needs and some need more. If you have an average need for sleep your missed out on the average of 1 full nights sleep a night.

I'm actually coming to that conclusion myself @lockdown. I got 7hrs last night with a wake up in the middle. Daughter was up at 5:30. I defo need 8 if not 9hrs. Maybe every night being that bit under its catching up with me. I'll have to train myself to go to sleep earlier and stop setting my alarm for 7:30 when it's not my turn to get up.

Blood test results showed slightly low iron and platelets. Thanks for the advice to get it checked.