Totally messed up sleep cycle

[OneCatTooMany]

Can anyone advise ways I may be able to sort my totally messed up sleep cycle and totally rubbish sleep?

I'm always tired. Walking the 15 mins each way on school run wipes me out. Some days I'll fall asleep on the sofa at 10am for an hour, other days it will be just after lunch, others around 4pm. Usually anything between 10 mins to an hour at a time.

I only work part time due to having young kids, start at 3am-9am three days a week so I'm getting up around 1.30am. I'd say I average around 5 hours of sleep a night on a non work night (according to fit bit) but the nights before work are around 3 and a half hours of sleep only so around 30 - 31 hours sleep a week which is way under what they recommend. I try to get to bed early these days but I'm lucky if I'm in bed much before 10.

I'm so tired, I've gained weight as a result, I'm moody, snappy and tearful and never feel well rested.I always wake up tired and I'm always in pain in my joints etc.

Is there anything anyone can suggest to try and help me get more sleep? I'm almost at breaking point now.

Thank you

Blimey op that quite a hard schedule there, no wonder you are tired, bless you.
Ok, step one-see you GP to have a blood test to make sure everything is ok there (ie could be low iron for example).
Step 2- on work nights, you need to go to bed earlier before shift (wear an eye mask if it helps) and then have a nap max of 30 mins in the day to ensure that you are ready to fall asleep at that earlier time.
Step 3- ensure when you need to be awake, I.e on school run, that you are getting some sunlight on your face, have a cuppa in the garden if you can and it’s not tipping it down! The daylight helps your brain to know it’s time to be awake, def don’t wear sunglasses for this bit.
Would it be easier to work two longer nights? Is there someone who could take the children to school on these days if you offered to take their children on different days perhaps? Or could DP or DM drop children to school/breakfast club for you in those days?
You are amazing to have been doing those hours op, I really take my hat off to you, hopefully there is a way to make your life easier 🌺🌸

OP, I really feel for you. I'd feel awful on that amount of sleep too. What do you do for a living?

Not sure if all the children are in school - if so could you treat your work more like nights and sleep while they are at school, maybe with a 2-hr nap before work? I think those hours sound brutal because the start is too late for 'nights' and too early for 'days'.

@CherryLeaf great suggestions Thankyou. Luckily I know health wise all is well, recently had a health MOT as they thought I may have been diabetic but all was well.

As much as I try to go to bed earlier I can't. 8pm is what I aim for, 10 is more what happens. One of the children is late pre-teen and doesn't understand the concept of leave mum alone.

And sadly the hours can't be adjusted, at least now. Perhaps when some of our temps leave.

@rainbowninja nothing fancy or important. I'm currently a "picker and packer" for a supermarket, dealing with the home delivery orders

@MountainDweller I've always said that about the hours too. Pre pandemic they used to be 6am - 12pm but business needs changed and I also had kids home as schools closed and with hubby working 50 hours a week I was needed at home. Ones very early primary so still needs a lot of supervision the other is late pre-teen so should in theory need less help but can't grasp the concept of leaving me alone

Op I’ve been thinking about this more and I think I was wrong in my first post, you need to catch up with more sleep while they are at school, 30 mins won’t be nearly enough. You’ll need a few hours, getting just 3 hours sleep between 10-1.30am isn’t enough. Sorry to hear the pandemic changed your hours, I really hope they settle back to your 6am to 12pm again for you.