Exhaustion

[LadyJos]

Hey I’m a working mum with a one year old and a five year old. Both sleep through the night, I don’t drink, I go to bed early and have a relatively healthy diet. Yet every weekend I’m practically bedridden with exhaustion. I’m so sick of this. I have energy (somehow!) during the week so I can’t believe this is a genuine illness - but open to thoughts and open to lifestyle changes that could help. I’m so tired of being this tired.

Any other issues other than fatigue. Just pondering fibromyalgia as that can start mild and you not realise there are other issues as you dismiss them being mild but this is a progressive illness

How is your sleep? You go to bed early, but do you sleep well?
Do you have a stressful job?
It's unlikely to be an illness of its only affecting you at the weekend is my thought, more likely that you can keep on going through the week because you have to, but get to the weekend and you can stop so it all catches up with you and you wipeout.

Maybe get your iron levels checked?

Good chance you're managing to keep going through the week just on adrenaline (survival, i.e. you do because there’s no choice) and then crash come the weekend when it becomes unsustainable and just recuperate enough to start the cycle again ...

I would do a deep dive into possible causes, although being a working mum of two such little ones is also probably enough to tire out and exhaust most people.

A deep dive could include seeing a GP for extensive blood tests (iron, Vit Bs and D, thyroid, magnesium, peri, etc...), seeing a nutritionist, accupuncturist...? perhaps taking time off work to give yourself a longer period of rest ...?

Hope you'll find something quickly to make you feel better!

Get your bloods tested.

Low Vit D, Vit Bs, folate and iron can all cause crashing exhaustion and are easy to fix. Call your GP on Monday.

Yep!
remember that one.

we all had Sunday afternoon naps! Me included !

it passes …. Eventually!!

& try lowering your house keeping standards occasionally & just sleep.

It could be a psychological response so
Monday to Friday you know you have to get up and go through the routine Saturday and Sunday I’m assuming DH/DP is also at home and you don’t have a set routine this could be your brain and body's way of getting you to rest.

I would also recommend seeing your GP get a set of bloods done including Thyroid bloods

I don’t know your Mon-Fri routine but don’t be so hard on yourself because honestly if you don’t put that wash load on I promise the world won’t stop spinning I remember when mine were young (Twins) I got myself so stressed trying to manage the family home looking after the children and working I was permanently tired and thought I was failing I just stopped trying to do absolutely everything every single day and life got better

Ask your GP to do a blood test for a start.
could be thyroid issues, could be low on iron or low vit D
rule all that out and then if everything ok you’d then look at your day to day sleep/diet etc

Do you exercise and get outdoors daily? This is a huge game changer especially in the winter months, it actually gives you energy and a vital dose of vitamin D. When you feel like this at the weekend, instead of going to bed, get outdoors with the kids for a few hours of fresh air.
How is your diet? Are you getting enough clean protein? Again, this has a huge impact on energy levels.
Do you have a sport or a hobby that gets you out of the house and gives you a few hours away from being Mum and something to look forward to?
Definitely get your bloods checked, coukd be low iron etc

Talk to the doctor, get some bloods done
Ask family and friends (and spouse) to help you get a break.
What's your sleep like?

Don't let the doctor dismiss you because you have "normal bloods" . Often they only test for certain things

As everyone else says - worth checking tk see if your deficient in something. I had insanely low ferritin levels and permanently felt like I’ve been run over by a train. Constantly tired. I ended up having an iron transfusion and literally changed me so quickly.

I would say three things.....

1. How much sleep are you actually getting? How healthy is your lifestyle? As I've got older I've needed more sleep, I also just need more "rest" as in, quiet me time and i need to be healthy, I try and fit a yoga class in every week and 10 000 steps outside with the dog (tricky if you work full time, as having to fit in exercise etc is really stressful which then negates the thing! Maybe a lunch break walk in the fresh air) Exercise, healthy diet full of good fats, protein, vitamins etc. I really feel it when I stop focusing on eating and exercising well (never used to when I was in my 20s)
2. Don't forget, whilst you're not as "in the trenches" as you were maybe 8 -12 months ago, a 1 and a 5 year old plus a job is HARD. Don't beat yourself up, even though they sleep, the days are so full on and they don't really stop, you don't get a weekend in bed, even holidays are busy. You will also carry more mentally and emotionally, it is tiring. I think most people with a full time job say they're tired each evening- you're adding alllllll the stuff you do for your family on top. Now mine are older I'm still tired but definitely less physically exhausted than when they were pre school age. Can you get any respite from a night away or even an afternoon to yourself every other week for a bath and a chill? I know it's not easy if family can't help, but if they can, see if you can factor it in (I used to love Friday afternoon/evenings as dh would take both kids for an after school swim, I had 2 hours to myself and would do 30 mins of chores and 1.5 hours of a book in the bath, it was super restorative and he had nice time with them)
3. Check your levels for everything. Iron and vitamin d deficiency makes you tired. I got a thriva test (lots of other companies do it though) to check my general health and hormone levels, I ended up needing to add a vit d and iron supplement to my diet as they were low. I also now add in a magnesium supplement too to support sleep and generally feel much better for that. If you don't want a test try a multi vitamin and mineral, especially vit d as it helps you absorb other minerals and it tends to be low this time of year as we get some of it from the sun (and there isn't any!!!)

Definitely see a GP please!

While I agree that checking with a GP is worthwhile, the odds are that you’re knackered. You have to be ‘with it’ during the week, but can and do crash at the weekend. Full time is a job, parenting is a job. You’re doing both and it sounds like you’re doing great.

This. I would ask GP for a blood test - check Vitamin D, Iron levels and B12.

Also ask for thyroid function tests.