what is a normal level of tiredness?

[tomsellecklover]

I'm off to the GP this afternoon for a chat about how tired I am. What they'll be able to do for me I don't know. I'm a single mum to 2 1/2 year old. closest family is about 2 hour drive away, hardly ever see them. have some friends but pretty much on my own 24/7. my DD still wakes up every night which I'm sure is a big reason why I'm so tired, she just sits up and cried until I take into my (single bed) with me. I know that most single parents will be tired a lot but I'm really struggling. I am doing a distance learning course and haven't done any work for days because my brain just wont switch on. I just long to sleep. I get up in the morning and am knackered feel like I can hardly stand, have a cup of tea, still tired etc etc. I don't seem to wake up at any point in the day. I cry about it sometimes. If i'm talking to someone I often will struggle to string a sentence together. I had blood tests done last year and they were all fine, I eat pretty healthily. don't do much exercise apart from walking with pushchair, up and down stairs etc. Its really making me so low. I just can't remember a time where I wasn't tired. Look rambling loads now! Just wanting to know does anyone else feel like a zombie too or is there something not right with me? Thanks!

Chronic exhaustion could be caused by a number of things, but the best thing to do is try to get the sleep issue sorted first. Have you spoken to your HV for advice on sleep training? (That's if that's what you want to do of course, but in my experience a GP wouldn't take much seriously if you had a 'reason' to be tired)

Hi there

Well I do feel for you having been single parenting for 8 years since my boy was 5 months!

I buy Floradix health supplement in Holland and Barrett or any good pharmacist/health shop when I am feeling like this. It is rather pricey but trust me it is worth every penny.

I am now 49 and when I was younger it took 3 days to feel better - although it should be taken for the whole duration and it lasts 3 weeks I think - the tablets last a month - but for some reason the liquid does me more good I don't know why. That said they are both highly effective.

Now I am so flipping old I have to say it takes up to a week to pick up but I still resort to it say twice a year or so.

I am not sure why I find it so beneficial as my iron levels have never tested low but there is kelp and other goodies in it. You have to make sure you don't drink caffeine too close to taking it.

I bet you anything if you bought it you would feel so much better!

HTH.

This sounded exactly like me after I had my dd2, exhausted to the point of collapse. I finally went to docs about a year into exhaustion, not being able to cope anymore, she took blood tests and it was underactive thyroid! This is a hereditary disease and most of the women in my family did in fact suffer from it.

Having it diagnosed and treated changed my life, I do still get tired but not a patch on what I was like then.

Hope your GP app goes well and you get sorted soon.

And in the meantime, I know how difficult life can seem when in this state.

you do sound more tired than I would class "normal" ds is 2.5 and he wakes reguarly but im nowhere near as exhausted as you describe and i have two others aswell, and zero family support who are all a 280 mile drive away and i dont drive lol, youre doing the right thing by seeing a gp x

I felt pretty bad until ds started sleeping longer (at 3ish). If you can afford it, get a double bed even if it is just a mattress on the floor as you will sleep better with some space.

Prioritise sleep and go to bed when dd does a couple of times a week until you feel more human. It's hard to do (read, not on a screen, if you can't sleep that early) but I find it was a huge improvement to not feel like death in the morning just occasionally.

Get blood tests redone, on a morning and fast 24 hours before. There are some foods/drinks which can affect the results, apparently...and besides, a lot can change in a year. Also, in this heat, you could be dehydrated and not know, even if drinking lots. Drink a couple of extra pints of water during the day (do this before a blood test as easier for them to find a vein!)

Double bed or mattress from freecycle until the longer term issues are sorted. I also feel chronic tiredness so I do sympathise. Are you depressed, anxious or stressed? These can also all cause tiredness.

Move her bed next to yours if you can't manage to get a double in. You are doing the right thing going to the GP.

Definitely go to the gp and get yourself checked out physically, blood tests etc. You could be anaemic.

In your position I'd just co-sleep if that meant getting more sleep.

And weirdly, the more you exercise, the more energy you'll have. But get the physical side of things checked out first I'd say.

Buy some spa tone - it's an iron supplement and it saved me. Iron deficiency and anaemia are not the same thing it can still help.

I was fecked when dd1 was 2.5 too though!

Try and eat the healthiest diet you can and lay off the caffiene if you can I found that made it much worse.

Normal levels here are somewhere between fucked and murderously fucked.

hi everyone, so sorry I didn't reply. I did read your messages and wanted to say thank you so much for replying. I went to GP , had blood tests done and will be getting results back soon. I think you are right, more exercise would help, hard to fit in with a little one but we have started doing a yoga dvd together in the evenings! GP wants me to go on antidepressants but im reluctant to do so. I am the only person around for my little girl so I cant risk any side effects.

Op - I suffered with exhasution when DS was about that age, I ignored it for a bit and was very ill for a long while, so you are doing the right thing looking into it. Your GP is a good place to start they ruled everything else out, I was exhuasted by this point pretty bad but it wasn't just DS I was working long hours and had something else going on which was very serious, taking up my time. The advice on sleep training is what I would have said, it isn't cruel it is better for everyone - a happy mummy makes a good mummy. I agree no AP's if you can. It sounds very boring but a strict routine is needed and sleep when DD sleeps if she takes a nap - sleep, go to bed when she does - forget the jobs for a while - I was at work so couldnt you may also be at work which is a problem. PM if you want to - I have been there and if left it isn't good but it can be sorted - I didn't take it seriously enough.

Im not saying this to worry as am sure all will be fine but I felt like this and went to gp, had blood tests done and have recently been diagnosed with mild type 2 diabetes which the gp said is what is causing the tiredness.xx Am sure the gp will be able to help though and it isn't anything like this.x

thank you for your reply foxy, I will ring GP for test results on Monday. when I've had them done in the past they come back clear but it is something worth considering.

Since being diagnosed and having help to control it by my diet, no meds involved, i feel a lot better, still tired but not as much as before.x

How did you get on OP?

Hi foxy, thanks for checking up. I only got the results back today! It was all clear as I suspected. Which I suppose is good news really. Going to try to get hold of some of the supplements suggested anyway. Had a pretty stressful last couple of weeks so that doesn't help. In some ways its part of being a single parent, I can feel myself rapidly aging but there you go!

Glad your results were clear. x