How tired are you?

[SpaghettiMeatballs]

May I ask how tired anyone in a similar situation to me is? I have a 1 year old who doesn't sleep through, waking one about 5 times a week, and then wakes very early for the day and a 3 year old who wakes early because her brother disturbs her.

I work 3 days per week in a demanding job with a long commute. I leave at 7 on work days. DH isn't always here as his role is international but he is supportive when he is here and always seems less tired than me.

I have a cleaner and all shopping is delivered so domestic life isn't as onerous as it is for some.

I'm tired all the time. I struggle to get to sleep before 11 by the time I've done everything and had a bit of a break but I am asleep the second my head hits the pillow.

DH keeps saying I should see the GP but I think it is normal to be this tired given my circumstances so I was hoping to compare with other people in similar situations. I mainline coffee to get through the days.

What time do you go to bed if you have poor sleepers / early risers?

so how much sleep so you actually get? If you are in bed 11 and wake at 6 that's 7 hours. In which case id say yes go to the GP and have a look at your diet. But Itnsounds like maybe it's less than that. In which case I'd say it's pretty normal to be quite tired.

Get to bed earlier if there's any way you can though. I go to bed at eight! (I am up all night though and have low standards cleaning wise, I also don't watch TV or read or anything for winding down, just get in bed as soon as DCS are).

It would probably be worth getting checked out by your GP. Sounds like you're just knackered.

I'd concentrate on falling into bed the nights before you have to work, and leaving admin etc on the days you're not working.

Cut yourself a bit of slack...

I think it's normal. I have 10mo, 3yo and 5yo. Dh and i work full time. We have a cleaner and online shop too. But are both just utterly exhausted permanently. We are zombies. I actually try not to think about it because when I do it overwhelms me!

Just realised you asked a question, I go to bed between 9 and 10 so I can still get enough sleep even with the 1 or 2 wake ups a night. We're up at about 5ish depending on the baby. Have to be all out of the house by 7.30.

Yes I think it's normal to be that tired. Can I ask what chores you're doing in the evening because unleA they're mission critical of ditch them and head to bed as early as you can. Im in bed latest 10! Good luck

Yup, normal I think.

I have an 8 month old and 5 year old twins. Work full time (out of house 7am - 5pm). Baby still waking me between 1 and 4 times a night.

I am very tired. Last night I went to bed at 8pm (as soon as the twins were asleep). I would be on my knees if I didn't go to bed until 11pm.

I agree with redlaura; ditch anything you can in the evening in favour of more sleep.

I am permanently exhausted.

I have a 3.5 year old who woke several times a night until he was 3. Now he wakes 3 or 4 nights a week.

I also have an 11 month old who wakes 5-6 times a night.

I work FT and am out the house 8am to 7pm. I sometimes work at home in the evenings too.

I go to bed by 9.30 and am up for the day at 6am.

I am currently slurring my words from tiredness as the baby has an ear infection so the last 3 nights Ive had 4 hours broken sleep.

I am a shell. I do almost nothing in the evenings except put the boys to bed, eat then go to bed myself (Ive just started to go to the gym one night a week but thats very recent).

Sorry for negativity but you did ask!

Interesting. Thank you.

Evenings are taken up with cooking, clearing up kitchen, getting everything ready for the next day and then some paid work as I need to keep on top of that in the evenings.

To be fair I like to watch TV or read for an hour or so and I could drop that and I could make better use of my train journey to get more paid work done.

I sometimes get 7 hours but mostly it is broken.

Last night I was asleep by 10.50, woken at 11.30 as DD had wet her bed, woken at 2.30 by a crying DS and then alarm went off at 5.55. Not as bad as many on here but not a great night either.

DH goes to the US for two weeks at the weekend so I think I will try and get to bed for 9.30/10 each night and see how that feels. I think part of the problem is me trying to keep up with him because I do enjoy his company.

Not at all ispidersman I get all of that. Just coming out of ear infection territory here too. I asked because I'm not convinced there is anything wrong with me other than I have small DCs, a busy life and don't get enough sleep.

I was off work yesterday and we walked to the park and shops in the morning. Had our lunch in the garden and played for a bit. By the post lunch enforced 'rest half hour' with DD I could have curled up and gone to sleep but to be fair DS got up at 5.

I think the problem is sleep restriction. If you were having seven hours straight sleep, I'm sure you'd be fine. It's having the sleep disturbed numerous times that knocks you for six.

I do think you sound more tired than you should be tho.

I go to bed between 10/11. I get up at 4.50. (Well mostly I snooze but you get my drift). I work 50 hours a week. I have a three year old who wakes at least once a night. Usually more. I've aged ten years in three. I am knackered so I fully sympathise and am bitterly jealous of your cleaner

I think it's normal to be so tired with all that work pressure and those sleep interruptions. If your dh thinks that there is something wrong it sounds to me like he's not experienced trying to function, parent and perform at work when your sleep bank is always depleted. I'd say he'd change his opinion if he was doing all you're doing.

Givenotake may I ask if you have made changes to your diet and did that help? I know I have too much sugar but a chocolate biscuit after lunch does help even if I know it will just be in the short term.

youreameangirl you should go for a cleaner. This is new to me. She started when I went back to work. It frees me up to spend time with DD when DS is napping and it is so nice to come home to everything all nice after work. Of course I have to tidy up the night before which gets me to bed later!!

greenstone he is helping when he can but this is a new thing as I was breastfeeding until recently. Prior to that I was pregnant and before that feeding DD so I wonder if it is just cumulative over several years. Plus he has always needed less sleep than me!

Anyway, I am determined to have a fortnight of early nights and actually take the vitamins I bought and reassess how I feel then.

Gosh yes I think so. I used to need a diet Coke to get me through the day. I now have a really really good
Diet and it helps my
Energy so much. I find I feel like crap if I eat sugar after an initial ten minutes of it making me feel amazing.

I'm up probably three or four times in the night and usually up at 5am. I am knackered by the end of the day but I get through feeling ok until the end.

Instead of diet coke in the afternoon I now have a drink of hot water, lemon, ginger and cayenne pepper. Instead of coffee in the morning I have a berocca and a green smoothie. It honestly does make me feel good.

I don't eat a lot of starchy food anymore as I find it makes me lethargic.

I also drink SO much water.

Also an obvious one but could you be anaemic?

I know lots of people who find floridax amazing.

I know I don't drink anywhere near enough water. Hopefully the better weather will help with that.

I don't know about anaemia. It's a possibility I guess. I've wondered about an under active thyroid before as my mother and sister have this but I suspect I'm just not getting to bed early enough and am eating too much sugar.

I've been reading the Floridax reviews and it's sounds ace so I've ordered some of that to try. I am determined to have a fortnight of trying everything I can do to get more energy and then see where I am.

Post lunch slump is the worst. I'm there now.... Zzzzzz

I went to the Dr when I had a sleep depriver and had returned to work. He did my blood tests and it all came back mostly clear but for a vitamin D deficiency which probably wasn't helping.

I think life is unfortunately just very tiring. DH and I give each other unlimited lie ins at the weekend, one day each when we have a rare quiet weekend and I feel amazing after that. I also occasionally go to bed at 9pm, clean pjs and sheets - heaven!

I am very low on patience with DS's sleep now. I simply can't be soft with him as the antics very quickly get out of hand and I just need a certain amount of rest to function - the deprivation makes me quite low.

That is my gut feeling about my circumstances nottheOP so thank you for sharing that.

I have less patience with DS than I did with DD I have to say......!

Why not go to the doctors and just see what the doctor says/thinks?

Are you afraid of what the doctor might say? It will surely do no harm to talk to the doctor.

Not giving yourself adequate sleep when you are given the opportunity to (like going to bed early when very tired, for example), is a sign of depression.

I have seen this "I am just tired, we have four children one of which is a new baby, of course I am tired" excuse in my DH. I watched his eyes droop sat on the sofa at 9pm but refusing to go to bed until post 11pm. I would ask him why he didn't sleep when he was tired (as I do).

Then I got the call that an ambulance was called to his work for a suspected heart attack. Turns out it was his first panic attack. He was suffering from anxiety and needed medication. Shock to us both, I thought he was "just tired" as he thought. Within 3 weeks of starting medication, he was sleeping when he needed to, going to bed early, prioritising evening chores to allow for this and so was therefore not tired as he was. The anxiety was what was stopping him listening to his body and sleeping when tired.

Go to the doctors and see what the doctor says. Having children is tiring. But if it is tired and your DH is worried about your level of tiredness, maybe speak to someone?

spaghetti what do
You have for lunch? You really shouldn't be getting a post lunch slump. As in after lunch shouldn't be a particular tired time, your lunch should give you a bit of energy.

Honestly I know I sound incredibly annoying saying oh just stop eating biscuits then you'll feel so fab. I realise that's not the case but days I eat better I really do feel
Better.

givenotake yesterday I had a chicken salad roll, some grapes and a Rice Krispie cake DD and I had made the day before. Ie it was small! TBH I think the post lunch thing is linked to caffeine as much as anything as I felt fine after a coffee. I've always loved a couple of coffees a day and found it hard to give up when pregnant. I wonder if I could eat something with a lower GI at lunch.....?

I'm sorry about your husband fate. I hope he is health is improved now.

I really don't think I am depressed. I don't deny myself the chance to go to bed early for any reason other than I enjoy spending time with my husband in the evening. He works away a lot and gets in late. If I go to bed at 9pm I'd only see him for an hour. That said I might need to make that sacrifice and go to bed early.

I don't think it's reasonable to see a GP when I haven't tried a sustained period of going to bed earlier, eating better and taking some vitamin supplements. If that doesn't improve things I will make an appointment.