Soooo tired & exhausted after work each day :-(

Hi everyone,

is it normal to be this exhausted each week after work or even during working hrs?

I work 45 - 50 hrs each week in Child Care and I really love my job but I am soo tired each day its crazy. If I sit down for 2 mins then I am worried that I might fall asleep at work.

I also don't get any lunch or tea breaks as I eat with the children at work.

I get 7,5-8 hrs sleep a night and thought it should be enough but when my alarm goes off in the morning its always when I am in a really deep sleep.

Guess I need an extra hrs sleep to feel better.

The thing is I come home at 6 pm at night, cook dinner, sit down for 30 -45 mins and watch TV with my partner and then I clean up the kitchen & make sandwiches for the next day, have a shower and by the time I am in bed its around 10-10.30 pm. Then I read a bit and get some sleep. I wake up at 6.50 am every day.

I wonder if I should work less hrs as up to 50 hrs seems a lot plus I drive 30 mins to work and 30 mins back home so I am out of the house for 55 hrs each week.

Has anyone any idea what I could do? I am absolutely exhausted we also are TTC and I am so tired.

I wonder if I should cut down the hrs but its impossible in my current job.

Is anyone out there suffering with this as well?

Thanks x

[Impatient]

Gosh no wonder you are exhausted - I can barely manage 2 hrs a day with my fatigue, I come home from school shattered and sleep right away. I wake for supper and few hours then Zzzzz till mid morning. If I do have any day trips out with school then I am out for the count for at least 24hrs afterwards.

Chronic fatigue is not solved by more sleep. It's just always there whatever you do, but it is worse if you over stretch activities. Will your employer permit you to reduce the number of days you work perhps give you every Wednesdy off so you can catch up on rest.

Work Mon and Tue, then a day off. Work Fri-Sat and two days off?

If you're diagnosed with endo then your employer has a legal obligation to make reasonable allowances for your illness/disability.

Fatigue is a known element of having endo.

I would try and negotiate better working hours, give them enough notice so they can arrange someone else to cover your Wednesdays, or even two half days a week, so you get Tues and Thurs mornings off for example.

It is a reasonable request.

If that doesn't suit them at all, then there are plenty of jobs available in child care elsewhere and it may suit your health better to move jobs to work in a school nursery for example.

Much shorter days as school nurseries usually finish at 3pm.

[Hidden]

Blimey 45-50 hours a week..... You're amazing to be able to do that with endometriosis.

I work 25-30 hours each week and have teenagers at home! I can't keep my eyes open after 9pm! And that's with a power nap in the afternoon!

I've reduced my days at work and now work only 5 shortish days

( 5-6 hours each) but I'm still struggling!

I'm sorry I don't have the answer (and if you are like me, I have to work for financial reasons) but sleep when you can and take some good supplements.

Best wishes,

Barbara x