What time does everyone wake up? &How do you get past that mid afternoon energy slump

Missus_Aka

Im 23, have ds of 4 years & oh of 6 years (6 years together i should add not 6 years old, sorry just had to add that it sounded a bit dodgy):rotfl:i only work 2-3 days a week most of the time unless i have overtime so.......

I have been getting up between 7.15am-7.45am everyday but i think i should get up earlier, ds doesnt get up till 8.00am-8.30am (though i think this should be earlier as he will be going to school next year) 8.00pm he is in bed and i read him a book and give him his milk and he is sleeping by 8.45pm, dh doesnt get up till about 10.30am-11.30am (lazy sod ) i am normally in bed by 11pm, though i think i need to make this earlier as i find it hard to get up in the morning. What do you think? What do you do to wake yourself up and get on your feet in the mornings.

And what do you do when you have that energy slump in the middle of the afternoon? Like right now i could really go back to sleep whats the best way to snap out of it? Oh and i dont drink coffee or red bull type drinks.

So really i just want to know what everyone else does with young kids, i dont really have anyone else to ask as my mum thinks im crazy that i dont ever lie in as she will sleep till about 11 (my little sister is 8)

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me

Football_Widow_2

I'm probably not the person to ask, as I have naps during the day. However I was going to bed quite early so the upside is I actually get to spend the evening with my DH.

Anyway I get up about 7:15 as I have go get DD to school. If your LO isn't at school yet I would stick to your routine as it seems to be working fory you. Also do you need to to get up earlier, are you getting everything done that you need to do. x

SailorSam

Usually up between 7am and 7.30am. If i'm still in bed after 8am i feel i'm wasting the morning.

Rowan9

Don't have littlies now but I still get up early. For the mid-afternoon slump - today I had a nap:D...but I've been up since 5. Usually have tea and some biscuits, did that at work too and also when kids were little and coming in after school. Fresh air helps, so out for a bit of a walk is good.
W

the_cat

I would gradually change DS timetable and start putting him to bed earlier. Once at school mine were always absolutely wiped out by 7pm. Actually come to think of it, the clocks change soon don't they? His bodyclock could just errrr not change and his 8pm bedtime becomes 7pm with no noticable difference to him

With an earlier bedtime, he will naturally wake earlier which solves the morning problem

Now I don't have to be up for the school run, I have slotted into a pattern of up at 7-7.30am and bed at around 11pm

dbt3mummy

Are you getting enough iron in your diet?

I find keeping well hydrated and eating plenty of fresh fruit and veg during the days picks me up nicely. I don't drink coffee or caffeine rich drinks as they increase my anxiety levels.

I have a 2.5yr old who is up between 6.30 and 8 so I find my body naturally coming to by 6.30 and I wouldn't say I'm raring to go but I make myself get up and get on.

Does your oh work? It may be worth getting yourself and ds into a routine before school starts. I used to work full-time and my DD and i would stick to our routine even when I wasn't at work, so it wasn't too much of a shock to the system.

dreamyd

Ona school day (Monday- Wednesday), I am up at about 5.30, as I have to be out by 7am. The rest of the time, I'm still up early (usually by 7 most mornings). It's difficult in the darker months, but I get a real sense of achievement out of getting the h*******k out of the way before DH wakes up (his general working hours are 10-6ish). It also gives me time to turn into a human being before I come into contact with the rest of the world.

Badger_Lady

I'm always up by 7 without an alarm clock... it has been earlier in the past but that's sufficient for me at the moment.

I heard a great tip on how to rise earlier, which worked perfectly every time I needed to change:

- Set an alarm clock for the time you usually get up in the morning.
- AS SOON as it goes off, get up straight away - don't linger in bed or hit the snooze button, just get up and make some tea or have a wash.
- Every day, set your alarm 15 minutes earlier. Your body won't notice the difference, and it will settle into the rhythm.
- When you get to the time you're happy with, stick to it.

I recently got one of these in a Bzz campaign, which is a wonderfully gentle alarm clock: http://www.usa.philips.com/c/light-therapy/hf3480_60/prd/

And my favourite way to get over that afternoon slump is a 20-minute powernap. Again, you do have to get used to doing it properly - I trained using a free MP3 by a chap called Phil Wong, called "Powernap 20". I load it onto my iPod or phone, put the earbuds in, slouch in a comfy chair and hit 'play'. He talks you to sleep with soothing wave sounds, almost like hypnotism, and then gently talks you awake with birdsong 20 minutes later. I always wake up feeling really refreshed and full of new energy!

tanith

I'm always awake at 6ish and get up whenever I feel like it as I tend to read in bed in the mornings and generally don't have anything specific to get up for but its usually by 8am.. and if I start feeling tired later in the day I put my jacket on and go for a walk and when I come back I feel better..

LMCD

Missus Aka - I was like you before my son started school - two years in to gettin up earlier now and I guess I felt more productive etc although lately I am struggling with energy levels for various reasons but in your situation - if you think a little change would help and do no harm I'd give it a try. good luck

I always say now if I want a lie in - I best go to bed earlier..

Missus_Aka

Thanks for all your advice, i guess i dont NEED to get up before the time i do, but i dont know i think i waste too much time sleeping and i feel i should be more productive, i have all daily cleaning (apart from after meal cleanups) done at the latest by 12 at the moment (we also have 2 breakfasts here, one for me & ds at about 8.45 and the 2nd for oh and ds at about 10.30 again) i think the clock change will be an ideal time to sort out ds sleep pattern and naps are a total no-no for me just because my son would probably get a chair to get his play doh out of the cupboard and decide to play with it on my carpet, yes he did this one morning when he woke up at 6 and i didnt hear him

I will stick to the same routine when i work/when i dont work as my body clock gets messed up really easily if i got to sleep too late/wake up too late so this will keep me in good stead for when ds goes to school. As for the iron intake i do have a lot of iron rich foods as i am always anaemic (severely so when im pg) i have increased my fruit & veg quite a lot recently as i wrote down what i was eating last month and realised i was only having 2-3 of my 5 a day most of the time. I have drunk too much coke recently so im trying to drink a lot more water and not so much coke.