im realizing the sleep loss

lesrn2005 · Sep 23, 2005

just so you know i have been soooo tired since school has started back. studying, working full time, making sure the kids are taking care of, cleaning the house, cooking dinner, studying, studying, studying. it seems as though my sleep has been interupted. im sooooooo tired. i dont know what to do. I have been getting to work late everyday because im so tired in the morning i dont even here my alarm clock going off. Quiting my job is not an option. Quiting school is not an option. WHAT DO I DO? i know some of you feel this way too. how do you cope?

Make sure you eat well, drink lots of H20 (helps to reduce fatigue), and take the stairs (exercise also prevents fatigue, but I'm sure you're walking lots on the job). I do these things and, yes, I'm still tired, but I know they must help.

stressgal, RN · Sep 23, 2005

I have found that my house is not as clean as it once was, but that's ok. Certain things must be prioritized. There have been lots of time-saving tips put on other posts here such as using crockpots etc. Maybe you can look some of these up and adapt your schedule a bit. I have also found that you need to take one day to get away from studying. You have to learn how to study smarter, not harder or longer.

Good luck!

missninaRN · Sep 23, 2005

When I am busy I sometimes forget to eat. Make sure you are giving your body good nurtrition on a regular basis, including healthy snacks. I have learned that I need a small amount of protein with a complex carb (whole grain, fruit or veggie) every 3 to 4 hours. And lots of water. Being dehydrated will make me feel sluggish too.

JenNJFLCA · Sep 23, 2005

I work FT, go to school FT, and am losing my mind this semester. I can't even imagine having kids on top of that. I don't care how my house looks, and my wonderful boyfriend helps with the clean up and laundry. It sucks, I'm exhausted after doing this for the last 3 semesters, but I know in May it will all be over and I will be an RN in the next year (assuming I pass NCLEX). That's the only thing keeping me going.....look towards the future!

MIA-RN1, RN · Sep 24, 2005

I let things slide. Its good practice on prioritizing Its less important to mop the floor as it is to get the clothes for tomorrow clean. That sort of stuff. Its more important to take a shower and go to bed early than it is to straighten the bookcase.

I have two kids who do what I tell them to but they're kids and there is a certain amount of messiness that follows them everywhere. I have a husband who doesn't do much but doesn't mind if I don't do much sometimes either.

oh, and macaroni is very versatile. It does count as a vegetable, right? ;)

L&Dwant2b · Sep 24, 2005

I let things slide. Its good practice on prioritizing Its less important to mop the floor as it is to get the clothes for tomorrow clean. That sort of stuff. Its more important to take a shower and go to bed early than it is to straighten the bookcase.
I have two kids who do what I tell them to but they're kids and there is a certain amount of messiness that follows them everywhere. I have a husband who doesn't do much but doesn't mind if I don't do much sometimes either.
oh, and macaroni is very versatile. It does count as a vegetable, right? ;)

Yes, Yes, Yes Macaroni is a vegetable. lol. I agree with you prioritizing gets everything done for me. I have two messy girls ages 3 and 6.

Natasha

following_faith · Sep 24, 2005

I agree with everyone. Prioritize! If I can get to bed before midnight but it means the dishes are not getting done-you can bet those dishes are going to sit there! If I had to time to see the light of day and get to a store, I would probably live on disposable plates, forks, etc.

Make yourself a mock schedule to see where your time is spent and then try to find ways to cut back on some stuff or block things together. Make sure you are giving yourself some time-it's usually not a lot with school, but you need it all the same in order to maintain your sanity.

Good luck!

Student Kelly · Sep 24, 2005

just so you know i have been soooo tired since school has started back. studying, working full time, making sure the kids are taking care of, cleaning the house, cooking dinner, studying, studying, studying. it seems as though my sleep has been interupted. im sooooooo tired. i dont know what to do. I have been getting to work late everyday because im so tired in the morning i dont even here my alarm clock going off. Quiting my job is not an option. Quiting school is not an option. WHAT DO I DO? i know some of you feel this way too. how do you cope?

I feel your pain! I don't have kids,but I can relate to your exhaustion. In the past, I would work 2-3 jobs, hardly ever sleep & never feel as completely exhausted as I do working part-time & going to school full-time. I use to keep up with my house pretty well, always have clean clothes readily available, and have time to make myself dinner (since my husband & I work opposite shifts). Now I would be embarrased to have anyone over at my house, I am eating fast food almost every day, and am always washing clothes the night before when I realize I have nothing to wear! We had a flood the weekend before nursing school started.(5 weeks ago) The repair work hasn't been done yet because I just don't have time to hang drywall this semester!! My husband does the best he can to help me out,but he works full-time and goes to school part-time so his time is almost as limited as mine.

I honestly think that my tiredness is not from poor sleeping habits,but from the emotional stress and actually using my brain. I have been at my job for almost 5 years. I have been going to school part-time up to this point with only taking 1-2 classes per semester (since I was working full-time) with time off waiting for acceptance into the nursing program- I never realized how much I was on "Auto Pilot" at work & how little I used my brain there. I can get plenty of sleep the night before & go to 4 hours of lecture & lab & just feel completely wiped out! (And then I have to go to work for 5.5hours & then do homework afterwards)

I don't know about you-but our orientation to the nursing program didn't give us any idea as to how this was all going to work!!

I guess what keeps me going is the fact that I have witnessed that all good things come from hard work & determination. Good luck to you. Let me know if you have any tricks yourself!! (Other than permanently attaching an IV Drip of Coffee!!)

CVnurse08 · Sep 24, 2005

OMG, I totally echo your pain completely. I just transferred schools and my new school is SOOO much harder with SOOO much more studying. I'm completely exhausted every single night and wake up in physical pain because i have to get out of bed. But i need to follow my own suggestion of healthy eating b/c that is soooo important to keeping your body up to the challenge of school,etc.

kahumai, RN · Sep 24, 2005

I don't suggest it for everyone, but I have gotten through 4 semesters so far by taking No-Doz caffiene pills *SPARINGLY* (which means NO MORE than one per day). Desparate times call for desparate measures, especially during exam time! Then after my exams, I pass out for a few hours! :yawn:

And I don't deprive myself of naps. I can't force myself to learn about vents or anything else if I'm sleepy, so I take a nap and come back to it. Listen to your body and make the best use of your time, which (sometimes!) really is a nap.

r_janice · Sep 24, 2005

Im feeling the sleepiness with you.....I work fulltime (730a-3p), class Mon-Wed (5p-10p), study, have a 2 y/o, a fiance, sleep, housework, errands, family and me time. Needless to say the seven latter dont get much time. Im still working on a balance between at least the first six :rolleyes: The transition is killing me by Wednesday nite Im bout to fall thru the floor. I barely saw my daughter last week and when I came home from work on Thrusday she looked like she grew two inches and sounded like she learned ummm Ima say about 200 new words. :lol2: I guess I just need to adjust.....back to typing the paper I go