Tired

[Gumbo4x4]

Just was wondering if there is anything else I can do to wake myself up more or to adjust to this earlier wakeup time.

Do you shower in the morning? I don't typically shower before I go hunting or fishing early in the morning and I'm tired all day. Recently, I've needed to get up just as early for work and I always shower before work. Totally different feeling to the morning. Getting in a brisk walk at lunch helps too if its one of those days I'm stuck at my desk a lot.

 

[VroomFam]

Try liquid iron, found in most health food store

Just a comment, as a doctor, Iron is the most common cause of supplement danger - many deaths. Constipation is a common side effect, but if you take too much, it WILL KILL YOU. The only reason for extra iron is for gross dietary insufficiency (think vegan that doesn't eat leafy greens, etc.), or most commonly, BLEEDING.

BLEEDING can be menses/periods if excessive, ulcers, hemorrhoids, or even cancer.

Don't mess with it! You could mask the problem and regret it.

My suggestion, as others have said here:

1. Reduce stress (all of us need this!)
2. Supplement what you are lacking - most of us NEED Vit D supplement, I and my family take (and I recommend) 2000-4000 IU per day, liquid Vit D if possible. It is very cheap, and no side effects.
3. Sleep is crucial, especially deep, non-REM or delta sleep. Ah, the good old days of childhood.
4. Adequate diet - big deal here, and varies for individual. Adequate protein for breakfast instead of carbed up cereals, less bread period during day, and more frequent split meals throughout day is the best in general. Avoid dairy or gluten products if you have sensitivities, but don't go over-board for the hype nowadays.

Message me if you would like most GENERAL suggestions.

Thyroid conditions are also common, and can be easily treated. Naturopaths are the best to consult, then a more holistic MD. Many chiropractors have additional nutritional qualifications. Don't trust Auntie Joan or a brother-in-law with MLM berry juice or expensive vitamins you don't need from an expensive vitamin store. Diet and whole food sources are ALWAYS the best. And don't let a salesman in a store that profits off you do the recommending.

 

[WDWBarb]

Just a comment, as a doctor, Iron is the most common cause of supplement danger - many deaths. Constipation is a common side effect, but if you take too much, it WILL KILL YOU. The only reason for extra iron is for gross dietary insufficiency (think vegan that doesn't eat leafy greens, etc.), or most commonly, BLEEDING.

BLEEDING can be menses/periods if excessive, ulcers, hemorrhoids, or even cancer.

Don't mess with it! You could mask the problem and regret it.

My suggestion, as others have said here:

1. Reduce stress (all of us need this!)
2. Supplement what you are lacking - most of us NEED Vit D supplement, I and my family take (and I recommend) 2000-4000 IU per day, liquid Vit D if possible. It is very cheap, and no side effects.
3. Sleep is crucial, especially deep, non-REM or delta sleep. Ah, the good old days of childhood.
4. Adequate diet - big deal here, and varies for individual. Adequate protein for breakfast instead of carbed up cereals, less bread period during day, and more frequent split meals throughout day is the best in general. Avoid dairy or gluten products if you have sensitivities, but don't go over-board for the hype nowadays.

Message me if you would like most GENERAL suggestions.

Thyroid conditions are also common, and can be easily treated. Naturopaths are the best to consult, then a more holistic MD. Many chiropractors have additional nutritional qualifications. Don't trust Auntie Joan or a brother-in-law with MLM berry juice or expensive vitamins you don't need from an expensive vitamin store. Diet and whole food sources are ALWAYS the best. And don't let a salesman in a store that profits off you do the recommending.

I was totally going to say the same thing.

Seeing your doctor is always the most important thing you can do when you experience a change in your health. Barring any health issues, if you're just having a hard time adjusting to your new schedule (and I always feel more fatigued this time of year - it's the time change, the colder weather, shorter days, ick), you could try a wake-up light. Check them out on Amazon. They mimic sunrise and supposedly help your body come out of sleep more naturally.

I've not tried one but I really want to.

 

[Skippy918]

I've been doing the get up at 6 and leave by 6:30 for the past several years and I am still not used to it. Part of it could be that it's still dark when you wake up. I try not to drink coffee during the week, but sometimes I am just dragging so I do anyway.

 

[lauradis]

Two thumbs up for the doctor post

 

[Buntington]

I read an article not too long ago where it describes the typical amount of REM sleep, and other stages that your body requires to feel well rested. You enter the time of night you go to sleep and it calculates based on typical sleep patterns what time you need to set your alarm to wake up and feel refreshed.

It was really interesting because I found that just changing my sleep pattern by about 15 minutes made a HUGE difference. It had something to do with the last hour of my sleep I was waking up about 15 minutes into a sleep level that when my alarm went off I felt like the living dead.

I second this comment. Here is the link to the sleep calculator:
http://sleepyti.me/

For me, it makes a world of difference if I wake up in between sleep cycles versus in the middle of a sleep cycle. If I wake up in the middle of a dream, I do feel like a zombie all day! Of course, I have a little one right now, so I wake up constantly during the night and never feel rested, but before baby arrived, I was sleeping much better with the use of that calculator.

 

[threecrazykids]

I second this comment. Here is the link to the sleep calculator:
http://sleepyti.me/

For me, it makes a world of difference if I wake up in between sleep cycles versus in the middle of a sleep cycle. If I wake up in the middle of a dream, I do feel like a zombie all day! Of course, I have a little one right now, so I wake up constantly during the night and never feel rested, but before baby arrived, I was sleeping much better with the use of that calculator.

Thank you! That is the link I was looking for! Worked wonders for me! Take note of the TWO different calculation "go" buttons on the link. One tells you when you should fall asleep sleep (based on what time you have to get up), and the other tells you what time you should wake up based on what time you fall asleep...lol I know that sounds like the same thing, but if you click the links you can see what I mean.

 

[Imzadi]

Try liquid iron, found in most health food store

Just a comment, as a doctor, Iron is the most common cause of supplement danger - many deaths. Constipation is a common side effect, but if you take too much, it WILL KILL YOU. The only reason for extra iron is for gross dietary insufficiency (think vegan that doesn't eat leafy greens, etc.), or most commonly, BLEEDING.

BLEEDING can be menses/periods if excessive, ulcers, hemorrhoids, or even cancer.

Don't mess with it! You could mask the problem and regret it.

[. . . ]

Thyroid conditions are also common, and can be easily treated. Naturopaths are the best to consult, then a more holistic MD. Many chiropractors have additional nutritional qualifications. Don't trust Auntie Joan or a brother-in-law with MLM berry juice or expensive vitamins you don't need from an expensive vitamin store. Diet and whole food sources are ALWAYS the best. And don't let a salesman in a store that profits off you do the recommending.

I just realized I read the first post wrong. When I saw the word liquid, I thought she meant liquid Vit B12, which is what I answered about. I have no idea what liquid iron is. I have never heard of it.

However, anyone who knows about thyroid conditions AND visits a Naturopath or Osteopath for their thyroid condition would know that one usually does need to take other supplements. That is part of their process, to treat the body as a whole, not just a couple symptoms.

Calcium, gets leeched out of the body due to the thyroid meds. Some people need extra iodine, as the thyroid does not metabolize it well anymore. Extra magnesium, zinc and selenium are needed to to help metabolize the thyroid meds properly and for overall functioning.

You cannot get enough of these just from eating whole foods. This reminds me of the old Total Cereal commercial, where you'd have to eat 25 bowls to get the proper amounts you need. AND there are certain food you should be staying away from if you do have a thyroid condition: vegetables that are goitrogens, (whether they are whole foods or not,) as they suppress thyroid functioning. Partially right information is as bad as wrong info.

Your body is off and it is telling you so. OP, get tested and the right information from a real doctor, not a doctor on the Internet.

Here is a list of the full battery of tests you may need for your thyroid. Yes, a a Naturopath or Osteopath will test for all of these over a GP or an endocrinologist.

http://thyroid.about.com/od/gettestedanddiagnosed/a/bloodtests.htm

Since you've had as hysterectomy, you want to make sure your sex hormones get tested. that could be what's messing you up right there.