Staying awake

[Amanda89]

Out of interest, when you are all having a flare up and suffering terrible fatigue, how do you keep yourself awake and motivate yourself to keep going?

 

[DJW]

Hi. I pushed as hard as I could for as long as I could. But after a year of fatigue, surgery and blockages the system broke down. Physically, mentally and emotionally. I'm now off recovering and healing.

 

[mccindy]

Out of interest, when you are all having a flare up and suffering terrible fatigue, how do you keep yourself awake and motivate yourself to keep going?

I try to do a little bit of exercise each morning. When I was recovering from surgery, I had to start with only 10 minutes per day, but I found that even that little bit was helpful. I've also found that when I get tired and start to feel a bit drowsy, moving around and finding a coworker to chat with for a bit helps.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

I agree with Mccindy on moving around. I also use coffee, chocolate, cold water on my face and inhaling deep breaths of cold air.

 

[SarahBear]

The most difficult thing for me is waking up in the mornings - but it helps that my dog won't let me sleep late, because he needs me to take him out to do his business. He'll jump around, bark, whine, anything he can to wake me up.

Like NGNG, I use coffee for an energy boost when I need to, but I'm lucky in that it doesn't typically upset my stomach to drink it. I also agree with McCindy, that moving around and taking a break from your routine helps as well - chatting with someone, stepping outside for a moment, going for a snack, or even checking Facebook for a couple minutes all distract me from being tired and allow me to regain some focus.

 

[kiny]

I try to get some extra sleep in where I can.

Make sure you're not short on iron and becoming anemic btw, tiredness is often a sign of underlying issues.

 

[Kero]

I have no issues with coffee, thankfully! If I get super tired I get up and move around, change up tasks etc.

 

[Amanda89]

The most difficult thing for me is waking up in the mornings - but it helps that my dog won't let me sleep late, because he needs me to take him out to do his business. He'll jump around, bark, whine, anything he can to wake me up.

Like NGNG, I use coffee for an energy boost when I need to, but I'm lucky in that it doesn't typically upset my stomach to drink it. I also agree with McCindy, that moving around and taking a break from your routine helps as well - chatting with someone, stepping outside for a moment, going for a snack, or even checking Facebook for a couple minutes all distract me from being tired and allow me to regain some focus.

I know that feeling. The little troublemaker in my display picture doesn't like to sleep past 7am! Also I like the idea of having an excuse to check Facebook haha.

I've spent past couple of days moving about a bit more in the office and also not wearing too many layers as I get very hot which just causes me to be more sleepy.

 

[mccindy]

I had a bed buddy at 3 am this morning, and then 2 just before 5 am. My dogs like to get outside by 5 am (they are definitely on a schedule) so weekends are for getting up early, quick trips outside, and then back to bed if possible!

 

[jlm]

oh how I miss coffee...
Mornings are super rough for me. And then about 2 oclock in the afternoon I start crashing.

My motivation are the bills I need to pay. I have no other options but to be awake from 830-530 and be at work lol.

 

[Lottie93]

The mornings are the worst for me. I just tell myself that ill feel better once I'm up and out and drag myself out of bed have a shower and house errands. Its hard when you know that despite a goods night sleep you will still feel tired!

I recently cut out the coffee as i found it would give me an energy high but then i would crash majorly and i relied on it too much! So instead i have a green tea/ginger tea something warm to wake me up along with some light fruit.

Ive almost given up trying to stay awake in lectures thou, no matter what i do, sometimes even if i have a coffee, i will fall asleep right in front of the lecturer, i don't even realise i have till i wake up. One stopped the lecture to wake me up as they thought i had fainted....was rather embarrassing haha

I just try and push through the day and on the weekends and evenings i rest rest rest! Exercising does help, i walk 20 minutes to uni everyday and it really wakes me up.

Make sure you listen to your body sometimes with flaring your body just needs rest.

 

[Amanda89]

I have to admit, I think for the first time in a while I listened to my body last night. I'd have such a rubbish sleep the night before and spent most of yesterday in pain and/or on the toilet and was supposed to go and see my friend in the evening which I cancelled and just went to bed with a warm drink, painkillers and a hot water bottle. I feel bad cancelling plans at short notice, but I think sometimes you need to be selfish.

 

[Kero]

I hear ya on canceling plans on short notice I feel like such a jerk, but my husband keeps reminding me, that my health is number 1 and if my friends don't realise that, then they aren't good friends

 

[mccindy]

The last couple of nights I've been so tired I was falling asleep on the couch. I felt bad going to bed so early (8 pm) but as my hubs reminded me, it's more important to get the sleep my body is telling me I need.