Energy - Mooreland,OK

Hang in there J.! After reading the posts you have a lot of advice, and hopefully something will work for you. I agree with all the other moms on vitamins. A good one can make a big difference. Anytime you can get extra sleep, take the opportunity - I understand you can not do it regularly, so take it when you can get it. My mom gave me this recipe when I had my first child, it helps me and tastes great too. It's a smoothie called Mother's Pickup:
6 oz orange juice
1/2 banana
2-4 ice cubes
Blend for 2 minutes and Enjoy! Easy to double (I usually do)

Just another idea for you. Hope things get easier soon! ~M

Do you drink coffee in the morning? Coffee is really good for you. They have all of these new studies out about health benefits from drinking it. I don't get a lot of sleep either. You can also drink caffeinated drinks in the afternoon. I do those flavored green tea ones in water bottles. I think that this will give you a boost and be better than the excedrine.

While there is no subsititue for getting the amount of sleep you need, if you are using something like Excedrin Migraine that you were using, definately switch to good ol' coffee or tea! It is much better for you than taking medicine that is for something you aren't even having (migraines). Coffee and tea have health benefits anyway, so it isn't harmful. The best thing is to get more sleep, but if you can't, then drink coffee or tea instead of taking any sort of pills. I wouldn't suggest caffeine pills like No-Doz, because I think they have more caffeine than a cup of coffee and make you jittery. And stay away from all those energy drinks like Red Bull. You'll have a rush and then crash later.

In all honesty, I cannot believe all the comments from women who self medicate. Caffine is a drug & may seem like a blessing when you are dragging the floor but it is not the answer. A perfect example is my mom is just leaving the hospital today after being there a week from a bleeding ulcer caused by her self medicating with Excedrin Migraine. She receieved this huge list of over the counter things she cannot take anymore due to the massive amounts of specific ingrediants that erode your stomach lining as well as do damage to your kidneys & liver. It is a very long list.
I am in the same boat, I have a 5 year old that started kindergarten this year & an 8 month old who does not sleep through the night. There are times I feel drunk when I wake up I am soooo tired. The only way I can survive is by taking a nap with him sometime before I pick my daughter up from school. I still would LOVE to have a magic pill but the only other option is excersize which may be ideal but I do not have any extra time for that in my daily routine as of yet.
You might ask your husband to assist you in some of your nightly chores & for heaven sakes, go to bed. You state that you stay up late for some "ME" time. I suggest your "ME" time be spent sleeping.

J.,
I am not going to sugar coat this message because i feel that it is THAT important that you hear this... THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR SLEEP!
You are working a full-time job (albeit at home) ofhow many hours a week? I'll bet close to 60. Thats just the day care, then as a mom, probably 80 hrs, then as the families maid, cook, dishwasher, do I need to keep going or are you getting the picture?
Yes, you absolutely need ME time, probably more than you are getting. I am so glad that you care about your health enough to have stopped taking the exedrine everyday. But what are you going to do when you can't take the stress of what you are doing to yourself everyday? At the rate you are going you will burn out and SOON, who's going to take up the slack when that happens?
Here's my advice...
1. Talk to yourhusband, show him the letter you wrote and this one too and the other ones you will be getting that say the same thing and get firm and tell him that he will have to do the laundry after work.
2. Hire a teenager or young single-mom to come and work with you during the day, or night whichever is going to give you the biggest break and have her helpwith chores, and baths, and kids and cooking and whatever else, even if you can only afford to have her come three days a week, or four hours a day.
3. Part of your ME time has to include the REST that your body needs. If you don't sleep you cannot function. God made you this way to give you the time you need to regenerate and replenish your body and your mind.
Please do these things and GET SOME SLEEP -- your family needs you!!

With Christian Love,
from A Mom Who Knows

Hi J.,
I think (My Daddy used to say Everybody has 2 things, 1 is an Opinion... so :-) you should have "Me time" SLEEPING.
Not getting enough sleep is MUCH more damaging to your health than getting the "me time" you need.
WHen your hubby is home (I'm guessing that's weekends) have him take the kids away from the house for at least 3 hours and that will give you time to have an hour to 1.5 hour nap and THEN you can have REAL "Me Time" with no interruptions of "Mommy, I have to go to the bathroom" or "I need a drink of water" or all the other things we end up stopping what we might be doing for ourselves to Do for our children.
Also-during the day you could schedule "quiet time" the kids could play quietly for about 20 minutes (maybe AFTER daycare hours ;-) and you could start dinner maybe and then take 10-15 minutes for scrapbooking while your kids read/do another activity that isn't crazy Loud so you can concentrate to get some "me time".
As I said, I think we as a nation are functioning so poorly b/c we Aren't Sleeping.
Just my nickle-hope it helps.
C.

Try takilng vitamin B after lunch. A multi vitamin might work,too. Do not take them at night because this can keep you awake all night.

SCHEDULE SISTER - your body is telling youit needs more rest han 5 hours. I work full time so have no choice but to schedule almost everything. Schedule some of the work you stay up late doing for your less busy times of the day. Give yourself a night off or ask for some help from your devoted husband. You will be surprised what they will do for you when you ask them. Good luck and stay strong.

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First of all J., your body repairs itself during sleep. If you are tired all the time that should be sending up red flags. You are doing yourself, your family and the little ones you care for a disservice. As far as your back and foot pain, I recommend seeing a hiropractor. I'm a nurse by proession and my chiropractor had me diagnosed as I limped through the door. He put me in orthotic shoes, did some adjusting and the my back and foot pain completely resolved.
Yes, Excedrine can cause kidney damage with excessive/extended use. You need to fix the problem and more sleep will help. Good luck and God bless.
A.

From one J. to another, Try your best to get more sleep, at least 7 hours. Also drinking plenty of water and eating healthy meals should give you more energy. Taking vitamins? They may also help.
J.

Hi! Your life is tailor-made for FLYlady! Go to FLYlady.net & the help you need in conquering Mt. Washmore and doing your housework (and daycare cleaning) is just waiting there for you. The best thing about FLYlady is she's free! Also, there are SuperMom vitamins that my daughter does not want to do without. They are available at Beeyoutiful.com.
Give them both a try. And great job on stopping the meds!
You can continue to live in 'luxury' of raising your children without sacrificing your body and it's needs. That's a recipe for burn-out. Bless you in this neglected mission-field.
D.

Sweetheart, if you can ever learn to "rest" in God, I mean REALLY spend real time (and "real time" ISN'T always about quantity, either).....if you can simply take time to acknowledge Him first and foremost before your day gets started, surrendering your life, business, and all of your concerns for that day into His hands, you WILL know the peace that you need to make it throughout your day. This, I GUARANTEE! The frustrations and anxieties of life will "rip" your body and mind apart, but the peace of God which passes ALL understanding WILL GUARD and keep your heart, mind, and body. And I know you can do it, because He's ALWAYS available. Be blessed.

Try Mona Vie juice (just plug in the name on google and you can order it). An alternative would be pomegranate juice w/ acai berry. A glass of that will re-energize you safely. This will also help you sleep better. Can you grab a short nap while the children are napping? Good luck hon.

Wow! I feel your pain! There are many nights I only get around 5 hours of sleep as well. I urge you to try to figure out a solution for you to have more "me" time. Is there any way your husband could watch the kids even for an hour so you could spend some time doing something for yourself? Even if it was just taking a bubble bath!
About your energy level.. my biggest suggestion is to take a really good multi-vitamin with a high B-complex. Also, there are some good sublingual B supplements. I use one in the mid-afternoon when I start dragging and it works wonders!
Also, theres a supplement called Emergence.. you can even get this one at walmart. it is a tasty drink mix and gets me going!

I know you don't want to hear this BUT you NEED more sleep. Also, the caffeine is your enemy not your friend. If you could possibly "re-asssign" your chores to different nights (Laundry - Mon & Wed, Cleaning Tues & Thur) and enlist your husband's help! Nobody ever died from a little housework (yet!) You should have a physical to make sure there is no medical reason for your exhaustion. Make sure you aren't consuming "empty" calories and are having a healthy diet. Good Luck!

I drink a Crystal Light "Energy" Drink. Its only 5 cal. and it contains caffeine and Vitamin B

Hi J.,

I keep both flavors (pomegranate or regular) of our tea on hand if you would for me to send you a sample of each. I like them for several reasons, but mainly because they also contain taurine. Believe me, one cup will have you like the energizer bunny.

You can read the Product Brief at: http://www.shaklee.net/thewrightplace/product/20337

Then email me directly at: ____@____.com if you'd like to sample.

~V~

Drink plenty of water and use Shaklee supplements. Good multi and Vivix will make you feel GREAT!!!

KUDOS to you for being such a great mother!

T.
http://www.wellnessiseasy.com

I also take 2 a day at least but for different reasons. My doctor told me that was fine. It really is only a problem if you take several a day for years. If you are still worried about it you might try drinking some coffee instead. It is the same ingredient in Tylenol that is in the excedrine that can be harmful, not the cafeine. Just a thought.

Hi J.!
I can totally feel for you, I work a full 40+ (usually averages around 50-55 hrs per week)as an office supervisor as well as being a full time wife & mother. I only have 1 beautiful little girl and it has worked for me to up the vitemins in my routine! They make a womans one a day that has extra b's & a little shot of natural caffine. I personally live on caffine~I DO NOT RECOMMEND ENERGY DRINKS! The crash and burn on these things really make you moody. Hang in there mama, we can make it I know we can!

Take Vitamin B Complex!!! It works for me! Good luck.

I ususally grab a 5 or 6 hour energy drink. I prefer the one they show on t.v. commercials. The 5 hour comes in a red bottle and the 6 hour comes in a black bottle.

The 5 hour has no caffeine and mostly depends on a combination of B Vitamins along with other necessary vitamins.

The 6 hour has an herbal extract added to it and does contain caffeine.

I usually only drink half then the other half about 2 or 3 hours later. The last time I drank the whole thing at once I got all hot and flushed from the niacin.

I am happy to report that it really works though. My husband and I were on a 11 hour road trip to colorado after already working a 10 hour day shift. I grabbed us each a 6 hour energy drink at k-mart and WOO...we were wide awake after that!

Good luck. I hope you find something that works for you.

M.
www.enidmg.com

I understand the need for some "me" time and it sounds like you have a full plate. However, the human body was not meant to run on so little sleep. You will wear down in a few years and end up with a lot of health problems that can be prevented now. Recruit your husband to help with some of the chores. You didn't say how old your children are, but they can help too before they go to bed. Even a 2yr old can do little things like pick up toys or help fold washcloths. It not only teaches the kids responsibility, but gives you that alone time that we all crave at the end of the day. As far as getting a little enery boost, try Shaklee energy tea. My mom drinks one everyday and has plenty of energy to keep up with my niece and nephew (4yrs and 3yrs) for 8 hours every day. The pomegranate one is really good and they are inexpensive. Stay away from caffeine as much as you can. It's addidictive.
J.

I am glad you quit taking the exedrine migraine because it is an aspirin product so unless you need the blood thinner...its not good for you.

Hmm I get the same amount of sleep. I have started taking Nature Made B-complex vitamin. I got a free sample from them at www.naturemade.com and got a 14 day free supply. It has really helped. I still drink a lot of caffeine, and a rare treat of a green tea iced frappacino from Starbucks to volt me!

Be safe!

I highly recommend a multi-vitamin everyday. I take the One-A-Day Energy every morning. It might take a few days for the body to get used to. I know if I miss a dose, it takes about two doses to get me back on track. Since everyone's body is different, you might want to try different ones, but that's the one that helps me.

first and foremost, i must bow to your incredible multitasking skills. i feel overwhelmed with just two kids, but you are super mom! I definately get the lack of sleep issues. My husband works nights and has trouble sleeping during the day, so sometimes he uses those 5 hour energy shot thingies. from what i have read, they are all natural supplements, and are no more tricky than getting a B vitamin injection from the doctor. Other than that, it sounds like you deserve a vacation. And if you don't deserve one, nobody does. Best of luck

Hi J.,

As a mother of six in ten years, I was dragging around. First, DON"T try to be supermom. Sleep (at least try to lay down when the kids nap) and the thing that really helped most was Super B complex. They are water soluble so you won't overdose. Just follow the directions on the bottle. Does make your urine turn really yellow.

Take care of J.! It was a hard lesson for me to learn but, there is life after babies. Five hours sleep is not enough for a robot so grab a 20 minute snooze a couple of times just to get refreshed. Take a bubble bath. Your house doesn't need to be a showcase, it needs to be a happy place for the kids to grow up in and not feel pressured because "Mommie" is racing around making things perfect.

Is it possible to get a part-time helper to clean a little or watch the kids for a couple of hours?

Good luck to you, I have walked a mile in your moccasins and there some rocks in the road, it is hard but rewarding work.

J. P.

Hi J.
I feel for you girl I don't sleep much my self and although the best thing would be more sleep the next best thing would be Arbonne's new 'Go Fizzing Beverage Tablets' they are good for you ... keep you from getting hungry ... and they keep you going!!
Check out my Mom owned business and call me for free shipping!! B.

WELL AFTER POSTING I READ THE ABOUT ME AND SAW WHERE YOU HAD A DAYCARE SO NAPPING IS OUT OF THE QUESTION ... HOPE YOU FIGURE SOMETHING OUT)

What works for me is napping when my kids nap. We all shut down for the afternoon from 1 to 3. Its become a family thing we even make a point of returning home by 1 to crash when out running errands. People who know us know to not disturb us during these hours. In the past we were a family of bickering people and unhappy kids who simply were running on fumes so with that said, take a nap with you kid.. Turn off tv, phones, etc... and pile up on the bed take a seista with them. Time will come sooner enuff they won't let you touch them much less cuddle with them and you'l be getting more sleep by then and dream back on the days you napped with the babes.

Hi, J.,
I have 2 wonderful children, ages 13 and 15. When they were little, I too would find myself dragging in the afternoon. I am very big on natural health, so when I heard about a "parents' cocktail", I had to try it. It works great, has no caffeine or detrimental health effects. And it's easy and not expensive! Drink 6 or 8 ounces of orange juice and take 2 tablets of Brewer's Yeast (available at Wal-Mart.) Brewer's Yeast has B vitamins which are helpful against stress. Another energy booster my husband, kids and I use is "Emergen-C", a drink mix. I buy it at Wal-Mart. It has 1000 mg of Vitamin C and B vitamins. Raspberry is our favorite flavor. Also, a bit of exercise in the afternoon with the kids can be an energy booster - if you can fit it in! Good luck to you and God bless!
D.

This is what works for me -
- 6 hrs of uninterrupted sleep and upto 8 hrs of total sleep.
- vitamins (not exceeding 100% of FDA's daily allowance)
- sometimes, an extra dose of vitamin B complex
- deep breathing
- eating small portions of high-fiber carbs every 2 hours
- 20-30 continuous minutes of daily exercise
- being happy and positive
- drinking enough water (or tea)
- a 10-15 minutes power nap in the afternoon
- eating more green veggies
- snacking on banana, apple, almonds, peanuts, yogurt
Avoid sugary, fatty, fried, processed foods and alcohol. I drink caffeine sparingly ... just a few sips 1-2 times a month, for a jolt of energy. Finally, remember to respect your body's need for rest. Good luck.

Kellogs protein plus cereal to start your day. I found it gives me tons of energy. My friend took a St. Francis health study and they recommended it and it really does work. Plus drink lots of water and exercise daily to flush out any over the counter medications you do end up taking. I have to take prescription medications daily due to a back surgery and at times when I come off of them the only thing that gets me through the withdrawal stage is exercise. I talked to friends who don't exercise and it takes them a lot longer to get the drugs out of their system. So I know it really works because this is a two year battle for me and when they check my enzymes for my liver I've been great so far even after two years of off again on again. Try to avoid the meds if you can but if you can't definately exericise and drink lots of water and no alcoholic beverages. I also like what one person said about vitamins and she gave you a list of things you should try taking and doing. Sounds like good advice!

Hello

Prevention.com has a great article on "eating for all day energy".

Vitamin B & magnesium are good natural energy boosters. You could also try bee pollen. But with any of these, make sure your lack of energy is just lack of sleep and not lack of nutrients, as these will cause you to burn more energy. If you're not eating healthy and whole foods, you'll start burnig muscle instead, and that'll lead to even more fatigue. Atkins has a large selection of safe alternatives, just ask someone there to help find the right one for you :}