I Wish Days Were Longer AKA How Can I Stop Being Sleepy All The Time?

[Philociraptor]

I feel like I never get to do anything I used to enjoy anymore (video games, watch a tv show or two, even read books). Without doing any of that and focusing on requirements (work, eat, workout, sleep), I'm generally tired most of the day. My sleepiness peaks around 3 pm (I literally can't stay awake). Here's a sample day:

On workout days I get up around 6 a.m. to get ready, make breakfast, and drive to work. I get off at 5. Get home around 5:30. Change and go to the gym with my girlfriend around 6. Get back around 8 (stupid resolutioners make our workouts stupidly long). Then make dinner together (usually about an hour). Then we eat around 9, make tea around 9:30, and go up to my room around 10.

I wake up SO TIRED every morning, even though I'm getting around 7.5 hours of sleep (10:30-6). It's maddening how little time there is in a day. What do y'all do to make time for things you enjoy while still getting enough sleep?

[67alecto]

Are you eating enough? If you are working out regularly and feeling tired, chances are that you are not.

I have to get up at 5am, so I need to get to bed by 1000pm ideally. I work 600am-500pm, so that only leaves about 5 hours on work nights to fit in picking up the kids, cooking/eating dinner, working out, shower, etc. I try to save all of my errands for my off days to free up time, and I'll cook food in batches on those days so I can save time during the week.

But it also comes down to priorities - last night, for example, I had to go to the store and ended up buying some more fresh salmon. I took the time to cook that, eat dinner, and then had a great workout. As a result, I passed on playing any computer games even though I'm really getting into Batman Arkham Asylum (I'm way behind on computer games).

[Naturally]

What are you eating? Sounds like a sugar peak and trough to me, its the right time of the day for it.

[21katykat01]

I'd really take a close look at what you're eating, but I'd also consider doing some workouts at home. I think it's great you're going with your girlfriend, and you should still do that some days, but why not do a couple of shorter home workouts a week? That'd cut quite a lot of time out of that schedule for you to chill out

[Philociraptor]

Generally for lunch I eat leftovers or Chipotle. No fruits, so sugar crash doesn't really work.

My girlfriend and I work out 3 times a week, Starting Strength style, so we can't exactly replicate that at home, need racks and barbells.

[161803398874989]

Try not to eat as close to bedtime, which ought to get you to sleep a little sooner. Also, like the others said, take a look at your food intake.

A nap at around 15:00 may also help resolve any problems you're currently having. Keep it short, though, twenty minutes to half an hour max.

Also, go to bed every night at 22:00, get up at 6:00. EVERY night, for at least two weeks straight. No sleeping in/staying up late during weekends. This will teach your body that 22:00 to 6:00 is sleepytime.

An ideal fix would be, of course, to prevent having to get up so early.

[Philociraptor]

I guess I could eat more, though I already feel like in stuffing my face. Here's what I expect today to look like by the end:

Breakfast: two large omega-3 enriched eggs, 4 slices of sugar-free US Wellness bacon

Lunch: Chipotle salad with double chicken and guacamole

Pre-workout snack: handful of blueberries/blackberries OR an apple with almond butter

Post-workout: 1 serving 30g protein powder in water or coconut water (depends how hard the workout is)

Dinner: about a cup of homemade spaghetti (half-and-half spaghetti squash and meat sauce made with grass fed beef)

After dinner: part of an orange with my tea

On the nap thing: that's grounds for termination around here =( I've never been much of a napper anyway, other than a cat nap here and there (5-20 minutes, in and out of sleep)

[This is Seth]

On the nap thing: that's grounds for termination around here =( I've never been much of a napper anyway, other than a cat nap here and there (5-20 minutes, in and out of sleep)

You have obviously not perfected the "extended bathroom stay" or the "grabbing something from the supply closet" moves.

[pixelpusher]

I don't remember seeing how big you are, but really, you are probably not eating enough overall to make gains AND be a functional human bieng....

[oystergirl]

One thing that can help, especially at work if you are tired is making sure you do a bit of stretching every few hours and also learn some breathing exercises. Doing breath of fire can definitely beat away the fatigue and get you motivated.

In life, I have found it is very important to find some time for you and do you things. Its like a secret little surprise. So, if you want to watch your tv show, tape it and then find time for it, even if it is on the weekends. Life is not about slogging its supposed to be a bit enjoyable and the older you get the more you will realize this!

[K Po]

Just a random question: what kind of tea are you drinking and is it caffeinated? Everyone's different, but something that's helped me is limiting the caffeine, especially before going to sleep.

[Philociraptor]

Size: 186 lbs, down from 208 lbs back in September.

Breath of fire? What is that? Sounds awesome.

Herbal tea. Either "bedtime" or peppermint (my favorite).

[21katykat01]

Also, although it doesn't make a huuuuge difference but does help, drink *loads* of water during the day. Keeping yourself hydrated means your brain is happier, which is always a plus. 2L at least, more on workout days. When I worked in an office I had chronic fatigue due to lots of things, and although it didn't cure it, drinking a good bit of water when I started to get tired perked me up and meant I got better sleep, digested my food better, etc.