Sleeping Sound?

I just received a request from a friend to ask about sleep. You may recall a while back I did a post about how much sleep our kids getting (Up With the Birds) but this is an inquiry into how much sleep YOU are getting.
"How much sleep are we getting? Not how much is necessary from a medical standpoint, but how much are we really getting? And are we functioning well with the amount we are getting? I am just curious - because with kiddies getting up in the night, we often don't get ideal sleep - and it would just be interesting to know what other people are getting out there and how that is working out for them. Maybe if we have a bad night and we know others survive with little sleep too, it will give us some motivation! Or maybe people can share tips for having energy when they have gotten little sleep."

I also have done a post about how to get more energy (But...yawn...I'm too tired) if you want to check it out.
But mostly PLEASE drop us a comment and let us know about your sleep and how you deal with it!

Up With the Birds

This is my bed. It is very comfortable. It is empty nearly every morning by 6:00am. So sad. :(
My children are early risers. I complain about it a lot. It wouldn't be so bad but it just gets old that is every day, weekends and holidays!
I would love to know what time everyone else's children get up. Mostly to know if I can feel sorry for myself or not! But also I think it would be interesting for all of us to see what other kids are doing.
Here are the approximate sleep schedules of my children:
They both go to bed between 7:30pm and 8:00pm.
Eliza (age 2) wakes up at least once in the middle of the night to pee
Tyson (age 4) randomly wakes up sometimes in the middle of the night also.
They wake up between 5:30 and 6:30am.
Eliza naps between 1:00pm and 3:00pm.
Tyson and nap don't even belong in the same sentence because that would be a small miracle if that ever happened.
I seriously wonder all the time if this is normal. I know other people with children who wake up early but is it normal or the exception?
Any more tips out there for getting children to sleep longer in the morning?
The Baby Whisperer has a method called "Wake-to-Sleep" where you gently wake the child up an hour or so before they usually wake up. They are supposed to go right back to sleep because they will still be tired. This will start their sleep cycle over and, if all goes according to plan, they should sleep longer that morning. If you do this for several nights she says they will start sleeping longer on their own without your intervention. I have tried it a few times and they do sleep longer on that day but I've never stuck with it long enough to see if I can permanently change their sleep. Has anyone out there tried this before? Just curious.

But...yawn...I'm too tired

Most days I feel like a slug by lunchtime. I usually am so tired that I don't have much motivation to make a good lunch. Afterward, I drag myself up the stairs and put Eliza down for a nap. Then I read with Tyson for a little bit until all the words start slurring. Tyson then usually watches a movie while I go crash. I don't need to sleep for long but I always lament the time I spend zonked out while my kids are otherwise occupied. I could get so much done during this time! So I decided to do a little research about how to get more energy. Thought I would share with you my findings, because I think I'm not alone here. At least I tell myself that so I don't feel super lazy!
(Disclaimer: This is just what I read on the internet, which means it might not all be absolutely scientific and 100% factual. )

Lets start with DIET:

• Eat several small meals and snacks throughout the day instead of three large meals. That way your body has a steady supply of nutrients and you will avoid overeating (which can make you drowsy).
• Eat foods with low glycemic indexes-their sugars are absorbed more slowly. These include whole grains, high fiber vegetables, and proteins.
• Make sure you have enough Vitamin C and Vitamin B12. A deficiency in both will cause fatigue.
• Don't smoke-nicotine is a stimulant which raises your heart rate and your blood pressure and can cause insomnia.
• Use caffeine sparingly-it is also a stimulant that can give you a temporary fix but could leave you more fatigued in the end. It can also cause insomnia (not to mention addiction!)
• Drink Water!!!! The first symptom of being short of fluids is fatigue. You can skip sugary drinks (like juice and soda) and cut out the sports drinks unless you are participating in a demanding endurance event. Water is what we need to drink to be properly hydrated.
• Other foods that can make you tired: Turkey, milk, foods high in fat, alcohol, and just plain overeating.

Now lets move on to SLEEP:

• Get 8 hours of sleep at night-if you can. (Babies and children sometimes are not cooperative in this arena) Going to bed earlier sometimes is the only option some of us have.
• Take a power nap in the afternoon if possible. (Yes! This is a relief to me.) Our bodies are designed for a quick nap in the afternoon because we naturally get tired then. But keeping it between 15-30 minutes is the key. Longer naps can be harder to wake from and they can also interfere with night time sleep.

And now to EXERCISE:

• Exercise a little every day. Even if its just a 15 minute walk. It helps you to sleep more soundly, gives your cells more energy to burn, promotes better oxygen circulation, and helps to release epinephrine and norepinephrine (a hormone that helps you to feel energized).
• And this category-I will just call SIMPLIFYING:
• Reduce stress-Stress induced emotions can be very draining.
• Avoid being overworked-ha!
• Disorganization and chaos can waste energy as you try to navigate through it.
• Being around negative people can alter your mood and being in a negative mood makes you tired.
• Technological tie-downs-Being available 100% of the time through phones and email-take a break people!
• Having too much stuff-Its too hard to actually use and maintain all that stuff we collect.
• Being angry-Count to 10 and learn to forgive.

Last but certainly not least is MEDICAL ISSUES.

• Many physical problems can cause fatigue. To name a few: infections, diabetes, thyroid disease, anemia, depression, and pregnancy. In fact, one website I looked at gave 2704 medical reasons for being tired. If you try all the other tips and still are chronically fatigued it may be time to see a doctor.

No more dragging myself through the latter half of the day. I am going to start right now to try to improve my energy. Who's with me?! Anyone else have anything they do that helps?

Here are the sites I used to get this info:
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/sym/fatigue.htm
http://www.healthmad.com/Health/Energy-Zappers.40735
http://ezinearticles.com/?Five-Foods-That-Can-Zap-Your-Energy&id=1366918
https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/HEALTHbeat_060706.htm#art1
http://www.ehow.com/how_4510647_get-more-energy-naturally.html