So I’m a 20 year old single mom, I work 3rd shift over 40 hours a week. I have been feeling so guilty lately. Before I started working at my new job my energy was low, but since I’ve started working here my energy has dropped like crazy (I’ve been here a few months). By the Time I get off work and home it’s 7:30 am and my daughter gets up by 8-8:30. She’s 18 months and very active. Loves to constantly be moving, getting into stuff, dancing and anything active. She will take a nap (most days) around 2 for and hour and a half and that’s when I get to sleep. I am so exhausted in more ways than one. I have been feeling like a really bad mom and really guilty because sometimes I just don’t want to play with her because I don’t have any energy and it makes her upset so I will end up playing but it will be short bursts of me playing. Some days I have good days and I do a lot with her and I always try to put in the effort. I never let her have a bad day where we don’t do anything but some of the time I just can’t. I am literally going on less than 3 hours of sleep a day all but 2 days a week when she has daycare and those two days are also the days where I get time to get cleaning and most errands done. I don’t know how to get my energy back up or how to calm my anxiety. I want to be a good, fun and active mom and I really feel like I’m failing. I’m just so tired. I know all moms are tired. How do I fix this??
You’re exhausted. If you don’t have help with the baby so you can sleep in the daytime I don’t see how you can work nights. I’d look for a day job or put her in daycare or hire a sitter on days you need to sleep.
I would ask a cousin or family friend to help one day a week, someone you trust. Just to allow you to get a few hours of sleep. They can play with baby and watch her…perhaps someone is willing to do it for free?! That’d be great.
I was in your boat. Worked, prepped everything by myself and drove so much got home and could not hold my baby, I was so tired. I ended up quitting, but in part because my husband was able to take over. I still feel very guilty about not working tho but I couldn’t handle it. I needed time with my baby. 
You can’t poor from an empty cup hun, maybe see if you can get some help for a few hours with your daughter so you can get some sleep. As for the guilt, don’t feel guilty for providing for your daughter. Just try and make the time you do spend together quality time.
You are anything but a bad mom! You are working hard to provide for your child. Sadly yes this makes you exhausted and you don’t have the energy all the time to do everything you want to do with your child. I would tell you to stop feeling guilty, but after 9 years of raising my daughter by myself I still feel that way some times. Here’s the thing, you child will grow up and see how much you have sacrificed for them, how hard you worked to keep a roof over their heads and food on their plate. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Try to find someone to watch your child for play dates 1 or 2 days a week (single parent groups are great for this). But the most important thing, give yourself a break. You are doing all you can do, the very best you can do it.
You need help…your mom cousin someone so you can get sleep