Just to add my twopence worth (ex military, ex-QFI, did ATPL academics by distance learning many years ago) I think both the previous posters have given you good advice.
If you have a limited ration of time off/leave or whatever I would save it for the flying, because that is where you need the continuity.
I would have thought that as you currently work in IT you have probably developed some fairly sound studying skills and methods and so I would have thought you could cope with the academics by part time and/or distance learning.