How to have more energy when you’re a Mum with a babe who doesn’t sleep

So today I want to talk about how to have more energy when you’re a Mum and you’re not getting a full night’s sleep. (So… basically all of us.) You can either watch the vid below or read on for the transcript.

I think there are lots of articles and things written out there about how to have more energy and the number one thing they say is go to bed earlier. Like that’s even an option when you have a baby who won’t go the F to sleep.

So let’s talk about the practical, somewhat obvious, but things we often forget when we’re brain-numbingly tired, ways to have more energy when you’re a Mum.

How to have more energy

Eat the right food

It’s obvious, but it’s often the first thing that we let go of when you’re incredibly tired, and that’s to eat the right food.  I know that you want to go straight for the coffee and sugar, but actually that is going to only make you feel worse in the long run. If you can, try and limit your caffeine intake, all it does is make you fly high and then crash and burn.

In regards to food, try and include a protein with every meal so that you’ve got that slow-release fuel. And as much as you can, try and eat fresh fruit and veggies. Also making sure you’re having enough water is a really quick way to win when you’re feeling lethargic.

Get moving.

I know that when you haven’t had any sleep, you really just want to lie on the couch and just veg out. But if you can just get ten minutes in of some kind of movement to get your blood pumping, you’re going to feel way better than if you do nothing at all.

You could head over practice a quick ten minute yoga class or even just dance around the kitchen with the kids. Or try the yoga for exhaustion class I’ve added below.

Nap or Nidra

So ideally, you’ll nap when your kids nap, but it doesn’t always happen that way does it? If you don’t get the blessed nap, try a yoga nidra instead. It is a guided meditation that will take you through relaxing the whole body and should get you to that place floaty place you go to just before you fall asleep. If you can find time for 15 to 20 minutes of a yoga nidra, it gives you the benefits of having a couple of extra hours sleep – winning!

Don’t be afraid to call in back up

Sometimes you have to just prioritize you over everything else and call in back up to get the sleep you need. Maybe that means your husband has to take a sick day so that you can have some rest. Maybe it means that you need to call in your Mum or a friend. Maybe you can do a kid’s swap with another Mum so you can get an extra two hours just to sleep. Lack of sleep is a form of torture and I know I don’t need to tell you that, so there is no point being a martyr about it.  No one is judging you, and if it seems like we are, it’s just that we’re so goddam tired we now have permanent resting bitch face.

So that’s my top tips to have more energy when you’re a Mum of a babe who doesn’t sleep. Do you have some no-fail tips of your own? Share them with us below. xx