I vividly remember how draining sleep deprivation was. For a long time I struggled through, believing I just had to ‘suck it up’ and ‘deal with it’. That was until I finally discovered there were things I could do to support my body. Here's 10 things you can do to support yourself:
1. Vitamins and minerals. Check you are getting enough of the vitamins and minerals essential for energy production particularly b12, magnesium, iron, CoQ10. In theory, we should be able to get all we need from our food, but it’s not quite that simple. First, you probably have very little time or energy to create nutritionally balanced meals for yourself so you grab whatever is nearest when you are hungry; second, our soil is low in magnesium and if the soil doesn’t have it then neither will our food, so even if you are eating well you still may not be getting enough of what you need; third, stress plays havoc with our gut flora and that can impact what we absorb, so even if you are getting what you need through your diet you still need to be able to absorb it. A Naturopath or Dr can help you find the right supplements for your body.
2. Support your adrenal glands. In times of stress, and yes sleep deprivation does count as a time of stress, our adrenal glands work overtime. Support your adrenal glands by increasing your Vit-C, belly breathing and reducing sugar intake and stimulants such as caffeine and chocolate. Tip: the more greens you eat the less sugar you’ll crave. Instead of trying to go without sugar try eating more greens and watch your sugar intake fall.
3. Greens for breakfast. A smoothie or breakfast salad is a great way to up your intake of greens and are quick to prepare. Just watch the fruit content in your smoothie, you want more greens that fruit. I recommend berries as they are lower in sugar.
4. Reduce your coffee intake. It may sound harsh but coffee will have your already stressed adrenal glands even more under the pump. You could swap coffee for tea – tea contains an antioxidant that helps your body process caffeine, lessening the impact on your adrenal glands
5. Stop being hard on yourself. Many of us suffer from comparisonitis or are trying to live up to what we perceive to be a ‘good mum’. We wonder ‘what’s wrong with me that I’m finding this so hard? Everyone else makes it look so easy’. Thing is, we are rarely comparing apples with apples. Those mums you are comparing yourself to probably aren’t being woken up all through the night. Tip: try replacing the word ‘should’ with ‘could’ on your to do list eg ‘I should go to the gym’ becomes ‘I could go to the gym’. Instantly easing the guilt and pressure and making it more appealing.
6. Prioritise catnaps. That pile of washing that needs to be put away is very quickly replaced by the next pile of washing. No one of any importance to you is going to judge you because you delayed folding the washing by 10 or even (god forbid) 20 mins to take a quick catnap.
7. Embrace calming exercise. Walking, yoga, meditation will all help reduce the burden of stress on your body.
8. Break of ground hog day. Changing up our routine even just a little can create an energy shift.
9. Get outside. Nature is a great for de-stressing.
10. Do something that brings you joy, even just for a few mins. Sleep deprivation doesn’t take all your energy away over night, it’s a gradual decline. So gradual that you don’t see the changes from day to day, but before you know it you are in survival mode and have forgotten what feeling good feels like and what you enjoy doing. Think back to things you enjoyed as a kid, make a list if necessary and add them into your day from time to time. When I was in survival mode I forgot how much I loved listening to music, everything was so much more enjoyable once I brought it back into my life.
I could end this by saying “remember it won’t last forever” but that’s a completely useless and condescending piece of advice that does nothing to help you get through this period.
Instead, remember looking after yourself is essential, not selfish!