Setting Yourself Up For The Day When You’ve Not Slept Enough
Running the ‘night shift’ when you have a baby or young children isn’t easy and it’s even harder when you’ve got to get up in the morning and carry on as normal. On top of that, many of you will be doing all you can to relieve your partner because they’ve got to get up and ready for their working day at the crack of dawn but don’t forget, you’ve got to keep a little one(s) alive for the rest of the day too! A task that can seem incredibly daunting and seemingly impossible when you’re sleep-deprived. So, what can you do when you’ve had a tiring night and still have a whole day to get through by yourself? Here’s my top tips on how to survive until bedtime when you’re running on empty…
Start your day with some slow-release breakfast foods. Your body will be craving sugary foods to keep itself going but put those pastries down — they’re only going to leave you feeling even more sluggish in a few hours time! Instead, try foods such as poached or scrambled eggs with spinach, oatmeal with a topping of sliced banana, smashed avocado on wholemeal toast or a portion of oily fish with green vegetables. It’s also advised that you eat breakfast within an hour of waking to give your metabolism the boost it needs.
Ask for help. Text/call around your family and friends to see if anybody is available to lend a hand with childcare or the housework so you can have a break or take a quick nap. Try and request a set time so you can keep reminding yourself that help is on the way throughout the day. If you work from home, see if somebody else can fill in. Ask your partner to adapt their schedule, if possible, to allow them to leave work earlier to relieve you.
Don’t push yourself. Cut your to-do list down to the bare minimum — just the essentials. Accept that some things won’t get done and make peace with it. Treat yourself to take out if you can afford to so you don’t have to cook (and you don’t have to do the dishes after either!) Listen to that age-old advice and for once, if naps are still happening in your home, sleep when your baby sleeps!
Leave the house if you can. It’s tempting to cancel on any plans but they’ll break up the day and hopefully, it’ll seem as though it’s going quicker. Meeting friends? You can share the childcare between you all. Off to baby group? Letting your little one toddle off to play with their friends can take some of the pressure off. A coffee (and cake) date could do you the world of good and is surely the best tonic for your tired mind. Even going for a stroll around the block with the pram gets your blood flowing and should help you to feel more alert.
When you’re feeling stretched with night-time wakings, it’s really important to fill up your cup and make time for yourself when you can. Check out these self-care ideas for parents for some helpful suggestions.
