by louise hurley, MumSafeTM TRAINER OF THE YEAR 2022
Do you ever feel that being tired is your default state? My babies are now six and nine and it still feels like a long time since I’ve had an unbroken block of eight hours. In this article, I’ll outline a few tips for tired mums.
There always seems to be something – one of the kids are sick, or they try to get into our bed, or the dog gets out of his bed and whines until I put his blanket back over him, or more recently, a rather large possum has decided to party each night on our roof. So for various reasons my sleep is disrupted and I feel permanently tired.
If you’re a mum with a young baby who wakes regularly through the night, hats off to you mumma. I’ve pushed my memories of that level of exhaustion and sleep deprivation to the depths of my mind. If you’re currently going through that stage at the moment I just want you to know that it’s a season, it will pass and you’re doing an amazing job!
I’m sure you can attest to this, but lack of sleep can affect our cognition, appetite, mental health and mood. So what can we do about it? Well, exercise, especially exercise outdoors, can support brain function, appetite regulation, mental health and improve mood. However, recent research has found that people who consistently have less than seven hours of sleep per night are 1.7 times at greater risk of musculoskeletal injury.* So when you’ve not had enough sleep and you’re tired, should you still exercise?
My advice is yes! (hang on though, there’s a but…)
But it’s important to adjust the intensity of your workout to match how much (or how little) rest you’ve had, as well as finding a coach who will help you do this. A good coach (like a MumSafe trainer) will always listen when you say you’ve not slept well, will give you appropriate exercises and won’t push you to go harder in your workout, even if they know you are usually capable of doing more.
If you’ve not had a lot of sleep, it’s not your time to go Hulk smash on the barbell. It’s your time to move your body at about 50 percent of your usual effort. Gentle movement can help you feel less tired and groggy because it increases oxygen to your brain and muscles, which is much better than surviving on coffee and sugar (I love a good coffee and doughnut by the way, but I recommend not relying on it to wake you up).
Try these three simple steps next time you’ve had an awful night’s sleep:
- Eat enough nutrient dense food. Your body needs a good source of energy. One of my favourite breakfasts is baked porridge.
- Don’t be afraid to walk when you usually run, or do bodyweight exercises when you would usually add weights or do fifteen minutes of movement instead of sixty. Park your ego, focus on what your own body needs and ignore what other people are doing in their workout.
- If possible, get outside. Take some deep slow and steady breaths of fresh air and if the sun is out, spend one or two minutes feeling the sun on your skin.
Exercise at the right intensity can help with energy levels, mood and mental health when you’re sleep deprived but it’s important not to push your body too hard when you’re so fatigued. Sleep deprivation for most mums is a season during motherhood, and it will pass.
*Reference: (Huang et al. 2021)
Louise Hurley, owner of Strong Mums and the Body Resilient Mum podcast is on a mission to help mums to return to exercise safely and realise that they are so much more than what their post–baby body looks like, at any stage of motherhood. Find out more at www.strongmums.com