The Poor Mom Revolution

My sleeping ability has always gone in waves. I either fall asleep the moment I hit the pillow, or I’m up until all hours of the night simply staring at the ceiling. I’ve been going on almost a month of interrupted sleep. It’s a vicious cycle. One where I’m tired all day and the moment I lie down, everything I can possibly think of comes back in full force, and there is no getting shut eye at all. Let’s just say sleeping on and off for 5-6 hours on a good day isn’t enough to sustain the energy I need to get through a day. The average sleep adults need to run at full capacity is between 7-9 hours on a regular basis.

It tends to be more difficult for me to fall asleep and stay asleep, until I get to a crashing point and then all I need is to sleep. I’m currently hitting that extreme exhaustion level just in time for my busiest time of year, the summer.

The past two nights I’ve been in bed between 8:30-9pm and mostly slept through until 5-6am. This is the most sleep I’ve gotten in a while, so I’m hoping it helps pick up my mood, and motivation.

At this point, I’ve done all the research I can do and have tried to make simple changes. Since everyone is different, I’ll share all the things I’ve done and tried over the past few years and hopefully a few will work for you.

Overall changes I’ve made:

Eating more whole foods and less/no processed ones. I’ve decreased the amount of sugar and made sure to focus heavily on good foods to fuel my body. Of course drinking more water is on my list and everyone in my circle knows I suck at it. I’ve been making sure my water bottle is always in my hand and taking sips constantly. I was able to drink 60oz the last few days which is a win for me.

Evening additions to my routine:

I’ve consistently tried everything from drinking chamomile/green tea before bed, to listening to sleep meditations. I find the ‘Insight Timer’ app to be a game changer. I can pick any mood I’m in, especially sleep ones, and find one that does exactly what I need it to. I’ve never been one to try meditation before, but this year it has honestly changed my life. I’ve been asleep within minutes of popping in my headphones. I’ve been putting my phone on do not disturb every night, and trying to stay off my phone as much as possible. It has made a big difference close to bedtime. I have started Goli Ashwagandha gummies each evening before bed and was just about to order magnesium for that reason as well. I was told the benefits were amazing! So far so good, so I’ll continue with everything.

Things I find most challenging:

Working out. When I’ve reached a level of extreme exhaustion, I have a hard time having the energy to work out or even walk around the block. I also know that working out will ultimately give me energy, change my mood and potentially help with my sleeping abilities… but when you get in this state it is hard to get the motivation to do anything. I am lucky enough to have friends who get it and have dogs that can count on me for a walk and friends that love nature as much as I do and planning a hike is an easy task.

I’m excited for the summer routine to kick in and to find my groove. At this point, I’m willing to try it all. Do you have things that work for you?