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Are you Fighting Fatigue?

As a mom, we’ve all been there. Those moments of complete exhaustion, deprived of sleep and sanity. The causes can vary far and wide: a hungry newborn, a teething baby, a growth spurt feeding marathon, or a child with the flu. At some point, it’s happened to each of us. You reach the moment where you think you have nothing left to give, and yet you persist. So, the next time you find yourself in one of these situations, feeling like you have nothing more to give, remember you are not alone.

For me, this sleep deprived night looked something like this: I crawled into bed for the fourth time and it is was only three o’clock in the morning. I had finally gotten my newborn baby to stop crying and fall asleep — again. I hoped the momentary peace would last long enough to fall asleep. My body melted into my warm squishy bed, and my fluffy sheets wrapped around me like a hug. I would have given anything to stay in my bed for the rest of the night. My tired eyes closed.

Laying there trying desperately to fall asleep, I could not help but notice the heavy breathing coming from my spouse. He had been peacefully dreaming, while I had been rocking, nursing, shushing, singing, changing, and snuggling our cranky baby. The normally amicable feelings I had towards him were pushed out by unkind thoughts brought on by sleep deprivation.

His breathing became all I could hear in my sleep deprived state. I resisted the urge to yank his plump pillow out from underneath his head. Instead, I rubbed his shoulder and asked him to please roll over. Finally, peace and quiet.

I almost drifted off when I heard it. No, it can’t be, I thought to myself. I had to be imagining the noise. There was no way the baby could possibly be awake already. I opened one bloodshot eye to look at the monitor. Sure enough, the baby was awake.

In moments like this, sleep is all a tired mama wants. It’s all she needs, simply a few blissful hours. Yet, the fascinating part about being a mom is that in the moments you feel like you have nothing left to give physically or emotionally, you somehow find the strength to persist. You find it in yourself to give one more time because your little one needs you. You may battle the Tired Mom Syndrome, but here are some tips for fighting fatigue:

1. Rest.

Rest is important when you are battling fatigue. Give yourself permission to get extra rest. You need to take care of yourself, so you will have the strength to take care of your family too.

2. Ask for Help.

Who can offer you support? Don’t be afraid to ask your husband, your mother-in-law, your friend, a babysitter, or a nanny to help you.

3. Eat Healthy Food.

It’s tempting to eat quick easy food when you are tired. Resist the urge to indulge in sugar, salt, and fatty foods. Eating healthy food will fuel you with more energy.

4. Exercise.

If possible, make time to exercise. It may be the last thing you feel like doing, but getting your body moving will, in turn, provide you with more energy. This is a great opportunity to involve your children. By going for a walk  or taking a bike ride, you will be giving your body that extra boost it needs.

So on your next sleepless night, when you feel like giving up, remember you are going through a temporary period of high demand and you are not alone.

When you face a difficult situation like a sleepless night, what strategy helps you to power through the next day?

Amy Lu is a Midwest mama from Michigan who enjoys sharing parenting and pregnancy resources with parents of young children on the blog, Making Motherhood Matter.

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