Working Mums (or dads) & Sleep Deprivation

cerysr

How do my fellow mums (or dads) manage to find time for a workout especially when lacking the right amount of sleep?

I have a 3 year old and a 6 month old, i'm woken several times a night, I estimate I usually only get about 1 stretch of 3 hours and a total of between 5-6 hours a night (which is not enough for me). I also work full time in an extremely sedentary job with a 45 min car commute each way.

I want to try and find the time to workout but lack of sleep affects my motivation and I feel like i'm in a vicious circle of excuses.

Advice & motivation needed!

LesleyEcksmann

What do you do at lunch time? Good time if you can as the stimulation might help the afternoon...

jnananamaste

Just wanted to send hugs. Been there and only recently started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sleep deprivation is no joke and until you've really experienced it, you just don't know how mind numbing it can be.

This may not be popular advice, but I just tried to maintain during those years when my kids were little (at about 20-30 lbs over where I wanted to be) and now that we're all sleeping I am going at it with full motivation (and energy). I'm not even saying that's the right way to go about it, but it got me through. Be kind to yourself and remember, eventually they sleep.

benevempress

I take a couple of minutes every hour and get up from my desk and walk to the farthest bathroom in the building. There are times when life is just too hard (sleep deprived is one of those times) and working out isn't even on my to-do list, but just getting out of my chair and moving a little bit helps me feel better.

emylou00

I'm in the same boat, I have a 3 year old sleep terrorist (she has night terrors) and I get around 4-6hrs sleep a night, sometimes less I work full time sitting at a desk and 30min car commute.
I'm concentrating on calorie deficit and not worrying about working out yet, I will go on the exercise bike at home a couple of evenings a week if she goes to bed early and easily otherwise I'm just focusing on losing weight and I'll focus on the getting fitter stuff if she ever sleeps through and I have more energy!

shetland

Sleep deprivation is terrible and makes it very hard to motivate to anything as one is usually in survival mode at that point. Some very basic changes you can make: Park as far away from your office building as possible. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Even just those two small changes might help. Can you take a walk on your lunch break to get some sun and fresh air? Maybe find a work buddy who would enjoy a walk.

Jules_farmgirl

My children are 7, 5 and 2.5 years old. I work full time (30min commute one way) and a single mom. It is NOT easy to get that workout in. It is NOT easy to eat healthy after a night of no sleep and you feel more hungry than usual cause your body is fighting to stay awake. It is NOT easy to hold it together and still deal with everything with a calm demeanor.

I wake up at 4:40am for a 60min workout. I go for a 20-30min walk at lunch time with co-workers (I live in Canada... and yes we still walk in -40C). When I get home with the kids we go for a walk or bike ride (depending on time of year) before we start supper.

I have the time I find because I meal prep on Saturday or Sunday. This is HUGE. I can have roasted chicken ready to just take out and thaw quick while I have rice in the rice cooker and steaming a veggie. Supper takes me about 15mins this way which allows that time to get in my exercise with the kids.

I will admit that waking up early isn't for everyone... but after 3 kids, I don't remember what sleeping in feels like and I am up at 6am on the weekends without an alarm.

noclady1995

Jules_farmgirl wrote: »

My children are 7, 5 and 2.5 years old. I work full time (30min commute one way) and a single mom. It is NOT easy to get that workout in. It is NOT easy to eat healthy after a night of no sleep and you feel more hungry than usual cause your body is fighting to stay awake. It is NOT easy to hold it together and still deal with everything with a calm demeanor.

I wake up at 4:40am for a 60min workout. I go for a 20-30min walk at lunch time with co-workers (I live in Canada... and yes we still walk in -40C). When I get home with the kids we go for a walk or bike ride (depending on time of year) before we start supper.

I have the time I find because I meal prep on Saturday or Sunday. This is HUGE. I can have roasted chicken ready to just take out and thaw quick while I have rice in the rice cooker and steaming a veggie. Supper takes me about 15mins this way which allows that time to get in my exercise with the kids.

I will admit that waking up early isn't for everyone... but after 3 kids, I don't remember what sleeping in feels like and I am up at 6am on the weekends without an alarm.

All I can say is WOW! I definitely have no excuse after reading your post!

Jules_farmgirl

@noclady1995 - Trust me... it is not a piece of cake (mmmm cake) but I did it once and even though I let myself slip for a few months due to other things in life, I plan to lose it all again and determination is what drives my bus

rnedwbt

I have a 3-year-old and a 3-month-old. Right there with you on the sleep deprivation. I'm taking the same path as some pp's have mentioned.. focusing on calorie deficit, water intake, and getting as much rest as I can. Once this little baby is sleeping better, I will add in workouts.

rnedwbt

And yes! Lots of weekend meal prep and freezer meals! I also do Home Chef. But instead of working out with my extra time, I try to rest.

cerysr

Thank you all for advice and tips - you are all truly amazing!

A workout lunch time isn't possible since I usually work through it, I know I shouldn't! But there's no shower facilities at work and any exercise would involve going into 40 degree heat (I live in Dubai)

I have been contemplating a early morning workout at about 5am. I need to stop contemplating and just do it. Must be more organised and get my stuff ready before I go to bed!

The maintenance advice is I think is sound. As working mums we put way to much pressure on ourselves to achieve everything, some days it's possible, others it's not. Realistic goals and not worrying about the days you don't achieve are the key I believe. Now I just need to take my own advice

rainykatie

Hi cerysr, I can relate to your situation. I have a 4 yo and a 1.5 yo and neither kid slept very well. In fact the 1.5 yo only just started sleeping most of the way through the night.

I was really hard on myself too when she was younger, wondering why I couldn't find the time to exercise. But when they are so young and you just aren't sleeping, trying to fit in exercise when you are already exhausted is tough. It may be healthier to focus on rest and rejuvenation when you can. Limiting sleep even more right now with super early workouts may have negligible health benefits when compared to getting more sleep!

I am just now starting to get into more of a groove now that my baby is sleeping better at 19 months. I have more energy. Like you I have a desk job, but I joined a gym nearby and use my lunch hour to exercise when I can. I am not an early morning exerciser myself, would rather get what sleep I can. I also requested and was approved for a standing desk at work. Just standing for periods throughout the day makes me a lot more active and I will go for short bursts of walks now and then around the office. I also walk whenever I can outside, usually a few shorter walks a day.

When baby was younger, I just tried to walk whenever I could. I also live streamed evening before bed time yoga to help me stretch and relax. On weekends I tried to be active, even just taking the kids for a walk on the beach (I live on the coast). I tried not to beat myself up if I couldn't manage a workout, and you shouldn't either. Exercise will start to be a lot easier to fit in a few months down the road when everyone is sleeping better!

rdl81

Ok at the risk of being the only guy to comment but will be brave :-)....I have 2 and 4 year old at home I have always looked after the 2 year old during the night (unless he is unwell) so I prob get 5-6 hrs sleep at most but no more than 3hrs at once as he still wakes up the time stirs/drink/toilet etc. I leave for work at 5.30 and get home at 7 if lucky. I am always tired. But I still workout normally late afternoon/afterwork but only mon-fri. The way I look at it is that I can only sleep as much as I can and I want to train so will do it tired that's the best I can manage so it will do. I also meal prep sunday for mon-wed then wed for thurs-fri. I would say do what you can but don't not workout just as your tired thinking you can do it tomorrow if less tired as that day might never come. Just be careful not to push it too far listen to how you feel

mamma_adventure

@cerysr I feel your pain. I have a 3 year old son and 2 year old twin girls. I work 3 days per week and still struggle to fit in exercise. My 3 will not sit in a buggy so walking on days off with the kids is not feasible. My husband works long hours, so by the time he is home and we eat, then tidy the carnage of the day...exercise is not high on my list of priorities
I live in Scotland and it's dark really early just now. So, for the moment I am concentrating on getting my eating habits right. I'm planning on starting some HIIT workouts at home, following them on YouTube, a lot of them are 20 minutes long so I'm hoping to start squeezing into my day.
Once the nights get lighter I'll get out for a walk, and hopefully get a longer walk done on the weekends.
Things will turn around with your wee ones, it won't be permanent. On the days I feel zombified, I am just proud of myself for getting through the day...don't be hard on yourself

earndien

I have started exercising again after almost 5 month and it is tough... really to get out of bed it hard work and one needs a gold metal to have successes... but I just got always a moto and I have stuck to it for the last 2 year, just do it.... its hard but I do it and the next 24 hours I don't have to worry about it... and I got a lovely fantastic hubby that is more likely to get up to our little one cause all his life his struggled with sleep so. he more or less awake then when the little one is awake