A Mom's Guide to Better Sleep

As busy moms, your mental task list is constantly running and that doesn't necessarily stop when you crawl into bed. The cruel thing is that you need a good night's sleep to keep up with it all and when you have small humans dictating your wake-up time (2 AM? 4 AM?) It's a bit challenging.

Since we all know that sleep is important for immune function, mood, energy, brain function, and long-term health, here are my top tips for moms to get better sleep and what you CAN control for your precious shut-eye.

8 Hours Before Bed: No More Caffeine☕

When you're powering through work, or taking care of the kids and hit that afternoon slump, I know it's so easy to reach for some afternoon coffee, but try to resist the urge. Ultimately It's messing up your sleep whether you realize it or not. Try some sparkling water, herbal tea, or better yet, a nutritious snack packed with protein, fat, and fiber which is really what your body is asking for. Bonus points for a quick walk around the block or some jumping jacks to get things moving.

3 Hours Before Bed: Avoid Heavy Meals & Alcohol 🍷

Heavy meals and alcohol disrupt digestion, hormone balance, blood sugar, and metabolism and make for a not-great night of sleep. Of course, once in a while is not a big deal, but if you're eating dinner right before bed or relying on a glass of wine every night before bed, it's time to make some shifts.

2 Hours Before Bed: Shut It Down 💻

Whether you work out of the house, manage the household, or BOTH, your mind is constantly running through your to-do list. If you feel like you have a lot of pending items, write them down. Studies show this allows people to let go more and know they can come back to their tasks in the morning. Close down your computer and step away.

1 Hour Before Bed: No More Screens 📵

YOU KNOW you aren't supposed to be scrolling Instagram in bed right? So why are you still doing it? Exposure to blue light from screens can suppress melatonin production, the hormone that helps you sleep. Put your phone on DND an hour before bedtime and find a new wind-down routine and I promise your sleep will improve.

Establish a consistent bedtime

Since you can't necessarily control when you get woken up, you can control when you go to bed. Going to bed earlier and around the same time, ideally before 10 PM is the best case scenario if you can manage it.

If you're out there every day momming, working, and doing it all, please make sure you're doing all you can to get the most restorative sleep possible!

Should You Try Intermittent Fasting?

One of the things I get asked about the most is intermittent fasting. It's become a pretty popular approach for people who want to lose weight or improve their health. A lot of my clients have tried this before working with me, and none of them have seen significant success or stuck with it. Why is that?

Here is why I don't recommend IF for my clients, and what I recommend instead.

First things first, intermittent fasting (IF) typically involves restricting your eating window to a certain number of hours each day. Sounds simple, right? Wrong. Here's the science, mama: our bodies crave energy. We're constantly on the go, fueling little monsters, wrestling toddlers, and keeping the house from becoming a disaster zone. Skipping meals can leave you feeling hangry, struggling with brain-fog, and running on fumes, and that's exactly what I hear from moms who have tried it. Not exactly how we want to conquer motherhood, right?

But it goes deeper than just feeling grumpy.

1. Hormonal Imbalance: Women are more sensitive to changes in calorie intake and fasting, which can disrupt hormonal balance. Research indicates that intermittent fasting may lead to irregular menstrual cycles. No thanks, if you're navigating postpartum hormone fluctuations, don't add this to the mix.

2. Increased Stress: Navigating motherhood is already stressful, and intermittent fasting can add stress responses in the body for women, including increased cortisol levels. When the body is in 'fight or flight' mode non-stop and then we add something like IF, it just exacerbates things, hindering our ability to feel more energized and our best self.

3. Energy Levels and Cognitive Function: Studies suggest that intermittent fasting might impair cognitive function and reduce energy levels in women more than in men. This could affect productivity, concentration, and overall well-being - does that sound like something you want on top of trying to think of what to make for dinner and remember where your kid left their ballet shoes?

4. Metabolic Adaptation: Women's bodies may adapt differently to intermittent fasting compared to men, potentially leading to metabolic slowdown or other metabolic disturbances. This could hinder weight loss efforts or even lead to weight gain in some cases.
   

It's not really sustainable long-term from what I've seen in practice. Another problem?, if your goals are to increase muscle (they should be!) and to stabilize your metabolism, skipping breakfast or delaying it, which most people who do IF typically do, works against you. During the night we go into a fasted state, and our first meal of the day breaks that fast and stimulates our metabolism again. Starting your day first thing with protein supports muscle recovery and growth and weight management.

Here's what I recommend instead: focusing on nourishing your body, not depriving it. Think regular meals and snacks packed with protein (keeps you feeling fuller longer!), healthy fats (hello, sustained energy!), and whole grains (fiber for the win!). All of my clients who have started prioritizing this instead have seen more energy throughout the day, less hunger and less brain fog.

The bottom line? Trendy diets can be a recipe for stress and yo-yo dieting down the line. Instead, let's focus on making small, sustainable changes for long-term health. Maybe it's swapping that third cup of coffee for water or fitting in a quick 10-minute walk during nap time. These tiny wins add up, mama, and before you know it, you'll be feeling like your most radiant, energized self again.

So ditch the intermittent fasting for now, mamas. You've got enough challenges to tackle. Let's focus on fueling our bodies for the amazing things we do every single day.

If you want even more guidance, check out my group & one-on-one coaching options, let's navigate this journey together!

Strength Training or Cardio?

Ah, the age-old debate. Look, they are both awesome, for so many reasons. I love myself a long run and the endorphins I get from a high-intensity spin class. Your heart deserves to be strong so doing movement that keeps it healthy is important, but if you're a mom, and trying to get back into fitness, you probably don't have a lot of time, so prioritizing strength training is a game changer - here's why.

1. Functional Strength for Everyday Tasks:

From lifting toddlers to carrying groceries, motherhood is a physically demanding job that rarely provides vacation days. When we say functional strength, we mean the ACTUAL strength to do the heavy and hard shit in your life, not just look good and flex in the mirror. Need to carry your kiddo kicking and screaming back from the zoo after they got overstimulated? Refuse to take 3 trips with groceries from the car? Kid demands you carry them on your shoulders or fling them around like a freaking monkey? Pick up some heavy stuff!

2. Improved Posture and Body Mechanics:

Pregnancy and childbirth take a TOLL on a woman's body, usually meaning hours bent over a tiny human and sleeping in weird positions, leading to weakened core muscles and poor posture. Strength training exercises, such as squats, deadlifts, and rows, help strengthen the muscles that support the spine and improve overall posture. Working on these muscles now means that you not only stand up straight now but you're also less likely to be a hunched-over old lady and don't tell me your back doesn't hurt right now. Want it to feel better? Strength training has got your back (literally).

3. Boosted Metabolism and Fat Loss:

While cardio may be the go-to for calorie burning, strength training offers unique metabolic benefits. By increasing lean muscle mass, strength training boosts metabolism, helping burn more calories both during and after workouts. Additionally, strength training promotes fat loss while preserving muscle mass - holla!

4. Bone Health and Longevity:

Look, it's completely unfair the stuff women have to deal with that men don't, and an increased risk of osteoporosis as you age is one of them. What's the answer? Strength training! Weight-bearing exercises like squats and lunges stimulate bone growth and enhance bone density, reducing the risk of fractures and osteoporosis later in life. By investing in bone health now, you're putting cash money into your mobility and bone bank for later.

5. Mental Health and Stress Relief:

This one is obvious, being a mom is lovely, wonderful, fulfilling, but also overstimulating, overwhelming, and stressful at times. Strength training offers more than just physical benefits—it's also a powerful tool for stress relief and mental well-being. The endorphins released during strength training act as natural mood lifters, helping combat stress, anxiety, and depression. If you're having a bad day, lifting some heavy stuff or throwing a slam ball does wonders.

6. Empowerment and Self-Confidence:

There is just something different about lifting heavy and what it does for your confidence and resilience. As moms see themselves getting stronger, both physically and mentally, they gain a newfound sense of empowerment. It also doesn't hurt to feel like Michelle Obama when you start seeing those arm #gains.

Does this mean you're off the hook entirely for cardio? Heck no! But if you only have time to prioritize one, and you're starting from scratch, body weight or exercises with slight resistance are the way to go. From there, try stacking in a daily walk to get things moving and you'll be surprised to see how much more energy you have and how much better you feel.

Need more inspiration? Hit me up for a custom workout plan!