The sky’s awake, so I’m awake!
So your kid won’t sleep again eh? I’d love to tell you the exhaustion is temporary and it gets better. To be completely honest – it won’t. That’s not to say you won’t get used to it but the idea that it will get better is a little far-fetched for a bit. It will happen. just not necessarily anytime soon.
So what can you do to combat those dad sized exhaustion feels?
The first plan of attack is to take it head-on. Embrace the fact that you are tired and that you’re not alone. Lots of other guys have had babies and almost every one of them has been where you are now. They get it. Once you can just embrace the fact that tired happens you can build the mental strength needed to make it to the next cup of coffee.
Set a time for yourself to get out of bed. This doesn’t mean setting an alarm. Instead, tell yourself “If baby wakes up after X time I’ll get that monster back to sleep then get up and start my day.” The time will get earlier and earlier for a while until you find your sweet spot. The first few days were a little rough (It gets easier!). From personal experience, I can tell you I’ve felt great and found many benefits to this.
I was feeling like I had a few minutes to myself! I know that seems like a dream, but it happened! Every morning! It was just as great as it sounds. I enjoyed having a quiet cup of coffee and even got a little workout in. Plus it made my work day go by faster, bonus!
Plan your meals around your tired points in the day. Especially after the first week or so you will start to see a pattern. Notice what time of day you are really feeling those Z’s sneaking up. Once you have found that time (or times) you can plan your meals for about 30 minutes before this feeling come to smack you in the face. Try to throw some natural energy in your mouth like peanut butter and apples, most fresh fruit, and if you’re pressed for time grab a protein bar. And as always if all else fails, grab another coffee!
We all love our kids and want to spend as much time with them as possible, but hey they gotta sleep more than you do – so take that time as some personal time (that doesn’t require sitting on a toilet behind a locked door).