Sleep deprivation is a bitch. It sucks at your very life force in a way few other situations can and leaves you with a blank stare and a busted brain. It takes every ounce of mental strength and energy just to remember that you had a to-do list, let alone to execute it. This is what it can feel like to be a Dad sometimes, right? You go hard on less than four hours of sleep for multiple days in a row and by the end of a week, you will end up nose deep in your phone reading about football/falling asleep instead of being present with your family.
Luckily there are some ways around it: Listed below are some surefire ways to keep your mind, body, and soul strong throughout the entire day. Even when you don’t think you’ll make it through the work day let alone be able take care of your family at night, these hacks can help.
**Note: I am not a medical professional; the following advice is solely my opinion and were methods that worked for me. Sleep is the obvious healthy choice here. If you can get it, then right on, baby.**
- Caffeine – “I do not rise and shine. I caffeinate and hope for the best.” Truer words never spoken to a Dad of the sleep-deprived origin. Nothing starts the day as effectively and keeps the ball rolling throughout as well as good ol’ caffeine. If you’re not a caffeine drinker, now may be the time to start. Tea and coffee are by far the best sources; there are scientifically-proven health benefits to each when taken in moderation and they can taste great. Tea’s the most beneficial, and can provide a smoother boost than a cup of coffee.
- Stay Active – Always. Be. Moving. Period. The idle body of an exhausted father is the preview to a man who will be asleep in 4.5 minutes. To fight off sleep, use the momentum you have to keep moving until you’re actually ready to call it a day. When at work, go for frequent water breaks to stretch the legs, install a standing desk, or workout on your break if you have to (pushups at the desk count). When at home, offer to cook (even if you just got home), bathe the kids, help with homework while standing, etc. There are always things that can be done and the bottom line is if you ride the momentum of movement through a sleep deprived day, you can be effective; if you stop, you will be dozing off within minutes no matter where you are.
- Stretch – This is here because too many parents let physical self-care fall to the wayside when the going gets tough. Yet in reality, this can make your day so much easier. Muscles tighten up easily when going through the same work and parenting motions day after day. If you can focus in on a nice stretch in the morning before the day gets going, however brief, your body will reward you with extra energy throughout the entire day. Same deal at work too; if you can take a small break to get a stretch in, presto! You’ve got a whole extra gear on the motor, man. It’s never a bad idea to stretch, no matter how tired you may feel.
- Excellent Nutrition – You are what you eat. Plain and simple. It’s proven that people with less sleep have less willpower when it comes to nutrition, and it’s also proven that the more high quality nutrition you put into your body, the more energy and vitality you will have throughout the day. For new Dads who are sleep deprived especially, this one’s for you: Put DOWN THE JUNK. You don’t need that sugary doughnut or the chocolate candy bar or the soda. You need the multi-grain toast with almond butter or the piece of fruit or more water. Those things are way more likely to keep you optimizing your life performance on little sleep. In particular, hydration is key. If ever you’re feeling a jolt of fatigue, before you do anything else you should chug a glass of water and see how you feel after a couple of minutes. Water is the lubricant that keeps our body moving fluidly; you can’t replace it with any new alternative drink, no matter what they say.
- Communicate – This may seem strange as a “sleep hack”, but hear me out. There are going to be days when you just can’t make it through; days when you’re going to be so tired that the only thing you can manage on your work break or after getting home is a nap. It happens to the best of us. So to ensure the health of your relationships (especially with your marriage), communication is a great way to set the tone for what you need and what realistic expectations are. For example: You’re at work, and can barely keep your eyes open. If you get up and tell your boss how much the baby kept you up at night and that you’re gonna grab a power nap at your desk on your break, you don’t look like the lazy employee who can’t keep up. You instead look like a man dedicated to doing good work and optimizing his time wisely. Another example: It’s movie night at home with the wife, that generally precious time spent together away from kids, and you are so beat you know there’s no way you’re making it through a movie. Instead of passing out halfway through and leaving your wife feeling more lonely than ever, communicate to her that you don’t think you can make it through a movie tonight. Instead, propose giving her a massage for twenty minutes with a glass of wine. You still get your time together, but you’re doing something active to stay awake and will consequently be in bed much faster. No matter which way you slice it, fatigue will strike the parent more often than not and in particular more often than the non-parent people in your life. These little hacks won’t help those people understand your struggle any better, but hopefully they can keep you engaged and energized with the world around you, crushing it at life as you go. Be good, Dads, and get er’ done.
