How was your sleep last night? And how was your energy level in the morning when you woke up for the day?
Let's talk about what’s normal and what’s not in terms of energy in the morning.
There will be some variations to this depending on your unique body and if you’re a morning person or more of a night owl.
I’m very much a morning person. I went through a phase of waking up intentionally at 4:30AM for a while. (True story!)
And also - there will be variations to your energy level depending on how your night went.
But first of all - the truth is:
It’s normal to be tired in this season of life.
Especially if your little nursling was up every hour all night long or your toddler decided to wake for the day at 4:23AM…then of course it’s expected you’ll be more tired.
It’s normal to feel a little groggy when you just wake up. But then it should go away once you start moving around the house.
It’s normal to fall asleep on the couch at 8:30PM or at your kids bedtime, because parenting takes up a lot of energy! (I’ve been there too!)
However, what’s NOT normal is when your fatigue doesn’t match the amount of sleep you are getting.
For example - you get a solid night of sleep but your body seems like it didn’t notice.
It’s not normal to feel like you're wading through water all day long. Dragging your butt, feeling run down all the time.
It’s not normal to feel like it takes you a few hours and several cups of coffee in the morning to get your body and brain functional and running.
Here’s the thing about caffeine. For some people - caffeine can be a nice way to wake up in the morning. They can handle it fine and it doesn’t impact their body in a negative way.
For other people, especially mothers who are depleted and struggling with an overactive nervous system (stressed out, overwhelmed moms…), caffeine can be problematic.
Caffeine can make you jittery, anxious, irritate your gut and just make you feel off.
If you are looking for some gentle ways to start your day that are:
Gentle
Nourishing
Tasty
Supportive of your body and nervous system…
Consider these three morning beverages instead of your cup of coffee:
Bonus: If you still want a “coffee” consider opting for a caffeine free version like:
Caffeine free coffee (consider one that uses water processing for decaffeination to minimize chemical exposure)
An herbal variety like Sip Herbals (blend of chicory root, carob root and roasted dandelion root) that steeps like tea and has that roasted, bitter flavour HERE
Do you struggle with that jittery feeling that comes with morning caffeine? Send me a message and let me know!
Warmly,
Amy
Your dietitian doula
P.S. - Want to get more in depth information on how to support your body out of a state of depletion, exhaustion and overwhelm?
My Balanced Mom Method Membership includes access to a simple, straight-forward program that walks you through how to holistically support your post-baby-body back to wellness.