For the fourth and final part of this sleep series, I wanted to keep it real.
You know the usual tips and tricks – maybe they work some of the time, but not all of the time. Despite your best efforts, sleep may just not be in the cards for you at this time and so you must cope!
This post isn’t to give you the typical advice – I went straight to those in the sleep deprived trenches who are just making due and asked them for the real tips and tricks.
So my coffee fuelled, sleep deprived, zombie like friends – here are their tried and true coping methods:
A mom of two under the age of five:
“Cold. Showers. And I mean cold! Doesn’t have to be long, but enough to shock you, you know? It gets me awake, or at least alert, enough to get on with the day.”
A full-time lawyer with a craft business side hustle: “I know this is bad – but coffee! I stick with just black coffee and have two to three small cups throughout the day. It may not be the healthiest, but it keeps me from falling asleep at my desk.”
A self confessed night owl who just doesn’t go to bed at a decent time: “You’re going to laugh, but I dance. I will take dance breaks in my office, in my car, the bathroom – just put on some tunes and make myself shake away the sleepy feeling. Gets the blood going.”
A full-time worker and a single mom: “My go to is ice cold water. I will fill my water bottle with ice cubes and then water. I’ll drink it all day long – with a coffee or two for good measure. It might just be me, but the cold shock helps me stay more alert!”
A night shift nurse who is also taking several college courses: “It’s all about power napping. I am a pro and can nap in my parked car, in the break room or in the school hallway – I get it done. For me, quick 10-15 minute naps give me a mini reset.”
A mom whose sleep is interrupted nightly by little ones taking over her bed: “I’m always running on low sleep but on really bad days, I’ll focus on sitting less. I’ll stand or move as often as I can to keep the sleepiness at bay. I will play with the kids, I’ll squat while doing dishes or I’ll lunge down the hallway – the more I can move around, the less I’ll feel like giving into the tiredness.”
I mean – they know how to get through it! Some pretty creative ways to make do of a sleepy situation – can you relate? What’s your go to? Let me know!!
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