Today my baby boy is 9-weeks old, and it’s been an amazing experience thus far.  Amazing as it is, I’m still not getting quality sleep.  As many of you parents out there have already experienced you practically get little to no sleep until your baby finally settles into a consistent sleeping schedule.

I’ve been averaging 2-3 hours, and on a really good night I get a full four hours (woohoo!).  Yet, I’ve still managed to maintain a high level of energy training clients each day, sticking to my workout schedule, but to do that I’ve had to completely restructure my fitness routine.

Here are 7 instant tips to stay in shape with little sleep:

1. Drink More Water…yeah, yeah, another “drink water” campaign, but trust me in that if you don’t stay properly hydrated when you’ve had less than three hours of sleep you’ll be suffering from other debilitating symptoms other than your typical headaches…Trust me!  Drink a minimum of 64oz per day.

2. Perk Up Your Morning With The Green Stuff…I’m sure by now you’ve heard of many experts touting the benefits of green tea.  I love green tea but I take it a step further and combine it with Yerba Matte tea.  There are a good amount of polyphenols in this combination.  Polyphenols are a group of phytochemicals, and phytochemicals are compounds that act as powerful antioxidants which in turn protects our cells from cellular damage caused by stress. 

In addition to polyphenols, Yerba Mate leaves contain saponins, which are phytochemicals that have been found to aid in strengthening our immune system and have also been found to have anti-inflammatory properties.  Reducing inflammation in our body during stressful times is extremely key to maintaining good health.

3. Exercise More Often…Increase your training frequency but decrease your training volume.  For example, if you’re used to training 3 days per week, increase your frequency to 4 or 5 days of exercise per week, however only perform 1-2 sets of only one strength exercise per bodypart per workout versus the typical 2-3 exercises per bodypart per workout.  Keep your reps in the 8-12 rep range.  In addition, keep your workout duration to 15 minutes or less.  This strategy will help “maintain” good physical condition considering the lack of sleep.

4. Adopt Simple Relaxation Strategies…Since you don’t have much time to waste here are two strategies that are easy to perform on a daily basis.

The 3-3-6 Breathing Technique

- Breathe in deeply to the count of 3. Inhale through your nose and, feel your belly expand.

- Hold that breathe for 3 seconds.

- Slowly, breathe out to the count of 6. Exhale through your mouth, and feel your belly deflate.

- Repeat this 3 times

“HA” Breathing Technique

I talked about this meditative breathing exercise in a previous blog, and it’s my favorite because I find it even simpler than the 3-3-6 method.

- Breath deeply through your nose focusing on expanding your diaphragm, pause for a second, and then exhale slowly through the mouth, making the sound “HA” as you exhale.

- Keep the “HA” soft and drawn out.  That’s it, simple!

Practice one of these techniques at least once a day, especially at a time when you feel most stressed or when you need to clear your mind for a quick pick me up.  Some studies suggest that proper meditative breathing and meditation for 10-20 minutes can be equivalent to one hour of sleep so it doesn’t hurt to try.

5. Enhance Your Mood With Natural Light…Ok, I have to admit it’s pretty hard to soak in natural sunlight during the winter months here in the Pacific NW, but when the sun does show itself you can bet I’m outdoors soaking in as much Vitamin D as I can.  Since this is an inconsistent occurence I make sure to set my Verilux Happy Light 6000 to gradually turn on about 15-20 minutes before my alarm goes off or at least 15 minutes in the middle of the day when I’m working on the computer. 

I realize this isn’t the best supplement light system, however for me it does the job just nicely in terms of enhancing my mood.  But please understand that a supplement light system will not provide you any Vitamin D, you’ll need natural sunlight or an oral Vitamin D supplement for that.  Make sure to consult your doctor on your Vitamin D needs.  Like I stated earlier I use the light system as a strategy to enhance my mood. 

6. Consume More Antioxidant Rich Foods…Eat foods that have a high ORAC score.  ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, and the ORAC “score” is a standardized method of measuring the antioxidant capacity of different foods and supplements. The higher the ORAC score, the more effective a food is at neutralizing free radicals. Decreasing the amount of free radicals in your body will lead to a healthier body.  Here’s a list of the highest ranking food sources:

• Fruits: cranberries, blueberries and blackberries
• Vegetables: beans, artichokes and russet potatoes
• Nuts: pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts

Stick to fresh organic sources for the best antioxidant content.

7. Take Baths…I rarely ever took baths before my son was born, but our pediatrician recommended that I do this at least once a week with my son.  Now I’m taking an additional bath during the week for myself, because I noticed a huge decrease in my stress levels and it helps me to clear my mind.  It sounds a little foofy, but if you’re a new dad like myself I guarantee you’ll get a lot of benefit from it, especially if you add sea salts to help reduce muscle soreness from your workouts (you are working out right dads?).

So there you have it.  7 instant tips that focus on reducing the amount of stress in your life to help you stay in shape with little sleep. 

What tips have you used with great success when you have a lack of sleep?  Please share in the comments section.

To your fitness success,

Rommel