Tired Parent Syndrome – Tips for Fighting It

Tired Parent Syndrome – Tips for Fighting It

Tired Parent Syndrome — have you heard of it? Whether your child is going through a phase that leaves you feeling drained or you simply always feel drained, ‘tired parent’ syndrome is very real. Good parents tend to push themselves, sometimes to the point of feeling constantly tired. ‘Tired parent’ syndrome includes symptoms such as heavy under-eye bags, brain fog, sluggish movements, and feelings of lethargy.

How to Fight the Tired Parent Syndrome

If you are hoping to fight ‘tired parent’ syndrome, you are in luck. Below are several tips that you can follow to feel more alert and awake, and begin to enjoy all of the highs and lows that come with being a parent again.

• Adding Exercise into Your Daily Routine  

Believe it or not, following an exercise plan can actually help to alleviate the symptoms of ‘tired parent’ syndrome. Now, you shouldn’t start off by running 10 miles a day, not at least until you build up some stamina. Taking anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes a day, several times a week, for exercise will help to condition your body. Parents who exercise regularly have more endurance, stamina and energy, which helps them to feel much less tired by the end of the day. Regular exercise can also help you to establish a set sleep pattern.

• Avoiding the Fast Food Trap

Parents who constantly feel tired often look for shortcuts that will aid them in saving time and energy. And while occasionally splurging on take-out, particularly on Friday nights, is a great way to catch a break, you don’t want to fall into that pesky fast food trap. Whether you pick up your coffee to go every morning or frequent the drive-thru during lunchtime hours, fast food generally contains a lot of ingredients that are not the best for your family’s health. Eating a lot of fast food will leave you feeling much more tired, and it can leave your children addicted to sugar, carbs, and saturated fats. Parents that depend on fast food also rob themselves of the nutrients they need to function at their best.

• Making Sleep a Top Priority

Although most parents know that sleep is vitally important, they are also very likely to deprive themselves of rest in order to fulfill their parenting obligations. Need some extra time to tidy up your home? Just stay up a few hours later after you put down the kids so that you can straighten up. Have a ballet recital coming up and need to finish sewing your child’s costume? Getting up extra early in the morning to add those finishing touches can’t hurt too much, right? As a parent, you have likely told yourself that it didn’t matter if you denied yourself of a full night’s rest, as long as it was for the betterment of your child. Unfortunately, this type of behavior can result in a pattern of sleep deprivation that leads directly to ‘tired parent’ syndrome.  Check out this link where LA Weekly reviewed the top rated budget mattresses and see how you can improve your sleep schedule. Don’t put off getting your rest if you are hoping to feel better rested overall.

• Learning to Pace Your Parenting Schedule

Parents who stay busy but want to keep on top of their priorities usually create detailed itineraries. Knowing where you need to be ahead of time can help you to know exactly how jam packed your parenting schedule is. And if you are hoping to alleviate ‘tired parent’ syndrome, you need to pace yourself. Sometimes, it is best to cut out activities that leave you feeling drained or to even change around your schedule so that you give yourself some extra free time.

‘Tired parent’ syndrome is very real, and it is becoming more pervasive. As parents hope to keep their children happy and busy, they also need to remember that they have physical and emotional needs themselves. Fight ‘tired parent’ syndrome by looking at the big picture instead of your next parental obligation.

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