A Naturopath’s guide on surviving sleep deprivation during the postpartum years

The discussion around sleep being the panacea for optimal health is popular discourse at the moment, and for good reason! If there was only one thing you could change to improve your day to day health and mortality, it would likely be to prioritise your sleep. However, what do we do when our sleep is disrupted? Especially for extended periods? The post-partum years are notoriously low on the sleep front, involving anywhere from 1 - 5 years of reduced sleep levels. When everyone is telling us to sleep more, what on earth do we do when we have to sleep less? I am going to cover 4 ways to support your health during the low-sleep years.

Firstly, I want to acknowledge every one of you going through a low sleep period due to little ones. There is no sugar-coating it, it can be an extremely challenging time. It can be exhausting. However, let’s zoom out and remember that this phase will not go on forever. It simply cannot! One day your littles will sleep deeply through the night, and so will you. In the grand scheme of things, it is a relatively short period of time in your long, amazing life. Let’s not forget that humans are wildly resilient and are built to cope with less sleep. I’ve found remembering that there is purpose behind these low sleep periods a helpful mindset to adopt!

What are our sleep needs?

Generally, most people need between 7 - 9 hours a night. This varies from person to person, and there are outliers to these numbers. However, there is a difference between surviving on 5 hours and needing only 5 hours. Physiologically, your body needs more than 5 hours, but of course, you can survive having only slept for 5 hours (or less)!

What is the impact of sleep deprivation?

The obvious ones include fatigue, exhaustion, poor energy levels, low mood, and heightened levels of anxiety. You may see increased appetite, changes to your metabolism, weight gain, low mood, decreased cognitive function. Many non-communicable lifestyle diseases begin or are exacerbated by poor sleep. These include diabetes, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure... the list goes on. As Matthew Walker states; short sleep predicts all-cause mortality. The shorter your sleep, the shorter your life. Doing your best to negate times of sleep deprivation with the following tools is incredibly important.

So... what can we do?

We focus on factors that are within our control. There are many and they can make a huge difference to your health. These are:

1. Rest

The day following a night of low sleep, prioritise 20 - 30 minutes of one of the following:

• Napping. I know this is easier said than done, but if it’s available to you, this is the most beneficial thing you can do. The time frame for a nap is individual and circumstantial, I suggest experimenting with the length of time that works for you
• Yoga nidra/Non-sleep deep rest (NSDR). This practice has similar benefits to napping for those who struggle to fall asleep during the day
• Yin or restorative yoga. Set a timer and set yourself up for a beautiful and restorative yoga posture. I love legs-up-the-wall or Shavasana with a pillow under your knees
• Meditation. Guided or unguided, music or silence. Enjoy whatever works for you knowing that you will feel better afterward
• Exercise. While this may sound counter-intuitive, an exercise session is a great idea if you have already rested in some way as per the examples above. Movement releases neurotransmitters that will energise, lower stress, and improve your mood
• Go to bed 1-2 hours earlier the following night. You can’t control when your little one wakes up, but you can control what time you go to bed. Prioritise your sleep hours early on in the night!

2. Getting back to sleep quickly at night

As babies and toddlers wake frequently, so do we. Sometimes getting back to sleep after a long wake time (or multiple!) can be a problem as your nervous system is on high alert waiting to be woken again. If this is the case for you I suggest:

• Extended exhalation breath. By doing so we actively lower our cortisol levels, engage the parasympathetic nervous system, and tell our bodies that it is safe to sleep. An easy technique is inhaling for 3 seconds, exhaling for 6 seconds
• Repeating a mantra. Do this in time with your breath. Repeat it over and over. Try “I am calm” on your inhale, and “I am tired” on your exhale. It is supposed to be mundane and repetitive!
• Have a snack if you are feeling anxious or that ‘cortisol buzz’ and predict you may struggle to fall back asleep. A piece of fruit, handful of roasted cashews, protein bar, or cup of bone broth are lovely choices. I consumed a wild amount of nocturnal bananas and collagen bars when my baby was a newborn!
• Take cortisol-lowering and sedative herbal medicines. These include Withania, Passionflower, Zizyphus, and Lemon Balm. I always recommend liquid form during the night for rapid absorption
• Take calming and stress-reducing nutrients that will work quickly. Nutrients such as

L-theanine and glycine have a rapid onset time of 20 - 30 minutes. You may like to take a combination of herbal medicines and nutrients, a qualified Naturopath will be able to support you here.

3. Nourishing nutrients

A key foundation to supporting yourself during this time. Nutritionally, you need all macronutrients in abundance - protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Please don’t cut out any of these at this stage in your life. For those feeding throughout the night, always aim for more food over less food. If you find it hard to remember to eat frequently, a good tip is aiming for a meal or a snack every 2-3 hours. Set reminders if your phone if need be. You simply cannot out-supplement a poor diet.

Food groups and nutrients I suggest focusing on during low sleep periods are:

• Protein. A combination of animal and plant based. Aim for 1 cup+ per main meal.
• Carbohydrates. Aim for 1⁄2 - 1 cup+ per main meal.
• Fats. Liberally. A few tablespoons of olive oil/cheese/nuts or 1⁄2 avocado/1⁄2 - 3⁄4 cup full fat yoghurt.
• Iron. Red meat, liver, cooked spinach, lentils. This nutrient is often low during the postpartum years due to high needs in pregnancy and blood loss during birth. Read more about supporting your iron levels in this blog
• B-vitamins. Red meat, liver, seafood, dairy, eggs, wholegrains.
• Zinc. Oysters, red meat, pumpkin seeds, cashews.
• Vitamin D. Daily safe sun exposure (note; sunscreen blocks Vitamin D synthesis).

A note on nutrient levels - I suggest getting a blood test every 3 - 6 months to stay on top of your health. Unfortunately, low iron, B12, vitamin D, and suboptimal thyroid function are relatively common in the post-partum years and will exacerbate symptoms such as fatigue and low mood.

4. Supporting your nervous system

A key factor to sleeping well when it’s available to you is having a calm and strong, yet resilient and flexible nervous system. No one expects not to encounter stressors, or be able to sleep 8 hours with a newborn, however, the key is knowing how to support our nervous systems to be able to deal with these moments. Please go back and reread points 1 and 2, especially if you have been dealing with sleep deprivation for a long time. Implementing these techniques will do wonders for your levels of fatigue, your nervous system and will enhance feelings of well-being during the day.

Rest is essential during this period. If you need more ideas on how to do this, read my blog on stress and rest here.

Nutritional supplementation can assist with picking up the gaps in your lifestyle, lack of sleep, and diet. Key supplements for nervous system function include magnesium, Vitamin C, zinc, omega 3s (fish oil), and B vitamins. I highly recommend a prenatal at the very least if you are pregnant, postpartum, and/or breastfeeding.

It is no secret that I am a huge fan of herbal support for a delicate nervous system. Nervines, adaptogens, and adrenal tonics work to nourish and soothe a sympathetic dominant state. Nourishing favourites of mine include Withania, Rhodiola, Skullcap, Passionflower, Licorice, and Magnolia.

Author

Jaclyn Cave

BHSc (Nat), BComm (Soc)

Masters Women’s Health Med (UNSW - completing)

Jaclyn is a qualified Naturopath who supports women of all ages in hormonal health, fertility, skin, and nervous system function. You can find her on instagram and via her website.