Parents get nearly an hour less sleep a day than they did 40 years ago. What's zapping our zzz's? For mothers of older kids, it's marathon work days that bleed into endless nights of afterschool activities, cooking, cleaning, and homework help. Got a newborn at home? You have the world's cutest sleep thief. But cutting-edge science shows that sleep is critical to our ability to stay focused, learn new things, stay fit, and more, says Koff. "Sleep functions like a battery recharger for our bodies and minds."
Mom energy advice: Aim to get around nine hours of snooze-time a night. Stop drinking caffeine eight hours before hitting the sack and 30 minutes pre-bedtime, power off your cell phone, laptop, and TV. The light can disrupt your quality of sleep, and watching "Law & Order: SVU" or posting Facebook pics will amp you up when you need to wind down.
Photo 0/8
Clean up your diet
Your body has enough on its To Do list; why add "Filter out pesticides and hormones" to the pile? That's precious energy that could be better spent at a yoga class or meeting a friend for brunch.
Mom energy advice: Eat organic. Organic fruits and veggies are significantly lower in pesticides than their mainstream counterparts. If cost is an issue, shoot for the Big O when it comes to produce where you eat the peel (apples, potatoes, spinach, berries) and go conventional with foods that have a thick skin (bananas, pineapple, watermelon). As for protein, opt for organic or grass-fed. When cows, chickens, and pigs eat grain and other food that's been drenched in pesticides, you're eating it too -- which can sap your energy.
Ever find yourself scarfing down a banana while texting your best friend while on the toilet? Your multitasking has officially spiraled out of control.
Yet that's precisely how so many moms (this one included) spend their free waking moments, only to collapse in bed at the end of the day, too exhausted to clean the mascara off their lashes or even change into PJs.
"From the moment you decide to become a mom, you're constantly giving your energy out," says Ashley Koff, RD, author of "Mom Energy: A Simple Plan to Live Fully Charged." But between nursing, diaper changes, car pools, and feeding the family -- not to mention the full-time jobs many mothers hold down on top of mommy duty -- we often forget to focus on bringing in quality energy. Instead, we slap Band-Aids on our fatigue in the form of espresso, diet soda, energy shots, or handfuls of candy for a quick but fleeting sugar high.
But you can perk yourself up for good. Here's our experts' high-octane advice ...
