WAHM Advice: Pulling All-Nighters
There are times when it`s just necessary to work the night through when you`re a wahm. What surprised me most on Twitter is just how many moms do this on a regular basis! I mean, I know I tend to stay up until 3 am on projects, but it turns out that I`m in good company. Also, I know that many of you are facing the same issue because a LOT of people are finding this blog by searching variations of “how to stay awake”!
The problem is, after you have a kid or two, your energy seems to go down the drain and staying awake enough to actually be productive at 2 am becomes a challenge. Gone are the days of hanging out all night with friends (or in my case, delivering pizza until 3 am before heading to my construction job at 6) when those couple of hours of sleep were more than enough to carry you through a night. Now, it takes some planning and effort to pull all-nighters, even when they are a necessary part of your business.
Luckily, there are a few ways to make these late nights easier.
- Take a nap. This one only works if your kids are in school or you have toddlers or a baby who still sleeps. Even a short nap can help give you that little boost of energy needed to pull through to the wee hours.
- Coffee. I recently cut coffee out of my diet and oh, how I miss it on those late nights! For now, a cup of tea does the trick, but the more caffeine, the better!
- Organization. It`s easy to lose focus once the kids go to bed and you finally get to do something on your own. Having a careful to-do list will help you stay on track. Plan to do your more mindless tasks later in the night, when your brain is starting to conk out.
- Support. I find it very nice to have the connection on Twitter with other moms who are up late. It doesn`t necessarily help you stay awake, but it does make you feel less alone.
- Fun. There`s no reason you can`t have a little fun to motivate yourself. Do a pre-set amount of work and then play a round of your favorite game, read a chapter in a book or watch some TV. It will make your nights more enjoyable and you`ll look forward to the prize, rather than just sleep.
- Exercise. When you start to feel real sleepy and still have a stack of work to do, take a break, do a round of the house or even walk around the block. This gets your blood pumping and helps to wake you up (also handy the next morning when your toddler wakes up entirely too early).
Truthfully, it`s probably better to actually get a good night`s sleep, but work at home moms don`t always get that luxury. So, hopefully these tips will keep you awake into those wee hours and if you`re up at 2 am, say hi on Twitter . . . you`re not alone.
I pull all-nighters all the time – too much, in fact. I’m way too old for this But sometimes it’s just necessary. I’m probably getting ready to have to pull one tonight. Oh well, when I win the lottery, that will all be over.
it is very difficult being a mother, wife, lover, teacher …
I am guilty of pulling all nighters much to often, also. It seems the best time of the day to get everything done. The house is quiet, the phone isn’t ringing and no one is demanding your attention. Although I know it isn’t a healthy lifestyle, I get a lot more done.