Full of energy on zero sleep? Here's the secret!

The holidays are almost here, but feeling a bit "meh"?
No surprise there: you're exhausted and just the thought of cooking for hours is way too much!
And let's not even mention dinner—you're worried you might fall asleep in your plate!

Don't panic! We’re here to help you bounce back today!

Let’s put your wildest hopes to rest: no, we haven’t found a miracle method for getting Baby to sleep through the night. You’ll still have to endure those nighttime wake-ups and broken sleep for a bit longer... But maybe you can consider it with a smile by the end of this article!

Because you’re about to meet an invisible yet very real enemy of your energy: stress. And we have a super effective tool to fight it!

The Physiological Effects of Stress: How an Ancient Reaction Can Drain Your Energy

Postpartum pain, Baby’s cries, figuring out their needs, endless family visits, breast pain, and of course, lack of sleep: the first months with your little wonder are packed with various stress factors. You handle it like a pro... at least on the surface!

But while you’re managing daily life, your body might not be doing so well.

What Happens in Our Bodies When We’re Stressed?

In the beginning, there were cave people... and mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, and other scary stuff that kept us from sleeping at night and venturing out during the day.

To help us survive, nature gave us a wonderful defense mechanism called stress: when faced with imminent danger, our bodies adapt to become faster and stronger.

How does it work? It’s all about hormones: when the brain detects a potential threat, it releases adrenaline.

Some effects of this hormone are easy to spot: increased heart rate, rapid breathing, tense muscles... Others are sneakier, like releasing stored glucose from the liver.
Faster, stronger, and fueled up, we’re ready to either fight or flee.

Of course, those fuel reserves aren’t endless (far from it!), and if danger lingers for more than a few minutes, the body shifts into resistance mode, producing another hormone: cortisol.

Known as the “stress hormone,” cortisol converts stored fat into sugar. Blood sugar levels rise, keeping the body on high alert.

When the crisis is over, cortisol sends a hunger signal to the brain, prompting a quick replenishment of consumed reserves, hence the cravings when you’re stressed.

This mechanism was super helpful for our ancestors, but it has a downside: it’s meant to handle short-term threats.

When stress drags on, the body’s response gets messed up: cortisol regulation fails. The brain keeps producing more, and the body can’t keep up: this leads to exhaustion, causing long-term health issues like diabetes, obesity, heart disease, plus sleep troubles (!!), low self-esteem, and depression.

And there are other medium-term effects that can complicate your life quickly. Stress also impacts the production of oxytocin, a neurohormone crucial for successful breastfeeding. It helps contract the myoepithelial cells surrounding the alveoli and is directly responsible for milk ejection.

By slowing down or even completely inhibiting oxytocin release, stress can make breastfeeding super challenging.

You need to be careful not to jeopardize your breastfeeding journey.

Fatigue is the first symptom of prolonged stress, and it should be a warning sign.

Feeling “drained”? It’s not just in your head: your body has exhausted its reserves, and only a drop in cortisol levels can help you recover.

To regain your energy, you need a way to banish stress. And since you’re already super tired, we won’t make you search for one alone: we’re giving you a super effective tool!

How to Fight Stress and Regain Energy in Just 15 Minutes!

The obvious solution would be to eliminate the causes of stress... but, as we mentioned before, we haven’t yet found a miracle method to get Baby to sleep through the night right from day one! So let’s look elsewhere...

Of course, nothing stops you from tackling other stress factors in your daily life:

• Your breast pain might be due to Baby’s bad latch. Don’t hesitate to check out our Practical Guide to Breastfeeding, where we explain everything in the Positions section;
• If constant visits from your mom or mother-in-law annoy you, feel free to kindly set boundaries, giving her a visiting slot that suits you.

In short, get rid of constraints and focus on what matters: preserving your health and your family’s well-being.

You’ll see that your new routine will pay off quickly!

In the meantime, why not try a method that’s proven so effective that CEOs of major companies, aware of the benefits of relaxed employees, happily implement it: sophrology?

What is Sophrology and How Will It Help You Regain Your Energy?

Recent studies in the U.S. have shown the health benefits of letting go: twenty minutes of real relaxation equals two hours of sleep!

That’s especially interesting when sleep is scarce, right? We can sense you’re starting to smile again!

But let’s start from the beginning: what is sophrology?

It’s a method combining exercises that focus on breathing, muscle relaxation, and mental imagery to achieve harmony between body and mind.
You become aware of your body and its tensions, creating artificial bubbles of soothing memories, almost like hypnosis.

Of course, you can attend excellent sophrology classes taught by certified instructors throughout France.

But to kick things off, and because we promised you results today, here’s your first sophrology exercise!

Lie down in a quiet place, and we guarantee that in less than 15 minutes, you’ll feel much more relaxed, more rested, and those upcoming nighttime wake-ups from your little one will seem much easier to handle!

Ready? Let’s go!

No drowsiness (maybe just a little, so feel free to nap if you can!), no addiction (but you’ll get used to being relaxed really quickly!), enjoy it without moderation!

Article written in collaboration with our partner Stella Cot-Garans