Eating Less, Tired More?

I have been eating about 1600-2000 calories a day (down from about 2500+cal) and am also breastfeeding my daughter.  I get so tired since I've been eating less calories (So much so that I've gone from 6-7hrs of sleep a night to 9-11hrs sleeping when I get a chance).  Should I add more cals, or will this feeling go away since I'm dropping weight steadily now?  Also I have cut out caffeine (after having maybe 2-4 12oz sodas a day for several months.  Is that the more likely cause?  Any ideas on this would be awesome, Thanks!

The requirements for breast feeding are significantly different from those who are not...I'm moving your post into the Pregnancy and Parenting forum where I hope you'll get some responses.

I can totally relate.

I'm breastfeeding my 10-month-old son and I'm like you: tired all the time. I go to bed between 9 and 10 and sleep until 6am and still wake up tired. Honestly, I think it's just the breastfeeding. I've tried so many different things to up my energy level and none of it has helped.

I don't know your stats/activity levels but I'm willing to bet that 1600 calories is NOT enough. 2,000 is closer to what you should be consuming at a minimum, again depending on your stats. I'm 5'3" and weigh 130 pounds, lightly active and I'm eating 1900-2000 daily. I got back down to my pre-pregnancy weight by 4-5 months postpartum so while I'd like to lose more weight, I'm not actively trying to lose until I'm finished breastfeeding.

There's no way to know how many calories are burned breastfeeding because it varies from person to person and depends on how much milk baby is taking. A general estimate that I've found is 20 calories burned for every ounce of milk produced. If you know how much milk you make (I do because I pump multiple times a day), you can figure up a rough estimate and then experiment by raising and lowering the number of calories you eat to find the best balance for you.

Cutting out caffeine might have an effect on your energy but it doesn't for me. I can have a cup immediately before bed and have no trouble falling and staying asleep.

If you're still getting up for multiple feedings a night, that could also be a factor. Interrupted sleep isn't of the same quality as uninterruped sleep. While we all go through periods of wakefulness during the night, it's not the same as actually getting up, out of bed and spending 20-30 minutes feeding the baby before going back to bed.