It’s no doubt everyone is looking forward to the holiday season. It’s a time for celebrations and a perfect opportunity to spend more time with loved ones or to just relax and enjoy the time off! But, for some, overindulgence, stress, and a simple change in pace can make you sleep deprived.
If you’re finding it hard to sleep during the holiday season, here are some tips that may help you get that good night’s sleep:
Keep Those Technology Blues Away from the Bed
If you’re one of the lucky few to receive a gift such as a laptop or a smartphone, try not to spend a lot of time using it in bed.
When you’re using your phones, laptops and other devices in bed, you’re exposing your brain to blue light. It was found in a study that blue light actually makes you less sleepy, so it takes you longer to fall asleep!
What you can do, is limit your screen time in bed to make your brain associate your bed and sleep instead of screen time.
If you really need to use a device at night, try switching the screen to the night mode setting. Your device will emit a warm light instead of a blue light.
We Love a Good Festive Drink, but What about Our Body?
If you’ve got plenty of end of year parties and gatherings to go to, having a drink or two is pretty common. Sometimes you end up drinking so much, you fall asleep instead.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, while drinking alcohol makes you fall asleep faster, drinking it at night can actually cause the amount of sleep you get to be of lesser quality.
Alcohol affects your circadian rhythm (your body clock). This makes you wake up more during the night. Drinking alcohol also causes your REM sleep (the most restorative sleep stage) to decrease, making you feel groggy in the morning.
Coffee Is All Fun and Games until Later during the Day
Maybe you decide you need a well-deserved cup of coffee. You’re worn out from seeing all your family and friends, or your kids are super excited from opening presents.
While you may be awake for the next few hours, according to the Sleep Health Foundation, you may still feel the effect of caffeine 3-7 hours after.
This can cause you to have a lesser quality amount of sleep or make it even harder for you to fall asleep.
Don’t Stress – It’s the Holidays!
Stress has a sneaky way of following you into bed. Instead of drifting off, you end up lying awake replaying to-do lists and half-finished plans in your head.
Lack of sleep can then trigger stress hormones, making it even harder to fall into deep, restorative sleep. It’s a loop that feeds itself. So if you forget a present or stress about what to cook, take a breath. One late night doesn’t need to snowball into a restless week.
Planning ahead can help keep holiday stress in check. Spreading errands across a few days reduces last-minute pressure and gives you small wins as you tick things off your list. When it comes to bedtime, simple tools like a sleep calculator can also help you choose a more realistic sleep window, even when routines feel a little off.
And before turning in, make space to properly wind down. Read a book, step away from screens, and give your mind permission to switch off for the night.
Last but Not Least: Sleep on a Comfortable Mattress and Pillow
Having a supportive mattress and pillow mean a good sleeping posture. When you wake up the next day, you won’t feel any aches or pains.
Choosing a mattress with the right firmness and meets your preferences will certainly help you get a good night’s sleep this holiday season. Or you can give it to someone special as a gift!
We really hope you have a great holiday season and that these tips can help you get through with enough sleep!
POPULAR POSTS LIKE THIS:
Can’t sleep? Let’s talk about low-frequency EMFs
How to go to bed early in 8 steps