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 causes you to overthink in bed. This means you’re up until the middle of the night having various thoughts.
Not having enough sleep causes your body to produce stress hormones, making it even harder to fall into deep sleep. It’s an endless cycle, so don’t stress about forgetting to buy presents or what to cook during the holiday season.
To avoid stressing about everything that can go wrong, plan what you need to do during the holidays. This delegates the number of errands per day and keeps you from cramming them all in the end. It can also add a sense of accomplishment when you tick off your checklist just before the festivities begin.
Don’t forget to take some time to wind down like reading a book or taking time away from technology before bedtime!
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!