Five Sleep-Related Tips To Help Survive The Holidays

4 min

With the holidays just around the corner, it’s time to start preparing for changes in your daily routine that your holiday plans may bring. Whether you’re traveling far to stay with loved ones, gathering close to home, or even hosting at your place, preparing ahead of time will help you feel refreshed, well-rested, and ready for whatever the holiday gatherings may throw your way.

Try Sticking to Your Normal Schedule

The holidays are an easy time to interrupt your normal sleep schedule and let your regular habits fall by the wayside. Having a consistent sleep routine is shown to help with your mental health, physical health, and overall daily performance. Sticking to your schedule as much as possible will not only help you to stay well-rested throughout the holiday season, it will also make going back to work or to your normal routine much easier in the weeks to come.

Try going to bed and waking up at your regular times to keep your body’s circadian rhythms on track. If you’re someone who is used to getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night, try to allow yourself to get that amount of sleep during the holidays as well and stick to your regular “wind-down” routine before bed. Additionally, if you know that the holidays are a particularly stressful time for you or your family, ensuring that you’re getting enough sleep will help you better manage your stress.

Recreate Your Sleep Environment

If you’re planning to spend nights away from home, along with sticking to your normal schedule it’s also good to set your new bedroom up in a way that mimics the comfort, support, and temperatures you’re used to during the night. These simple tips can help you get the quality sleep you need away from home:

• Try to make the room as dark and quiet as possible
• Adjust the room to a comfortable temperature for sleep (utilizing fans or space heaters can help achieve your perfect sleep temperature)
• Bring a variety of quality bedding layers to recreate your ideal comfort and temperature
• Bring along a pillow that provides a comfortable level of support

Give Yourself Some Quiet Time

It’s extremely important to take care of your mental health during the holiday season, and reducing stressors can help make getting the quality sleep you need much easier to achieve. Whether it’s not over-scheduling yourself with too many holiday events back-to-back, taking time away in a quiet space throughout the day, meditating during the morning or before bed, or practicing any other form of self-care you include in your regular routine, finding ways to reduce stress during the holidays can help you mentally and physically while offering better sleep. If you find yourself overwhelmed during the holidays and in need of additional support or tips on how to deal with stress, explore our blog post, “Handling Holiday Stress.”

Avoid Eating and Drinking Too Close to Bedtime

Eating too close to your bedtime can disrupt your sleep cycle as well as cause acid reflux and other discomforts. Even if you’re tempted by tasty holiday treats, it’s best to follow the recommended guidelines to avoid eating approximately 3 hours before bed and avoid alcohol approximately 4 hours before bed. Be cognizant of the time and follow your regular bedtime practices and routine.

Recover from Jet Lag

If you travel across time zones during the holidays, it’s important to allow yourself time to prepare and recover from jet lag. Here are a few helpful tips to help you combat jet lag and travel fatigue during the holidays:

• Try to get a few nights of quality sleep before your trip so that you’re as rested as possible ahead of time
• Slowly adjust your sleep schedule an hour at a time approximately three days before your trip.
• If your trip is less than two days, follow tip #1 above and try to stick to your normal sleep schedule as much as possible

Find more tips on how to make the most of your sleep while traveling on our blog post, “Sleeping While Traveling.”

Bonus Tip: Be a Helpful Host

If you’re the one hosting this year, try your best to make things easier on your guests by accommodating their sleep needs and setting them up for success in your guest room. Make sure you have quality bedding layers to help them achieve their ideal comfort and temperature and a variety of pillows that offer various lofts and fills to give them a comfortable, supportive night of sleep.

Sources

1. “6 Tips for Better Sleep When You Travel.” Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/6-tips-for-better-sleep-when-you-travel
2. “How to Design the Ideal Bedroom for Sleep.” Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/bedroom-environment/how-to-design-the-ideal-bedroom-for-sleep
3. “Is Eating Before Bed Bad for You?” Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/is-eating-before-bed-bad-for-you
4. “Setting a Regular Sleep Schedule.” National Sleep Foundation. https://www.thensf.org/setting-a-regular-sleep-schedule/
5. “Sleeping Well During the Holidays.” National Sleep Foundation. https://www.thensf.org/sleeping-well-during-the-holidays/

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