Whether you’re traveling to visit relatives or hosting relatives in your own home, the holiday season is always packed for everyone, engaged in the festivities and celebrations of this joyous occasion with family and friends.
It’s needless to say you’ll be busy making arrangements and preparing throughout the day. But have you included maintaining healthy sleep habits in your holiday planning?
Why Sleep Is Important During the Holidays?
Holiday festivities tend to keep everyone up late, it’s hard for families to get together to simply enjoy each other’s company these days with everyone’s busy and packed schedules, so why not make the most of it? But making the most of that time also means maintaining good cheer which, let’s face it, can also be hard if you’ve got relatives who tend to rub you the wrong way. And that’s why getting enough sleep is so important.
Productive sleep replenishes us. It arms us with the power to absorb all the little stresses that otherwise seem to pile up until we feel overwhelmed and defeated. Without sleep, you can forget about having the patience to tolerate that one aunt who never seems to have anything nice to say or the other aunt who is always nagging and pestering you about your marriage. With sleep and being well-rested, you’re at your best, which makes being together all the more fun for everyone. So, how can we fit more sleep into our holiday fun?
Can’t Sleep During the Holidays? Some Tips to Try!
If you’re traveling, we have some suggestions for you to stay rested on the road. But if you’re staying at someone’s house or having people over you, things can get a little tricky. It may be hard to retire when you’re ready and even harder to fall asleep if the house is still rocking with merriment. And expecting to sleep in the next morning is usually unrealistic, especially if there are little ones pattering about. Try and find some downtime during the day to catch some extra winks. It’s amazing what a 20-minute power nap can do. And when you are in sleep mode, try a white noise machine or app on your phone to help drown out unwanted noise.
How Do I Fall Asleep On Holiday?
Another aspect of holiday traveling that can disrupt our sleep patterns is also the hardest to overcome – jet lag. It keeps us up when we want to be down, and down when we want to be up. And the worst part of it is, the farther we travel, the worse it is. The bad news is jet lag can’t be stopped entirely. But there are ways to mitigate its effects. Such as, selecting a flight that allows early evening arrival and staying up until 10 p.m. local time. (If you must sleep during the day, take a short nap in the early afternoon, but no longer than two hours. Set an alarm to be sure not to oversleep.) Also, try to get outside in the sunlight whenever possible. Daylight is a powerful stimulant for regulating the biological clock. (Staying indoors worsens jet lag.)
A few other factors to keep in mind for your sleep schedule are to, follow all the rules of good sleep hygiene, and avoid sleeping pills, and caffeine before bed, these acts as stimulants and prevent sleep. Stay well-rested and strike a well-maintained balance between enjoying the joyous festivities along with making sure you take care of yourself and stay well-rested.
What will you do to make sure you’re keeping up with your rest during your holidays?
