There are two words that usually aren’t used in the same sentence… ‘Sleep’ & ‘Christmastime’ ! The adults don’t get enough sleep and the children are too excited to go to sleep. Read on for some tips about how to reach the elusive “Land of Nod” over the festive period…
Christmas is a time of sleep disruption for so many of us… It may be late party nights or it may be that post feed snooze on the armchair that affects our normal sleep routine but how to avoid some of the pitfalls we all experience at this time of year? One of our favourite websites for articles on sleep is <The Sleep Project> and we are pleased to publish an article by Dr Caitlin Chasser, one of the most engaging sleep experts in the field of sleep science.
If you like, you can check their free download – Bedtime Planning for a Great Night’s Sleep
“Christmas is nearly here and I wanted to pass on my top tips for maintaining good sleep during the holidays. While Christmas can be a time of seasons cheer, more often it is also a time of heightened emotions, sometimes even anxiety and stress. You may be in someone else’s house or following a different daily routine. Often we find our sleep suffering as a consequence.
Christmas Sleep Tips
Here are just three tips to keep you sleeping peacefully:
- Keep your main heavy meal as early in the day as possible, and avoid eating too much in the 3 hours before bed (though a bit of light snacking is fine). Ideally when you head to bed you want your body ready to focus on sleep rather than be distracted by having to digest that extra helping of Christmas pudding. Although turkey infamously contains trytophan, one of the key components needed to make melatonin (one of our sleepy hormones), there is not enough in one whole turkey, let alone a portion of roast dinner, to make you fall asleep.
- Get out every day for fresh air, natural light and some exercise, even if its only a 10-15 minute walk. Not only will this make you feel better than lounging on the sofa but the light even on a cloudy day, will help to set your circadian rhythm, and exercise is proven to improve sleep quality and quantity. You will sleep deeper and feel more rested after daily exercise.
- Alcohol ! Alcohol is sleep’s worst enemy. Though it does have a sedative effect in the early part of the night it is proven to worsen sleep quality, causing much more broken sleep especially in the early hours. That means waking frequently through the night, and less REM or dream sleep. Dream sleep is essential for emotional processing, social interactions and generally wellbeing – all essential for Christmas!
That said, at The Sleep Project, we understand that for many a glass of bubbly or something special is an integral part of Christmas celebrations. So if you want to have a wee tipple, try to keep your drinking early in the day and keep well hydrated (drink plenty of water). Christmas is one of the few times when drinking is generally accepted so, unless you’re the designated driver, bring on the Christmas cheer and consider starting early!
Merry Christmas from all at Texstyle and at The Sleep Project team!
