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The Holidays and your Sleep Schedule
This entry was posted on January 3, 2015.
It will probably come as no surprise to many that the holidays can wreak havoc with your sleep schedule. What with the stress of getting the house ready, the tree purchased and trimmed, buying and wrapping all of the presents and then shuttling back and forth to visit with family, sleep is almost always the one thing that doesn’t get attended to. Unfortunately, this is a big mistake. It’s during stressful times (even happily stressful times!) that we most need our rest. When you cheat yourself of sleep, you also cheat yourself of the ability to remember crucial details like that last ingredient you needed to buy for cookie making, or the brilliant idea that you had for a stocking stuffer for little Timmy.
Lack of sleep does more than work against your cognitive strength. It also diminishes physical performance, making it a lot less likely that you’ll have the energy and stamina you need for those final dashes to the mall or to stay on your feet to make those last few batches of holiday cookies. So, no matter how tempting it is to stay up late to finish wrapping, you’re going to be much better off if you go to sleep and give yourself more energy for the next day.
According to Dr. Joseph Ojile of the Clayton Sleep Institute, there are a number of do’s and don’ts that you can adhere to around the holidays (as well as the rest of the year) that will really help you when it comes to sleep quality. One of the big things that you need to understand is the impact that alcohol has on your sleep. The sleep expert says that whether you’re used to drinking or if you only drink occasionally, alcohol impacts sleep. People who don’t normally drink and who then occasionally drink will find that alcohol initially helps them drop off more easily. But if you drink a large quantity, to the point of getting drunk, your sleep will end up being disturbed when you need it the most. He also says that you can quickly develop a tolerance to the beneficial sedative effects. Overall, nipping away at the eggnog will end up contributing to your daytime sleepiness, and make it even worse, so it’s a good idea to show some discipline with the holiday cheer.
Beyond that the higher your reported stress level the more likely it is that your sleep quality is going to be impacted, so try to take the holidays in stride and not get too worked up about them. One way that you can help your overall mood is to establish a set bedtime and stick to it. Staying up late is going to make you more tired the next day, and will throw off your whole schedule.
