The festive season should be a time of happiness, fun, and meeting with loved ones. However, with all the preparations, shopping, travelling, and merrymaking, it becomes very easy to let stressful situations creep in and leave you drained and overwhelmed. Not only can stress impact the way you feel, but it can also cause you to have difficulty sleeping, and you can feel irritable and exhausted instead of having fun in the festive season. The worst part is that the exhaustion lingers even when the festive periods are over, and this is the last thing we would wish for.
In this article, we will discuss how holiday stress affects your sleep and provide you with helpful tips for managing your sleep schedule. By following these tips, you will be able to enjoy a relaxing, stress-free holiday.
Why Holiday Stress Affects Your Sleep
During the holidays, the hustle and bustle can affect your sleep pattern in various ways. From family gatherings to gift shopping, you might find that you are overwhelmed, making it difficult to sleep. Read below to learn how stress can affect your sleep.
- Trouble Falling Asleep:
When you are stressed, you are often filled with thoughts about things that are going to happen. This makes it difficult to turn off at night and can cause you to have difficulty sleeping.
- Frequent Awakening:
Even when you are successful in sleeping, the wakefulness induced by anxiety may cause you to wake up several times at night.
- Restlessness:
Stress causes the release of hormones, such as cortisol, within the body. As a result, your body finds it difficult to relax. It can result in sleeplessness, disturbed sleeping patterns, and even nightmares.
- Shortened Sleep Hours:
There is so much happening around this time of the year that sleep tends to take a hit. Shortened hours of sleep during the holiday season can make one feel stressed and, to some extent, weary.
Best Ways to Manage Holiday Stress for Better Sleep
Although it is a fair statement to say that stress cannot be avoided entirely during the holiday seasons, stress can be effectively controlled so as not to affect sleep. Here are some tips to ensure better sleep with stress under control:
1. Establish a Relaxing Bedtime Routine
Creating a soothing bedtime routine is one of the most effective means of preparing your body for sleep. A few simple steps like these, when taken before bedtime, can signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down:
- Practice relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, meditation, or yoga.
- All electronics must be turned off a minimum of 60 minutes prior to retiring in order to avoid blue light from interfering with melatonin secretion (the sleeping hormone).
- Take a warm bath or shower to unwind your muscles and calm your body. This can be followed up with an enjoyable skincare routine, which not only helps you unwind and relax, but it will also make you feel refreshed and ready to dress up for the holiday party.
- You could consider drinking a relaxing drink before sleeping, like herbal tea or warm milk, which would calm your body before sleeping. For more ideas on what else might help, see our latest post about “5 Nighttime Drinks to Help You Sleep Better.”
2. Limit Caffeine, Alcohol, and Indulgent Foods
The holiday season is the easiest time to indulge in foods and substances such as caffeine, alcohol, sweets, and fried foods, and while it is fine to indulge once in a while, indulging in these things in excess can affect your sleep. Practicing mindful eating, by paying attention to what and how much you eat, can help you avoid overeating and reduce its impact on your sleep.
Foods that are heavier and greasier are harder to digest and tend to give you discomfort, which makes it difficult for you to fall asleep at night. An excessive amount of sugar and fat in the foods you eat tends to give you a boost in blood sugar, which can give you episodes of extreme exhaustion and stress.
3. Prioritize Sleep
The holiday season may be packed, but do not cut back on sleep. Instead, aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night and do your best to maintain a sleep pattern, even if it means sticking to this routine through weekends and holiday gatherings.
When suddenly staying up late for a holiday gathering or night out, do yourself a favour and counter this by sleeping in late, catching up on missed sleep, or even just taking a quick power nap of one hour to give yourself a chance to rest and recharge for whatever holiday adventure lies ahead!
4. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness can also prove to be an excellent means by which you can calm your mind and find relief from holiday stress. When you practise mindfulness by concentrating on the current moment without making any judgements, you can easily reduce stress and prepare yourself for a healthy and quiet night of sleep.
The more you practise mindfulness, the easier it becomes to deal with stress and have a sound sleep. For a comprehensive guide on mindfulness practices, click on our article here.
5. Exercise Regularly
Exercise can be a great way to manage stress and promote quality sleep. Exercise allows the release of endorphins that, in turn, boost moods and relieve anxiety. However, exercise should not be near the time you are going to sleep. This may cause you to feel too energised to sleep. At least 30 minutes of exercise per day should be taken.
Related Reads: Best Full-Body Workouts You Can Do At Home
6. Set Realistic Expectations
The holidays often come with high expectations. Whether it is preparing the perfect meal, purchasing the perfect gift, or having the best experience, doing everything can cause stress and exhaustion.
Everyone needs to have realistic expectations and realize that it is not necessary for everything to go smoothly for it to have meaning. Instead, it is necessary to focus on the most important thing, which is spending time with loved ones, making memories, and prioritising mental wellness.
7. Tackle Financial Pressures Early
By far one of the most common sources that lead to stress during the holiday season is related to finances. Between the costs of gifts, travel arrangements, and then eating out or cooking during this season, finances can lead to stress. Managing holiday expenses in advance can help avoid stress related to finances during this season, when you can actually enjoy the season stress-free.
Tips for Improving Sleep During the Holiday Season
Here are some tips to help you maintain your sleep during the busy holiday season, so your health doesn’t take a hit:
1. Maintain the Routine Unchanged
It is easy to overlook a healthy lifestyle when celebrating the holiday season. However, when you make your routine non-negotiable, it becomes easier to work around structured activities, helping to reduce stress and simplify things.
Try to stick to your regular routine as much as possible, even if it means squeezing in a quick workout or making time for meals. Planning your day in advance can also make a big difference when it comes to lowering stress.
2. Take Screen Breaks
In the modern digital age, it is easy to find yourself up to your eyes in screen time, whether you are checking your phone, watching movies, or scrolling through your shopping wishlist or social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. The bad news is that too much screen time can drain your energy levels and increase your stress levels.
Try taking tech-free breaks throughout the day, especially before bed. This can help your brain unwind and improve the quality of your sleep.
3. Create a Sleep-Friendly Environment
Your bedroom should feel like an oasis of restfulness. Ensure that your bedroom environment is cool, dark, and quiet. You can use blackout curtains, earplugs, or even a white noise machine to eliminate distractions in the room. You will also need a comfortable mattress and an equally comfortable pillow for you to sleep soundly through the night.
Related Reads: The Ultimate Guide To Improving Sleep
How to Cope with Holiday Stress When Sleep Isn’t Enough
Even with these tips, there may be times when stress and lack of sleep feel overwhelming. If you always find yourself experiencing stress, you might need to:
- Talking to someone: Talking to a friend or a member of the family might help remove some stress.
- Divide tasks into smaller steps: Do not try to deal with everything simultaneously. Instead, break down your list of tasks into smaller pieces.
- Seek professional assistance: If the stress or sleep problems are not going away with the holiday season, professional assistance may be required.
Final Thoughts
Even though the holiday season can become quite hectic, it is always imperative to focus on both mental health and sleep. Through stress management, which involves activities such as mindfulness and adhering to a sleep schedule, you will be able to enjoy the holiday season while being well-rested and satisfied. The holidays are not always meant to be perfect; they simply need to be meaningful to you. Take care of yourself, and you will be able to conquer whatever the holiday seasons bring to you.