5 Tips to Maintain Your Sleep This Holiday Season

The snow is falling, the cocktails and mocktails are flowing, gifts are wrapped, lights shining, and food is eaten. And, more than once more likely, you find yourself looking at the clock thinking, “it is way past my bedtime.” We all love a routine, but the holidays seem to throw all that to the wind. Sleep schedule? Yeah right! Eating habits? See ya next year.

But sleep routines (as we’ve talked about a lot in the past) are so important to your health.

Sleep routines:

Help your immune system work
Keep your internal clock in check
Help you feel energized
Stabilize mood
Reduce hunger and cravings
Keep your body running smooth

So how do you balance the fun of the holidays with still getting enough sleep?

These are our top 5 tips to maintain a sleep routine during the holidays (sorta).

1. Be flexible with your sleep routine.

We know it’s a routine for a reason, but during the holidays it can be nice to create an abridged version of your routine so you maintain some level of consistency while still pulling back a little bit. For example, if you like to stretch for 10 minutes, meditate for 5, wash your face, brush your teeth and read in bed for 30 minutes, consider doing all your face, teeth and hygiene stuff first, then doing a 5 minute bed stretch and shorter meditation.

By not letting go of your routine entirely, you keep your body still in tune to the “normal” and it’s easier to keep those habits alive. People that have a sleep routine and stick to it may find it harder to sleep or don’t have as deep of a sleep if it’s not maintained. By having a shorter version of it, you can keep your body and mind happy while taking up less time for those nights that run a little later.

2. Arrive early, leave early

We know there’s nothing like dancing the night away or getting caught up catching up with old friends. To be honest, that’s one of the best parts of the season. If you’re hosting a holiday get-together this season, consider starting the event off a few hours early with an appetizer happy hour or pre-dinner chat. Starting earlier means that you can happily close the party down and get to bed at least closer to your normal sleep time.

3. Embrace the nap

While there are some simple rules to follow to make sure your nap stays helpful and not harmful, they can do a lot to ease some of that tiredness that settles in over the holidays. You can learn all about napping here, but some of the quick rules are:

Sleep in a dark room like you would at night
Don’t sleep for too long (20-ish minutes is best)
Consider drinking coffee before your nap
Make sure you have time after your nap to wake up

4. Keep your mental wellbeing in mind

It’s easy to get caught in the hustle and bustle of the season. A busy schedule can often lead to a busy mind. It’s also not uncommon to feel anxious about getting the right gift, seeing certain family members or being overwhelmed with memories. It can add up really quickly. While many people love the season — or parts of the season — make sure to keep tabs on how you’re feeling emotionally and mentally and not just physically. Stress and anxiety can make it hard to sleep and stay asleep so how you feel really does impact your sleep routine.

Some of the best ways to take care of your mental health during the holidays can be:

Scheduling a day off to do something just for you. Bake cookies, watch a movie, nap (oh yeah!), read a book, go for a walk… do something just for you.
Say no. Especially around the holidays it feels like a season of “yes!” That can quickly lead to a lot of running around and running yourself ragged. Don’t feel bad to say no.
Practice and respect boundaries. It’s been a new topic that has gotten a lot of attention lately, but setting boundaries around your time and energy can do a lot to keep you feeling emotionally supported and regulated. Boundaries could be about saying no, yes, but also about setting spending limits, leaving a party early, saying no to a drink, not engaging in conversation or anything else. At the same time, be aware of other peoples boundaries and respect those, too.

5. Eat your fruits and veggies

Let’s set one thing straight right away: There is nothing wrong with enjoying holiday treats, cakes, chocolate, pie or anything else you wish to enjoy during the holidays. Food is a way to connect with people we love and we are all here for it. That being said, making sure you’re getting some green veggies and vitamin-packed food in there can keep you feeling energized all season long. Having fruit with breakfast, grabbing a bit more broccoli at dinner and enjoying salad when you can are easy ways to make sure your treats are balanced parts of your holiday diet.

Eating veggies during the holidays will help you:

Keep your immune system up. This is so important especially because the flu is all around us this year. Being healthy ensures you can enjoy your time with your family.
Have regular bowel movements. The sugars and starches in many holiday foods can leave you feeling bloated and uncomfortable. Greens will keep you feeling good and resting well at night so you’re energized for more holiday activities all season long.
Get water in your system. While you should still be drinking water, veggies are another way to keep yourself hydrated. Hydration is #1 for quality sleep.
Fall asleep faster. Fruits and veggies can make sure you get to sleep at night and stay asleep all night long.

Sleeping during the holiday season

It’s so easy to be swept up in the season. Following these 5 tips will help you maintain your quality and quantity of sleep all season long so you can feel good, stay healthy and be energized for all your favourite activities.

Maintaining Your Sleep All Holiday Season Long