We have written before about how you can avoid losing sleep when you go on holiday and particularly about returning to a regular sleep cycle on your return. This article though, due to the huge amount of stress that so many people have had to contend with over the last 2 years since COVID-19 reared its ugly head, is specifically about ensuring that you will sleep your way these holidays to less stress!
There are many effective things you can do to ensure that the festive season, being away from home and having a different schedule, don’t leave you feeling even more stressed by the time you return and like you still need a holiday! One of the best ways to do this is to get more sleep – but you have to leave stress behind to do this.
Use the time to do less stressful things
As difficult as it may be – make sure holiday time is not a continuous party time. Partying will generally have you eating, and drinking more alcohol, before bedtime, both of which will affect the time you sleep and have you feeling very grumpy in the morning when the rest of the family want to play. This can only lead to increasing stress and not decreasing it.
There will be certain party days like around Christmas and New year, but try to limit these as much as possible and hold them more in daylight hours. Instead of partying, do a lot of things that tend to induce better sleep like walking, taking long baths, reading (not spending time on blue screens especially a couple of hours before bedtime), yoga, and meditating.
Focus on the positive
A lot of couples decide that they’re going to leave a whole lot of things they want to talk and make decisions about until they have time on holiday. Unfortunately, if these discussions revolve around unresolved issues or stressful matters, you will not be leaving your stress behind, merely packing it to take with you on your vacation!
Talk about positive things that you plan to do. Have family discussions about all the things you have been grateful for this past year and how you want to try to help others and yourselves in the year to come. You will find that creating this kind of peace of mind and positive thoughts will do wonders for your stress – and your sleep too.
Helpful pre-bedtime rituals
Apart from not over-eating or drinking too much alcohol, and not looking at blue screens before bedtime, the Better Sleep Council (BSC) of America suggest these pre-bedtime rituals which can be a great help to get better sleep and thereby reduce holiday stress…
- Drinking a cup of tea made of chamomile, lavender, and valerian steeped in hot water 1 hour before bedtime.
- Playing soft meditation music or wearing earplugs to block out sounds.
- Lighting sleep incense, such as lavender or sandalwood.
- Wearing 100% cotton pyjamas for a soft, soothing feel or moisture-wicking pyjamas if you get hot while sleeping – and doing something to reduce your body temperature like a luke-warm shower as this is critical to better sleep.
Check your mattress!
The BSC also stress that ‘’optimizing your sleep environment is the first step in achieving optimal sleep health, and your mattress is literally the ‘vehicle for sleep’ so it should be relaxing and comfortable.’’
If your mattress has lumps, bumps, or valleys, or is at least 7 years old and causing you aches and pains, it’s definitely time to invest in a new Truform mattress, the best available at the best price anywhere in South Africa.
Obviously, when you are away from home this might not be an option, but for all the months you spend at home this is the most important way to relieve stress with superior sleep. So, locate a store near you and buy the best Christmas present you could ever give yourself to ensure 2022 is a stress-free year for you! To all our loyal customers, thanks so much for your support throughout 2021 and may 2022 bring you everything you could wish for yourself – and more great sleep than ever!