We tend to think of the year’s end as a time for holidays and therefore a time of rest and relaxation. Quite to the contrary, the year-end is also the ‘festive season’ bringing with it much merriment, a lot of eating and drinking, the getting together of families from afar and spending large amounts of money we can’t afford!
All these factors can play a role in making the holiday season a stressful time and a time when our sleep can be badly affected. ‘’How’’ you say, ‘’would such things affect sleep?’’ Well, to answer that, let’s look at a few things that upset our sleep quality and patterns the most…
Getting families together – Many people find that this is a time when family and friends may be visiting from other areas, thereby upsetting your normal lifestyle. It is also a time that you may be getting people together who don’t particularly get along with each other – and these can be stressful factors.
Holiday spending – Overspending at Christmas can become a financial nightmare for many, only adding to the long wait for the January payday so, this too adds an element of stress.
Partying hard – Although it is supposed to be a time of rest, it is also often a time of total overindulgence, not only with food and alcohol but also losing sleep through partying into the wee hours.
Sleeping in an unfamiliar environment – If you are away from home, an unfamiliar environment can also affect sleep unless it is a restful one, but if the sleeping conditions are not ideal, and particularly if the place you’re staying has a bad mattress your sleep can suffer badly.
All of these factors can affect our sleeping patterns during the holiday season, so how can you sleep your way through festive season stress?
Make up time – Remember that sleep is accumulative and that you are on holiday, so if you are partying hard at night, spend some time in the day making up for lost sleep time.
Take some ‘me’ time – If you find it stressful having family or friends from afar in your space, make a point of wandering off from time to time to just get some quiet rest time of your own. Excuse yourself when everyone is occupied – then go have a nice nap somewhere!
Maintain your sleep cycle – This is a difficult one but to whatever extent you can, try to stick to the regular sleep pattern you observe during the rest of the year. Try to party earlier in the day – or sleep in later the next morning.
Try to moderate – You know you’re probably going to eat more and possibly consume a lot of alcohol, so again try to time it right, so that you finish eating early in the evening and drink only water for the last couple of hours before you hit the bed. Alcohol and food taken late at night will disturb your sleep.
Get comfortable – Try to get the room temperature cool and as close as possible to what you are used to. Ensure the room is very dark and try to keep the same pre-bedtime rituals that you observe at home. Also, no use of blue screens for at least an hour before bedtime!
Give yourself a great Christmas gift!
Give yourself the best Christmas gift of all, so that you can sleep your way not only through the festive season but the whole of the next few years – buy a brand new Truform Mattress and find out how much a great mattress can change your sleep quality and sleeping patterns for the better.
With firm postural support, added layers of comfort and available at great prices – even if you have to wait until you get home to use it, sleeping on a Truform will catch you up on the sleep you lost in no time.
Contact us if you want to know more about our fabulous range – or just pop into a store near you to test a Truform today! Have a blessed Christmas and New Year – and thanks a million to all who bought our mattresses and supported us in 2024.