The holiday season brings joy, traditions, and plenty of celebration, but the extra events, travel, and later nights can easily disrupt your normal sleep rhythm.
To stay well-rested, the best approach is to keep a consistent sleep schedule, avoid heavy late night meals, choose sleep supporting foods, and stay active throughout the day. Below, we break down exactly how these habits help you sleep better during the busiest time of the year.
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How Can I Protect My Sleep During the Holiday Season?
The holidays can change your routine with busy evenings, travel, and celebrations, so keeping your exact bedtime isn’t always possible. To protect your sleep during this time, focus on small anchors that help your body stay steady. Waking up around the same time most days, even within an hour’s range, gives your internal clock something consistent to follow and supports a healthier sleep schedule. And when you’re feeling run down, a short, well-timed nap can offer a reset without disrupting nighttime sleep.
Creating a simple anchor at the end of the day can help too. Lowering lights, stepping away from screens, or taking a brief moment to slow down signals to your body that it’s time to shift gears, even when your days are fuller than usual.
Does Holiday Eating Affect My Sleep?
One of our favorite aspects of the holiday season is the meals, treats, and snacks that we enjoy this time of year. If you want to sleep well, however, you'll want to avoid piling up your plates too high over the holidays. Maintaining your current weight will go a long way toward helping you guard your rest.
This has little to do with an ideal body size and more to do with giving your body the consistency it needs to ensure a good night's sleep.
Overeating can also lead to gas and bloating, which can make for an uncomfortable night. The same goes for indigestion and heartburn. So take care as you feast over the holidays.
What Holiday Foods Can Help Me Sleep Better?
With richer meals and extra treats around the holidays, it’s common to feel like your sleep is a little off. If you want to support better rest, certain foods can give your body a natural boost. Warm milk, almonds, lettuce, and some types of fish provide nutrients that help your body create melatonin and serotonin, which play a role in calming the body and preparing it for sleep.
Including one of these foods in a light evening snack or choosing them more often throughout the season can give your body a gentle nudge toward more restful sleep.
Can Staying Active During the Holidays Support Better Sleep?
With holiday events, travel, and colder weather, it’s easy for movement to slip out of your routine. But even gentle activity during the day can make a noticeable difference in how well you sleep. Staying active helps release stress, lift your mood, and signal to your body that it can settle more easily at night.
If it’s too chilly to head outdoors, here are some warm alternatives to keep moving:
- Stay inside and dance to your favorite song.
- Follow a short online workout or yoga video.
- Walk or run on a treadmill.
- Join a local gym with fitness classes.
- Lift a few hand weights.
The goal isn’t to follow a perfect routine. It’s simply to find small movements that feel good and fit your holiday schedule, giving you an easy way to care for yourself during a busy season.
Prioritizing your sleep during the holiday season is essential for maintaining your well-being and enjoying the festivities to the fullest. By sticking to your sleep schedule, maintaining your weight, incorporating sleep-friendly foods into your meals, and finding ways to exercise, you can ensure a restful and rejuvenating holiday season. But remember to strike a balance between indulging in holiday treats and taking care of your body's needs.
At Land Of Sleep, we understand that your health and your sleep go hand in hand. Download our Mattress Health Benefits Ebook to learn more about how your mattress and bedding can influence your sleep health this holiday season!
