'Tis the season! When pie is served at every meal and the cocktails are as consistent as the familial interactions.
The holiday season is one of the most wonderful seasons of all, but can be extremely detrimental to a healthy sleep cycle.
Have you ever felt groggy during the holidays? The inconsistent sleep schedule and the high intake of sugar and alcohol are some of the many disruptions of your quality of sleep during the holiday season.
In this article, we will discuss things to be aware of during the holidays to make sure you stay on top of a healthy sleep schedule and keep you feeling merry and bright!
1. Allow three to four hours between drinking and going to bed.
If you’re planning on getting to bed by 10, you’re going to want to finish that glass of wine by 7. It takes your body about three hours to metabolize 8 ounces of wine, according to HuffPost. This time may vary according to your size, gender and alcohol intake. Alcohol tends to affect women more acutely, according to a sleep researcher who suggests a 4-hour window for both men and women.
2. Use the “two for one” rule.
Make sure you drink two glasses of water for every alcoholic drink you have. This helps your system flush out the alcohol sooner. Drink even more water if your drink is sugary, to help your body flush out both the alcohol and sugar.
3. Keep your sugar intake to a minimum.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, consuming too much sugar during the day will cause your body to wake up in the middle of the night. The sugar in your system can keep you from deep sleep, causing you to be more exhausted the next day. In addition, too much sugar can cause an energy crash, making you feel drowsy. Try to keep your sugar levels even throughout the day to avoid these effects.
4. Stick to a Sleep Schedule
The recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult is 8 hours. Try to keep your sleep schedule consistent on the weekdays and weekends, and limit yourself to an hour variation. Keeping this consistent will help your body to fall asleep more quickly, as well as wake up more easily. If within 20 minutes you don’t fall asleep, get out of bed and do something relaxing, then try to go back to sleep, repeat as needed.
5. Get Adequate Exercise
The more energy you expend during the day, the more tired you'll be at night. During the holidays, we can often forget about our workout regimen, which won’t be helpful when you get to bed after consuming lots of sugar. You don't need to run a marathon or anything crazy, but going for a walk, riding a bike, doing some jumping jacks, or even some light weight lifting during the holidays will help your quality of sleep!
