Holiday Sleep Tips to Survive Season | Orlando Counselor

Holiday Survival sleep Tips to Survive the holidays

Christmas can be so exciting and fun but also exhausting and overwhelming as well.  Shopping from store to store, and attending holiday parties are fun to celebrate but often we can lose track of time and get so exhausted so we have some holiday sleep tips to help you survive!

Why do we tend to sleep less during the holidays?

1. We tend to be more active and social; oftentimes might forget to maintain a normally scheduled nighttime routine and disrupt our sleep cycle. This disruption could pose serious negative effects.
2. So it’s important not to over commit but if you feel you have to attend every party then try leaving a party early so you can hang out but get some rest. 
3. Shopping online can save time as well and give you more time to keep a realistic sleep routine.
4. Cold Temperatures and lack of sleep can lead to use getting sick as well and impact our mental health. As the temperate fall weather begins to dissipate and the winter cold weather season begins, it is important to keep in mind to keep practicing proper hygiene and self-care.
5. During this colder time period, though there isn’t a direct causal relationship, we can establish a relationship between the winter season and our increased susceptibility to common illnesses like the flu, respiratory illness, and other viral infections. As we interact with more people during the holidays, we see an increase in illness due to the increase in possible exposure to the affected people.
6. Additionally, as shown in research, our “vasoconstrictor response”, the tightening of our blood vessels within our sympathetic nervous system (Iftikhar, 2018), plays a role in illness susceptibility, especially the colder weather conditions because it could hinder the proper immune response and result in a response or infection (Douglas et al., 1968; Dowling et al., 1958). Considering the aforementioned factors, though cold weather does not cause illness, it may play a small role in one’s susceptibility to illness through the decrease in immune response and subsequent infection.

So make sure to prioritize sleep, exercise and healthy diet for our physical, mental, and emotional well being!

References:

1. Influenza‐like illness‐related emergency department visits: Christmas and New Year holiday peaks and relationships with laboratory‐confirmed respiratory virus detections, Edmonton, Alberta, 2004–2014 
2. Sleep deprivation 
3. Vasoconstriction: Your Blood Vessels at Work

Edited by TLC Intern Maria Abreu