If you're a parent you won’t be surprised by this: 53% of Americans will lose sleep over the holidays due to holiday stress compared to just 23% of non parents. It also goes to show many people, we’re talking millions of people at this point, are losing sleep over holiday stress. So it’s a thing. There's the stress of shopping, there's the stress of cooking, there's the stress of all the parties as well as getting your normal workload done. There's the stress for some people to see relatives they don’t necessarily love to see over the holidays. All of these things definitely can keep us from sleeping because stress is one of the main things that keeps us from sleeping.
Now I know when you think of holidays you might not be thinking of sleep per se. But I think it's really important because being sleep-deprived makes you more irritable and it weakens your immune system so you’re more likely to get sick (which is no fun especially over the holidays). You're also more likely to indulge in all the sweets and treats around you. There are studies showing that we tend to eat three up to three hundred more calories a day when we haven't gotten sleep versus when we have. That means that getting sleep can also help you to avoid weight gain over the holidays, as well.
So here are the tips I have to help you get the rest you need. That way you can start the New Year feeling rested and refreshed instead of feeling grumpy and exhausted and burned out.