Holidays and stress seem to go hand in hand. To cope, many people often steal hours from their sleep to pack in all the cooking, shopping, parties and family time. . Try these sleep expert tips to prevent from ruining slumber during the holidays.
Be careful with excess food
. However, Eating smaller portions and taking breaks to check in with your body on how full you are can help. This seems cruel especially when a delicious meal is right in front of you, but this tip can help reduce your feelings of sleepiness. Besides, try replacing the sugary and fatty foods on your holiday plate with more unprocessed, fiber-rich foods.
Many people look forward to that holiday nap, and often point to the turkey as the cause. In fact, you'd have to eat about 8 pounds for turkey to have an effect. Instead, it's the rich, processed foods, such as candied sweet potatoes or pecan pie, that are making you feel tired.
Watch for depression
If you suffer from anxiety, depression or seasonal affective disorder （a condition that causes sadness when there's less daylight）, watching your sleep is key. Depression and sleep are linked. Calming strategies can include a relaxing transition before going to sleep in which you could take a bath, meditate or listen to soothing music.
A. Be strategic with naps
B. Watch your alcohol intake
C. Another effective strategy is regular exercise
D. If you do decide to have a nap, be sure not to do it too soon after eating
E. Eating large, heavy meals causes the body to work harder to digest the foods
F. Poor sleep can damage our mood, and depression can lead to unhealthy sleep
G. But even a night or two of short sleep can have short term effects on your health and mood
