With hectic holiday schedules, it is easy to start feeling tired and run down, especially if you find you are losing precious time for sleep or not getting sufficient essential vitamins in your diet.
A Gallup survey found more than 75 percent of adults lose at least 3 hours of sleep every week during the months of November and December. Almost half of those surveyed attributed sleep loss to the increased stress they experienced during the holiday season. In addition to losing sleep, many people find the quality of their sleep lacking during the holidays, which increases the likelihood they will feel weary.
Some of the sources of stress during the holiday season people commonly report include:
- Financial concerns about either not having enough money to buy gifts for loved ones or spending too much money during holiday sales
- The planning, shopping, and rush involved in hosting holiday parties
- Missing family members and loved ones who have died
- Conflicts with family members or friends
- Overscheduling parties, shopping trips, and other obligations
We want to help you find ways to enjoy the holiday season! Here are some tips to minimize holiday stress and avoid sleepless nights:
- When planning your schedule, prioritize errands, appointments, and parties, and then add 30 minutes to an hour to your original estimate of how long the particular task or event will last. This will allow you to have extra time in case you get stuck in heavy holiday traffic or to just take a break to relax.
- When you go shopping, take only enough cash to cover the cost of the items you have planned and budgeted to purchase.
- Share your grief with other family members with friends. Consider finding a way to celebrate the person's life with others.
- If you are going to a gathering where you anticipate running into someone with whom you have had conflicts in the past, bring a friend along who can deflect any inflammatory remarks. Alternatively, if you find yourself in a situation where tension appears to be building, remove yourself from the situation.
- Focus on the elements of joy and happiness of the season – spending time with loved ones, the natural beauty of fall and winter, and being thankful for all the blessings in your life!
In the event you still find yourself having restless nights during the holiday season, try taking an all-natural sleep aid containing ingredients such as chamomile, L-tryptophan, and valerian. You will find you will get the rest you need without worrying about feeling too drowsy in the morning or developing a dependency on the sleep aid. Many times people find they do not eat a diet with all the nutrients they need to feel energized during the holidays. For example, if you do not get a sufficient amount of B-Vitamins or Vitamin C, you will likely feel lethargic and struggle to get through all of your holiday parties and shopping. When you take a Vitamin B supplement and a Vitamin C supplement, you can be sure to have the energy to get through the busy holiday season.
REFERENCES
1. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_pwwi/is_20050229/ai_mark4277690966/?tag=content;col1
2. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003088.htm
3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3273429/
4. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-HealthProfessional/
