If you have a few extra days off from work this holiday season, it is an ideal time to catch up on much needed sleep. However, with everything from baking, to travel, to visiting family and friends, the holiday office parties, and just getting all the shopping done for loved ones - when can you find time to sleep? We have some great tips to help maximize your time, minimize stress and get a few more hours of restful sleep so you can recover from those hectic holidays.
Sleeping In vs. Napping
Sleeping in is great...when you can. If life is too hectic to catch a few extra morning winks, you may be better off sneaking into a dark space and closing your eyes for 20 minutes during the day than you are taking a three-hour snooze. Try to keep your sleep routine as normal as possible during the busy holiday months. When getting the eight hours of recommended sleep feels like a distant dream, make sure you're grabbing that shut eye somewhere comfortable and quiet. If you go to your room to chill and grab a power nap, cooling sheets make a world of difference in getting the best 20 minutes of rest possible to keep you powering through the rest of the day.
Swap the Caffeine for Sleepy Teas
Winter months are great for those yummy peppermint mochas and pumpkin lattes, but they could also mean sacrificing sleep. If you drink more than two a day or one close to bedtime, you may find yourself suffering through red eye rather than shut eye. Simply swap your caffeinated evening treat for a flavorful sleepy tea, and you'll enjoy some sweet dreams instead of insomnia nightmares. Teas with valerian root do an amazing job to calm the senses and induce sleep, and chamomile is also known to promote the quality sleep you so desire during the holiday hustle. Natural health food stores often carry the most potent sleep tea combinations in various flavors, so a good night's sleep is probably closer than you think.
Change Your Sheets
Find yourself battling through another hot, uncomfortable night in your traditional cotton sheets? Well, we have a sweet holiday treat for you. Nothing beats the comfort of performance bedding. Ever heard of it? SHEEX invented it. Performance bedding offers you the ultra-soft comfort you desire with the cooler, temperature balancing sleep you need. SHEEX has everything necessary to outfit your comfy holiday sleep haven, including performance sheets, duvet covers, comforters - even mattress pads and toppers. Not all bedding is created equal, and once you spend a holiday season in SHEEX, you won't dress your bed in anything else.
Meditation and Yoga Can Boost Healthy Sleep
Believe it or not, a good night's sleep is important for your health and well-being. Achieving this health booster could be as simple as five minutes of meditation before bedtime. Meditation helps focus your mind, leading to a state of calm and relaxation. A variety of different meditation practices exist for different purposes. Yoga Nidra, a guided sleep meditation, can help you unwind from holiday stress for ultimate relaxation. If mediation is not up your alley, then another option to promote sleep is yoga as an exercise routine three to five times a week. Yoga helps you stretch your body to become less tense, which can cause restless nights. You'll also be promoting the health of body, mind, and soul with regular yoga practice.
Yoga combined with meditation can help you perform daily tasks in a more relaxed state of being, which will ultimately lead to better sleep. With holiday shopping season in full swing, these tips may seem nearly impossible to implement. But if you try one or two, then the holiday stress that once seemed overwhelming may feel a little more manageable. Allowing your body to recover from the madness is key this time of year, especially during cold temps and travel, and better sleep helps speed recovery. So, give a few of these tips a try..if nothing else, at least try changing your sheets. ;-)
