Make the most of your holidays with enough sleep

If there was ever a year when we all needed some time off, it’s 2020. Through all the lockdowns, ever-changing restrictions, home and office blending into one, daily Zoom meetings just to catch up with family and friends, let alone an extremely out of sync body clock – there’s never been a better time to relax, unwind and get some sleep.

Now before you go and delete every alarm on your phone or bring the TV into the bedroom for some lengthy Netflix sessions, we’d like to emphasise the importance of getting enough sleep to maximise your holidays.

‘But the holidays are for sleeping in and celebrating? I don’t understand.’ Believe us when we say, we hear you. Sleeping in and staying up late are hard to avoid when it comes to time off, but without a dedicated sleep schedule you can end up requiring another holiday from the one you just had – and how many times have you said that?

So, what do you need to do to get enough sleep and maximise your holiday? Well, we’ve enlisted the help of Sleep Education and compiled 14 expert tips to help you relax, unwind and recharge without missing out on the festivities.

Do your best to keep a consistent sleep schedule. Here’s a tip – Get up at the same time every day, even on weekends or during the holidays.

Set a bedtime that is early enough for you to get at least 7 hours of sleep.

One of the biggest mistakes we all make, don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy. Here’s a tip – try reading a book or going for a late night walk until you feel tired.

If you don’t fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed. Don’t just lie there and hope for the best, get up and get your mind or body moving – repeat the tip above.

Establish a relaxing bedtime routine. Brushing your teeth before bed, turning on your rock salt lamp, stretching before climbing into bed – check, check, check.

Use your bed only for sleep and sex. Don’t eat in bed guys.
Make your bedroom quiet and relaxing. Keep the room at a comfortable, cool temperature.

Limit exposure to bright light in the evenings. Here’s a tip – if you primarily work on a computer use a blue light filter program to ease eye strain.

Turn off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Better yet remove them from the room entirely – if you can.

Don’t eat a large meal before bedtime. If you are hungry at night, eat a light, healthy snack.

Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy diet.

Avoid consuming caffeine in the late afternoon or evening. Morning coffees are all you need.

Avoid consuming alcohol before bedtime.

Reduce your fluid intake before bedtime. Getting up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom is actually a bigger concern to your sleep quality than you think.

And if you’re not sure where to start, Sleep Education have provided this downloadable Sleep Diary where you can input the time you went to sleep and woke up, if you had any medicine or caffeinated beverages and whether it was a work day, weekend or time off, to help start off on the right track.