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Have you ever found yourself saying “I need a holiday to recover from my holiday”?
Yeah, us too.
We reckon there are two kinds of people at this time of year: the type that wants to do everything and overcommits, and the type that plans nothing and hopes things pan out.
Both can get kinda stressy.
So this is your holiday-themed reminder that summer is about having fun, relaxing, and spending time with people you like and/or are related to.
The best way to get the most out of all that fun? Make sure you get enough sleep!
The Lowdown on Sleep
There’s one thing that’ll help you slay the day more than anything else:
It’s sleep! A big dose of doze.
If you’ve got even a minor interest in your overall wellness, sleep needs to go at the top of that list. And this time of year, it’s extra important! There are parties to attend, people to catch up with and places to go.
So let’s talk about what good sleep actually does for you, and how it supports your overall wellness during the holiday season.
Sleep helps you make good choices
To party or stay in? BBQ or roast dinner? Country or city? Festival or beach? This is a time of year that you’ll need to make a lot of decisions, and you might need to be strategic about them.
Getting sufficient snooze time makes it so much easier to make good choices. Consistent sleep deprivation can lead to poor decision making and impaired judgement—a combination we simply cannot afford when our goal is to pack in as much fun as possible.
It’s a whole mood
The last thing you want to deal with is a shady mood: getting the blues, being a grump, or ruining everything.
The right amount of quality sleep helps keep those moods balanced, so when your uncle says something controversial at Christmas lunch, you’ll be able to kill it with logic instead of swearing.
Focus goals
Good sleep helps you pay attention to the important things. You want to be present with more than just your body, right? So that you can make wonderful new memories—and actually remember them. They keep us warm when winter comes.
A lack of sleep makes it difficult to focus, but a good sleep will help you keep your attention on the stuff that matters.
Cough, cough. I’m sick.
When the work or uni year wraps up, we’re usually especially vulnerable to bugs. It’s called “leisure sickness”, and it’s when you get sick as soon as you stop work or school.
It’s a thing.
Sleep combats this, because it restores your whole body, every night. This makes it particularly important to get enough sleep in the lead up to break time!
Got the munchies?
If you’re more hungus than usual, it could be because your sleep is suffering. And this time of year, there tends to be a LOT of food around. While it’s definitely a time to enjoy the treats, it’s safe to say that feeling bloated and groggy is going to make whatever’s next on your list much harder to tick off.
But sleep—glorious sleep—helps balance your appetite, meaning you’re far less likely to eat the whole bucket of Christmas Cookie Times before you’ve shared them with everyone else.
So here’s to holidays, good times, sunshine, and your best sleep yet!
We’re OBSESSED with sleep, and we add new tips all the time. If you want to learn more, be sure to subscribe to our emails so that you’re the first to know when a fresh article drops.
