Drift into Dreamland: Mastering the Art of Getting to Sleep on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve often brings a buzz of excitement that can make it difficult to settle down and get a good night’s sleep. This night is filled with joy and anticipation, the thrill of seeing loved ones, and the promise of presents under the tree.
But amid all the magic, it’s still important to ensure that you get enough rest to fully enjoy the Christmas Day celebrations.
Balancing Entertainment and Sleep
Watching Christmas movies is a cherished tradition for many. But if you’re planning on dozing off after these festive films, it’s advisable to wear blue light blocking glasses. These are special glasses that filter out the blue light emitted from screens, such as televisions and smartphones.
This blue light can disrupt your body’s natural production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep wake cycle.
By wearing these glasses, you can enjoy your favourite holiday movies without impacting your ability to fall asleep later. Just remember that sharing these special moments with family and friends is more important than having a perfect night’s sleep.
Eating Habits on Christmas Eve
Eating too close to bedtime can disrupt your sleep. Give your body some breathing space to properly digest food before you hit the sack, as this process can disrupt your sleep if it’s still underway.
Maintaining healthy eating habits on Christmas Eve can significantly affect your sleep quality. It’s advisable to allow approximately two hours between your last meal or snack and the time you tuck into bed.
This two hour window provides your body enough time to digest the food, thus minimizing discomfort or disruptions during your sleep.
For instance, if you plan to sleep at 10 PM, have your final snack around 8 PM. However, it’s also important to remember that the holiday season is about enjoyment.
So, if that means indulging in a couple of late night Christmas cookies, go ahead and savor every bite. After all, the holiday season is all about embracing the joy and magic, creating special memories, and treating yourself to little pleasures along the way.
Don’t worry about the clock or the calories—just relish in the festive spirit and make the most of this wonderful time.
Hot Chocolate for Sleep
This might prompt the question, “Does hot chocolate help you sleep?” The answer is, it can. A warm drink like hot chocolate can be quite relaxing and prepare your body for sleep.
If you find yourself making frequent trips to the bathroom due to a sensitive bladder, it’s a good idea to be mindful of your fluid intake before bedtime. Drinking less in the hours leading up to sleep can help minimise those nighttime bathroom runs.
For more detailed information and additional insights, you can check out our blog post dedicated to this topic does hot chocolate help you sleep?. It’s packed with helpful tips and advice!
Magnesium Infused Baths for Relaxation
Epsom Salts or Magnesium Flakes can be incredibly soothing and beneficial for your sleep. Both of these products actually contain magnesium, a wonderful mineral renowned for its relaxing properties.
When you treat yourself to a nice bath with these mineral infused products, it works wonders in helping your body and mind unwind, setting the stage for a truly restful night’s sleep.
And if you really want to elevate the experience, try dimming the lights, lighting up some soothing candles, and indulging in a good book. It’s the perfect recipe for a complete and utterly blissful relaxation.
Sleep Boosting Supplements for Christmas Eve
There are several supplements that could help you sleep better on Christmas Eve. Here’s a rundown:
Magnesium Glycinate: Magnesium Glycinate is known for its role in reducing stress and cortisol, helping you relax. It plays a part in the melatonin creation process, essentially aiding in the regulation of your sleep wake cycle.
Quite a big proportion of the population is actually deficient in magnesium, so if you can including this in your daily routine could be beneficial for your overall sleep health.
Sleep Patches: Sleep Patches are designed for relaxation and improved sleep. They contain natural plant ingredients like lavender and TransdermalCBD, which can help reduce anxiety and excitement, keeping you calmer and ready for sleep.
Glycine for Christmas Eve
Glycine is actually an amino acid, one of those amazing little “building blocks” that contribute to the proteins in our bodies. While it’s known for its essential role in various health benefits, it’s particularly celebrated for its positive effects on sleep.
This humble amino acid holds quite a reputation when it comes to improving our sleep quality.
Glycine works by lowering the body’s core temperature, a function that naturally occurs as we prepare for sleep. When this process is enhanced, the body transitions into sleep more smoothly, helping you fall asleep quicker and enjoy deeper, more restful sleep.
Doses for sleep tend to fall around 3-5g before bedtime, making it an excellent addition to your Christmas Eve wind down routine.
L-Theanine
Ever heard of L-Theanine? It’s an amino acid that’s naturally found in tea leaves, and it’s got some fascinating benefits when it comes to relaxation and sleep.
Unlike other sleep aids that often leave you feeling drowsy, L-Theanine works its magic by boosting the levels of specific neurotransmitters like GABA, serotonin, and dopamine.
These little guys play a big role in regulating our moods, reducing stress, and helping us get that much needed shut eye.
But that’s not all! L-Theanine also helps to calm down those ‘excitatory’ brain chemicals that can make us feel on edge or stressed out.
So, it’s like a soothing balm for your mind, promoting a sense of calm and tranquility. This calming effect helps the body prepare for sleep, making it easier to drift off. It’s suggested that a dose of 200-300mg before bed could help.
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha, also known as Indian ginseng, is a powerful herb used in Ayurvedic medicine. It’s renowned for its stress lowering effects due to its active compounds, called withanolides.
These compounds work by lowering cortisol levels, the body’s primary stress hormone. High cortisol can interfere with sleep preparation, so lowering these levels can support better sleep.
As an adaptogen, ashwagandha also helps the body adapt to stress, promoting overall wellbeing and balance. For sleep, a dose of 250-500mg can be beneficial.
5-HTP on Christmas Eve
5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan) is an element that is found naturally in the body. It’s used by the body to make serotonin, a neurotransmitter that sends signals between nerve cells and alters mood, sleep, and pain levels.
Because of its role in creating serotonin, 5-HTP is also indirectly involved in producing melatonin, the sleep hormone. Thus, supplementing with 5-HTP can promote sleep by increasing melatonin production in your body.
It’s typically recommended to take a dose of about 250mg for sleep enhancement.
However, it’s important to note that those taking SSRIs (commonly prescribed for depression or anxiety disorders) should not use 5-HTP unless under doctor supervision due to potential interaction between the two.
Ecklonia Cava
Ecklonia Cava is a type of edible marine alga that’s common in Asian cuisines.
This seaweed is packed full of beneficial plant compounds, including polyphenols and phlorotannins, which have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and even anti-cancer properties. One of the standout benefits of Ecklonia Cava for sleep is its stress lowering capabilities.
It’s been found to lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that can inhibit the sleep process when in excess. It also increases alpha waves in the brain.
Alpha brain waves are associated with a state of ‘wakeful relaxation’—that’s the state we’re in when meditating or mindfully resting.
By promoting this state, Ecklonia Cava can help prepare your body for a restful night’s sleep.
Sleep Hacks to Sleep Better on Christmas Eve
3D Sleep Mask
A 3D sleep mask isn’t just a stylish accessory; it’s a fantastic sleep aid. What sets these masks apart from traditional sleep masks is their design.
They are contoured with extra space around the eye area, meaning there’s less pressure on your eyes.
This design allows for normal blinking and eye movement during REM sleep, which accounts for a significant part of a good night’s sleep.
More importantly, these masks are engineered to block out light completely. When it’s dark, your body produces more melatonin, the hormone responsible for regulating sleep.
This is especially useful during Christmas time, where you might have some extra lights around. Using a 3D sleep mask will ensure that even the twinkling lights of your Christmas tree won’t interrupt your slumber.
Bedroom Temperature
It’s been well documented that the temperature of your bedroom can greatly impact the quality of your sleep.
Ideally, the bedroom temperature should be around 18 degrees Celsius. Why is this? Well, a cooler room aids in the optimisation of melatonin production.
Our bodies have a circadian rhythm, an internal clock that plays a crucial role in when we fall asleep and when we wake up.
Part of this rhythm involves a drop in body temperature. By creating a cooler environment, you’re helping your body along in this process, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Overheating during the night can cause restlessness and disrupt this natural cycle. It can even lead to sleepwalking or sleep talking in some cases. So, keep things cool and comfortable for optimal sleep.
Cold Showers
Do cold showers help you sleep? An unexpected sleep hack is taking a cold shower before bed. Cold showers can help to lower body temperature and prepare your body for sleep.
I know it might sound a bit strange to suggest taking a cold shower when all you want is to get snuggled up in bed, but trust me, there’s some solid science behind it!
When you step into that refreshing blast of cold water, your body kicks into gear to keep you warm.
This results in improved circulation as your body pushes blood to your organs. When you step out of the shower, the excess heat from your core will disperse out to your skin, lowering your body temperature and making you feel more relaxed and ready for sleep.
Moreover, cold showers have been found to reduce cortisol levels, the stress hormone, further promoting rest and relaxation. So, why not try introducing a cold shower into your bedtime routine this Christmas Eve?
Sleeping After Christmas Eve Festivities
Part of the Christmas Eve joy often involves sipping on a glass of your favourite alcoholic beverage.
But alcohol can disrupt sleep. If you do choose to indulge, you can find useful tips to mitigate this effect on our blog post here.
Enjoy the celebration responsibly and remember to drink plenty of water to maintain hydration and electrolyte balance.
But again, the essence of Christmas Eve is enjoyment, so feel free to have that extra glass of mulled wine if it brings you joy.
Conclusion
While getting quality sleep on Christmas Eve is important, so is soaking in the joy and magic of the holiday season.
Implement these tips to balance both & enjoy your evening of Christmas movies and treats, but also set up a soothing magnesium infused bath and use calming sleep aids to help you rest.
Just remember, at the heart of the festive season is family and friends – it’s the shared laughter, toasty conversations and the warmth of being together.
These are the golden memories that outshine any tinsel or fairy lights.
So, while we all love a good night’s sleep, don’t forget that the real magic of Christmas Eve is the joy of simply being in the moment with your loved ones.
That’s what truly matters.
