All I Want For Christmas Is… Sleep!

What’s on many Americans’ wish list for the holidays this year? For two in three, it’s a decent night of sleep and, if they could, they’d beg jolly old St. Nick for any tips or products that could give them better sleep.

In a new poll commissioned by Mattress Firm and conducted by OnePoll, 66% of the 2,000 American adults surveyed said that their Christmas wish list included anything that would give them a decent night’s sleep and a full 62% reported that the winter holiday season is their busiest time of the year. On top of that, seven in 10 said they force themselves to stay up later in the evening to tackle tasks not completed during the day and over half of respondents said they woke up earlier for the same reason.

According to Study Finds, the most frequent causes of sleeplessness during the Christmas holiday were cooking and preparing holiday meals (36%), shopping stress (34%), financial stress (34%), and having family over (30%). The study results showed that the most sleepless night of the holiday season is Christmas Eve (43%) when compared to New Year’s Eve (38%), Thanksgiving Day (26%), and Black Friday (17%). The OnePoll survey that was conducted between October 12 and October 17, 2022, found that Americans who celebrate Christmas tend to burn the midnight oil. A full 67% stay up late on Christmas Eve with their family and three in four say they are the last ones to go to bed that night.

A full 64% said they are likely to gather with relatives over the holiday, and 55% of those who are traveling say they lose quality sleep if they aren’t in their own beds. “There’s something about the holiday season that, while exciting and usually a time to enjoy family, is absolutely exhausting,” says Dr. Chris Winter, a neurologist and renowned sleep expert. “Having family over, shopping, budgeting — it can all stack up and make getting a sound night of sleep like a distant, nearly-impossible-to-reach fantasy.” And, not surprisingly, the average adult said he or she needs at least three days after a major holiday to resume sound sleep habits.

“Getting decent rest during the busy holiday season begins by first committing to a sleep routine so that no matter where you are, the ritual will help you relax and prepare for bed,” says Winter. “Instead of taking on one task after another, you can give yourself time to relax and get better quality sleep by dividing your to-do list throughout the day.”

What’s on Americans’ wish list for the holidays this year? For two in three, it’s a decent night of sleep. A new poll of 2,000 U.S. adults finds 66 percent say, if they could, they’d beg jolly old St. Nick for any product that could give them better sleep.

Some tips to a more restful Christmas

1. Plan your chores such that your tasks are spaced out and can wrap up early on Christmas Eve.
2. Keep busy up until Christmas Eve so that you don’t have a build up of anxiety and anticipation on top of your excitement.
3. Lay off the sugar, though it’s probably tough, so you don’t ruin your sleep due to a sugar high.
4. Eat your carbohydrates at an earlier than usual dinner… a more carb-heavy evening meal tends to induce better sleep if you don’t over do it.
5. Avoid caffeine as this generally will lead to less restful sleep.
6. Limit blue light exposure to afternoons and early evenings – start your holiday movie marathon earlier and be sure there is a gap of a good hour plus before bedtime for kids.
7. Bedtime story traditions will help settle everyone down and help set them up for better sleep.
8. Calming scents, maybe even a warm bath with Lavender and Chamomile bath oils, can help create the perfect atmosphere for relaxing and getting good sleep. Candles or diffusers with similar scents, or with a Christmas twist of pine, cinnamon and vanilla can help to soothe nerves and have a restful sleep.
9. Be sure your are sleeping on a quality mattress and pillow! There’s still time to purchase a new mattress and/or pillow and receive it in time for your Christmas sleep and, through December, you can get 20% your new mattress if you do so through our website (on all EZ Rest Exclusive and Sierra Sleep mattresses ONLY).

We hope these tips will lead to more restful sleep for you which, we are sure, will translate into a very merry and enjoyable Christmas season for you and your family!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOURS FROM THE STAFF OF EZ REST MATTRESS OUTLET!!

(Excerpts from Newsmax article “All Americans Want For Christmas Is A Good Nights’ Sleep” by Lynn Allison dated 11/23/2022)