A Calmer Christmas: How to Protect Your Sleep and Tame Seasonal Stress
By Denise iordache, sleep therapist & founder of JoySpace TherapyAs fairy lights start glowing everywhere we look and our calendars fill with festive plans, excitement often mixes with a familiar undercurrent of tension. In my work as a sleep and stress therapist, I see this every December.
The Christmas season sparkles, but behind that sparkle disrupted routines, late nights, travel, rich meals and extra social demands often take a toll on sleep. Arguably, nothing takes a bigger hit from this seasonal squeeze than our rest. Research consistently shows that holiday periods are linked to shorter, lower-quality sleep and increased evening stimulation - which is a shame, because good quality sleep is essential if we’re to truly enjoy the festive season.
In this article, I’ll explain why December can strain both body and mind, and share five research-backed strategies I regularly use with clients to help them move into the New Year feeling calmer, more rested and more resilient.
Why do we struggle to sleep during the holidays?
Although holidays are for celebration, they often trigger shifts in sleep timing caused by temporary, irregular bed/wake schedules, also known as social jetlag, which has been linked to poorer sleep quality and daytime impairment. Frequent travel and time-zone changes further magnify circadian misalignment and sleep disturbance; multiple research studies point to light exposure, meal timing, and direction of travel as important factors that determine how quickly the body re-aligns.
Alcohol and late, rich meals, both common during holiday evenings, can also harm our otherwise resilient sleep architecture. Evening alcohol reduces REM sleep, the stage linked to memory and emotional processing, and fragments the night, reducing the quality of sleep overall. While high-fat or heavy meals close to bedtime increase awakenings and reflux-related sleep loss.
The various holiday social demands, from family gatherings, to hosting events and overall travel, can not only affect sleep but often raise stress levels too. Feeling wired-up emotionally before or at bedtime can disturb sleep onset and maintenance, increasing night-time wakefulness. In turn this affects how you operate during the day, how you process our emotions and reactions, and how you respond to stress. Setting gentle boundaries, scheduling short recharge breaks during social days, and planning exit strategies helps preserve emotional bandwidth and sleep.
Navigating the Holiday hustle
In the spirit of maintaining your mental well-being and ensuring a good night's sleep, it's crucial to establish boundaries and prioritise self-care during the holidays. If the idea of mingling with certain family members causes you unnecessary anxiety, consider setting realistic expectations for yourself. Politely opt for shorter visits, or create quiet moments for yourself during gatherings to recharge.
Moreover, having an exit strategy or a trusted friend or family member to confide in can be extremely helpful. Aim to communicate openly with loved ones about your need for balance and self-care, ensuring that your holiday experience remains positive and fulfilling. Remember, 'tis the season to be jolly, but it's equally important to safeguard your peace of mind and prioritise your well-being amidst all the festivities.
With the holiday season in full swing, we all know how tempting it is to sacrifice sleep for the festivities. To help navigate this merry season and bust Christmas sleep and stress troubles, here are a few practical solutions to ensure that your nights are filled with peaceful dreams rather than restless worries:
1. Keep a festive wind-down ritual
Consistent pre-sleep cues, calm reading, warm herbal tea, dimmed lights, help your brain shift into “rest” mode despite seasonal changes. Structured nightly routines lower physiological stimulation and help improve sleep onset.
2. Power down the screens before bed
Evening use of screens, especially engaging activities like scrolling social media, gaming, or work emails, can activate the prefrontal cortex, increasing cognitive and emotional arousal. This heightened brain activity delays sleep onset and reduces sleep quality, even if total sleep opportunity remains the same. Limiting stimulating screen use for ~60 minutes before bed or shifting to passive, low‑arousal activities help the brain transition into a restful state easier.
3. Breathe and practice mindfulness to reduce stress
Short breathing practices and mindfulness reduce cortisol and pre-sleep hyperstimulation. Randomised and controlled trials show diaphragmatic breathing and brief mindfulness/yoga interventions can lower stress markers and improve sleep quality. Even 10 minutes of focused breathing can be beneficial.
4. Watch dinner timings
Aim to finish heavy meals 2-3 hours before bed. Evidence links late, calorie-dense meals with increased night awakenings and worsened sleep quality; choosing lighter, sleep-friendly snacks, if necessary, reduces digestive disturbance and helps you sleep better.
5. Make your sleep space a sanctuary
Cool, dark, and quiet rooms support consolidated sleep. Implementing simple, practical steps, such as blackout curtains, eye masks for intrusive lights, and white noise for noisy neighbourhoods, can help reduce awakenings and stabilise sleep cycles. For travellers, controlling light exposure and timing meals helps re-entrain the circadian clock more quickly.
As you navigate the holiday season, remember that prioritizing your sleep is the key to enjoying the festivities to the fullest. Implement these tips or experiment with others from reputable sources, and you'll be well on your way to a holly, jolly, and well-rested holiday season.
