Almost every one of us dreams of getting enough sleep during the New Year holidays. But by the end of the January holidays, we often feel overwhelmed.
The reason is not lack of sleep, but a violation of the routine.
But it is possible to maintain the regime, even with night parties, if you know and apply an effective strategy.
“Sleepy” schedule
Forget about exact wake-up times. Determine a sleep window of 7-9 hours that will be your priority.
For example, from 2:00 to 10:00 or from 3:00 to 11:00. It is important to go to bed and wake up around this time, even if you went to bed at dawn yesterday. A shift of 1-2 hours is acceptable, but not 6-8.
Tactics for the holiday night from December 31 to January 1
This is the only night when you can break all the rules.
On the afternoon of December 31, take a nap for 1.5-2 hours.
After the chiming clock, if you feel very tired, allow yourself to sleep for 20 minutes in a chair. This will dramatically increase your vigor.
On the morning of January 1, go to bed when your body asks, but wake yourself up after 4-5 hours, deep sleep will already be obtained. Get up, wash your face, drink water and then decide whether to sleep a couple more hours or start the day. This will prevent hibernation until the evening and the disruption of the entire schedule.
Daytime Rituals for a Quality Night's Rest
The body is oriented not by the clock, but by signals.
Within 30 minutes of waking up, even at 12:00. Look out the window into daylight for 5-10 minutes. This will restart your circadian rhythms.
Drink your last cup of coffee or strong tea no later than 8 hours before your planned bedtime. After 16:00 it is better to drink only herbal teas.
60-90 minutes before bed, remove all blue screens. Turning on “night mode” on your phone is not enough. Better read a paper book or listen to a podcast.
If you need to quickly recover after a sleepless night
- A short nap of 20-25 minutes before 16:00. But no more, since you can fall into a deep sleep and wake up broken.
- Wash your face with very cold water, then do 20 squats, which will speed up blood flow, and a protein snack.
- In the evening, lie down at your “window”, even if you don’t feel like sleeping. Just lie in the dark, even without sleep, recovery will begin.
How to get back to work 2 days before going to work
Don't leave recovery until the last night of the New Year holidays.
- 2 days in advance, start shifting your “sleep window” by 30-60 minutes towards your work schedule. If you usually get up at 7:00, and during the holidays you got up at 11:00, go to bed today not at 3:00, but at 2:00, and wake up at 10:00.
- Go to bed at 00:00-01:00, set your alarm for 8:00. Even if you don’t get enough sleep, don’t sleep during the day, and you’ll fall asleep easily in the evening.
- The day before you go to work, wake up to your alarm clock. Turn on bright lights or take a short walk immediately after waking up and prepare a filling, protein-packed breakfast. This will consolidate the regime.
The main goal of the New Year's “vacation” is to relax, and not to prove that you can sleep 12 hours in a row. Sometimes it's better to go to bed early and wake up at 7:00 am in time for a ski trip than to sleep in until noon.
Listen to your body, because true fatigue requires sleep. And then after a long weekend you will enter the office not with dark circles under your eyes, but with a resource that will last until spring.
Important: This information is not a substitute for consulting a doctor. The body's response to changes in diet/training may depend on individual physiology, genetic predisposition and health status. It is recommended to consult a specialist.
