Getting Your Sleep Schedule Back on Track After Christmas

So the festivities of Christmas have come to an end and the new year’s celebrations have finally finished, which means for many of us it’s time to start setting our alarm clocks again for the Monday morning wake up. This sudden switch back to the regular working routine can throw the new sleeping habits and schedule that you’ve had over the holidays into disarray. Leaving you feeling increasingly tired in the morning, and frustrated at night as you toss and turn on your mattress trying to get to sleep.

An end to the holiday season can also spark those Sunday night feelings of anxiety to return, and this is far more common than you think. Your sleep schedule has likely gone out of the window during your time off, so it’s now essential that you get back into a regular rhythm, otherwise, your body clock won’t be able to handle the return of the daily grind.

It’s important not to treat holiday periods as a time to catch up on any missed sleep, because a sudden change in your schedule is unlikely to leave you feeling more refreshed. Your body will crave rhythm and predictability, in order to get its natural clock back in sync. So, with this in mind, we wanted to help you get your sleep schedule back on track so that you can sleep better than ever…

Get your routine back on track

It sounds simple, but the sooner you start getting into a routine of getting into bed earlier and waking up for your regular work time, the better. The quicker you do this, and stick to it, the easier you’ll be able to get up in the morning.

Make sure you compensate for the weekend

If staying up late on a Friday night is a regular occurrence, then try and grab an earlier night on Saturday. This will ease your body back into a better sleep schedule before the working week hits you. If you’ve struggled to get back into a routine before Sunday, then head for bed an hour earlier than usual, to better prepare yourself for the Monday morning.

Make a schedule for your meals

Eating can affect your body’s internal clock, so it’s very important to time your meals in order to help your body keep a steady rhythm, this will in turn help to better regulate your sleeping pattern. If you’re prone to grabbing a snack before bedtime, stick to things like Brazil nuts or a glass of milk. The selenium and potassium in nuts have been linked to better sleep, and the butanoic and dodecanoic acids found in milk have also been associated with helping to improve natural sleeping patterns.

Try not to always rely on tech

Although there are plenty of sleep improving apps available that can help you to get a more soothing night’s sleep, many people choose to use even more techie solutions when it comes to their shut-eye. High tech wristbands that can link up to your smartphone are now all the rage. With the devices being able to monitor your sleep cycle in order to find the ideal moment to wake you up. However, you may find yourself obsessing over your sleep gadgets to the point where even they begin to worry and stress you out, which actually negatively impacts your sleep. Simply training yourself to go to bed earlier can sometimes be far better for your brain than trying to digitally monitor every second of sleep

Stay away from that snooze button

The snooze button is so tempting, especially during your first couple of weeks back at work. You may wake up feeling like you desperately need those extra few minutes in bed, but snoozing this way can actually do you more harm than good. It may cause you to fall back into a deep sleep, making it more difficult for you to wake up properly. Your body will end up getting shocked awake, which causes you to feel far worse. Rather than fall into a vicious cycle with the snooze button, set your alarm for the time you really want to get up. When it goes off, take a few moments if you need to but don’t fall back asleep. Instead, get up, pull back those curtains, and let your body know it’s morning.

Get yourself a more suitable mattress

Of course, what you’re sleeping on makes such a difference to the quality of your sleep. If you make sure that your mattress is as inviting as it should be, giving you all the comfort and support you need and deserve, then you’ll find that sticking to a sleep schedule is even easier. There are always signs that you may need a new mattress, such as waking up with aches and pains, or sagginess leading to an uncomfortable sleeping position. You’ll be surprised at the sheer difference having a mattress that’s perfectly tailored to your weight and height can bring to your sleep schedule.

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With John Ryan, you can avoid having to run around the January sales, desperately trying to find the mattress that’s right for you. Because our expert team can help cut out all the jargon and the hassle, with our professional free advice service. We’ll make sure that you know all the important details so that you won’t regret your purchase.

Get in touch with us for a chat and take the steps to get your sleep schedule back on track today, with a brand new luxurious pocket sprung mattress tailored to you.