Anticipation rising, cheer all around, it can be hard to contain the excitement when Santa comes to town. Sleeping through the night can be a difficult task, but that is why we are here, all you had to do was ask!
Rhymes aside, let’s get into business, that day leading up to Christmas, known as Christmas Eve is upon us. How will you prepare?
Step 1: Wake up
Time to check everything off your list.
- Take a shower
- Get into some comfy clothes
- Make sure you have all presents in order
- Check for any ingredients needed for lunch or dinner
- Walk around the house and make sure everything looks tidy and organized
- Put on some Christmas music
By getting some of these tasks done, you will feel much more prepared for the day ahead. Organization helps to clear your head. A clear head helps to combat stress, it can even help promote better sleep.
As we have touched on in previous blogs, stress triggers the increase of your cortisol levels. Organization helps to lower those cortisol levels to a place where you feel true peace. Separating time to organize will help allow time to prioritize anything else you need to worry about, which in our case is our never-ending motivation of a good night’s sleep!
Imagine if you left everything till the last second. If you’ve ever gone grocery/retail shopping on Christmas Eve, it’s a mess. Stress is almost guaranteed for those who put off planning and shopping till the last second.
So tackle these basic needs first!
Step 2: Start preparing for your guests
Typically Christmas is a time for friends and family to come together. It is a time to give thanks and set aside the stressful work week for a couple days. So let’s make those days count.
Games/activities, candy, movies and more!
Some of the most popular activities to do during Christmas-time are:
- Sled riding: Who doesn’t love the energy rush you get from sliding down hills; snowy hills at that! So get your sleds out and put on a contest, who gets down the hill first? If you don’t live somewhere with snow, don’t worry, we have plenty more options for you.
- Trivia: A classic game everyone has probably played at one point. Let’s make it Christmas themed! For example, “A grumpy creature who has a sweet furry companion named Max!” (Hint: it’s the Grinch).
- A wrapping race: This is for our procrastinators. If you have yet to wrap some presents, this can be your opportunity. (Make sure the person the present is for isn’t wrapping it). Set a timer and let’s see who can wrap the fastest! For those who already have their presents wrapped, wrap some fun goofy gifts.
- Scavenger hunt: Set up a game everyone of all ages will love. A scavenger hunt is a great activity to do, especially if you are lucky to live in an area with snow. It can feel like an adventure! Everyone participating will be sure to appreciate it since so much work goes into a hunt.
All of these activities will help to burn that energy which will help to promote that restful night’s sleep!
Some popular Christmas candies you may want to consider buying:
- Candy canes
- KitKats
- Peppermint bark
- Hersey kisses
- Chocolate Santas
- M&M’s
Now even though we all need our helping on candy, be sure this is only consumed during the day! Eating foods with high sugar levels can negatively affect your sleep schedule. Sugar is a stimulant so as such it does nothing when trying to promote sleep!
Step 3: It’s Dinner time!
Send yourself and guests into a food coma with your delicious Christmas Eve dinner.
Some of the most popular dishes to create for Christmas Eve is as follows:
- Some homemade lasagna (come on, who doesn’t love Italian food)
- Glazed ham
- Meat loaf
- Lamb chops
- Turkey (Fun fact: Turkey helps to enhance your quality of sleep! Makes the food coma after thanksgiving much more understandable)
- Salmon (Salmon can also help enhance your sleep!)
Pair these with some delicious side dishes like
- Mashed potatoes
- Caesar salad
- Roasted veggies
- Sweet potatoes
- Brussel sprouts
- Green beans
- Homemade mac n’ cheese
- Garlic bread
If your mouth isn’t watering, there isn’t much else we can do. Knowing some of these foods can even help your sleep, can it get any better?
Step 4: Movie Time!
The chances of an active and energetic group of people following a big delicious meal are slim. That’s ok, because Christmas movies are a staple of the holiday. Whether you’re checking the Hallmark channel or taking out your dvd or even streaming; movies are a way to escape.
Some of the most popular movies during the holidays are:
- The Grinch
- It’s a Wonderful Life
- A Charlie Brown Christmas
- Elf
- The Year Without Santa Claus
- Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer
- Home Alone
- The Polar Express
Sit around the living room or wherever you watch your movies and watch a holiday masterpiece. Like candy, let’s make sure we aren’t watching those movies too late in the evening as they will disrupt your sleep schedule. We want to stay away from any technology at least 30 minutes before bed.
Step 5: Time to snuggle up in bed
Depending on your role on Christmas Eve, getting everyone to sleep is very important. You can do this by playing some soft Christmas music, or telling a story before bed. If all the food you ate didn’t do it for you, consider doing a simple activity to stimulate your brain like reading a book or doing some light exercises.
If you are the one putting out the presents and you have to stay up, make sure you prioritize getting right back to bed after! If you still find yourself having trouble sleeping, consider a measure like Relaxium Sleep. This drug-free sleep supplement can help to fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer and wake up feeling more refreshed and focused.
We hope you have a fantastic holiday this year!
To restful and healthy days ahead.
The Relaxium Team
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-foods-to-help-you-sleep#The-bottom-line
https://selecthealth.org/blog/2021/01/5-surprising-benefits-of-being-organized