Keep the happy in your holidays: don't let stress, overindulgence, and sleep deficits spoil your fun

Vibrant Life, Nov-Dec, 2004 by Terri Gordon

Maintaining good health takes year-round diligence. But sometimes the activities of the holiday season conspire to sabotage even our best efforts The demands of shopping, parties, and dinners can throw us into survival mode. It doesn't have to be that way. Fight back with these simple antidotes to quell your holiday humbugs.

Lack of sleep, overindulgence, and stress undermine the body's immune system, leaving it vulnerable to illness. Research shows that sleep deprivation hinders brain function, leaving you at a higher risk for accidents in the car and at home. At the very least, lack of sleep and undue stress make people irritable and crank--hardly a personality trait in keeping with the holiday spirit.

Thanksgiving and Christmas needn't be downers. With some organization and discipline, you can sail through the season with your health and sweet disposition intact.

Stress is probably the number one enemy of the holiday season. Proper stress management begins with proper time management. To prevent being ambushed by the demands of this holiday season, you need to plan ahead. "Tips to Take Control of Your Life and Ultimately Improve Your Quality of Life," posted by North Carolina State University, suggests that readers set priorities, jot them down, and stick to them. Important dates and activities should be marked on a calendar along with some open "personal" time. Dividing tasks into manageable "chunks" and creating a reward system makes it easier to accomplish goals. Liberally overestimating how long a project will take creates a comfortable buffer zone, thus reducing stress. Learning to say "No" politely will also help you keep your priorities on track.

Before the holidays even begin, you must decide which events are most important and mark your calendar accordingly. Since holidays are about family and friends, you might want to take the time to decide which people are the most important, too. It stands to reason that those coming from out of town take precedence over those living close by. Family and close friends should mean more to you than casual acquaintances, so set your schedule accordingly,

Gift buying and sending out holiday cards can be daunting tasks. Tackling them in smaller bites not only makes them more manageable, but more enjoyable. Writing out five cards each evening turns a chore into a time to relax and focus on friends and loved ones. Sipping on a cup of herbal tea between notes provides an equally relaxing reward.

CATCH YOUR Zs

Stress management and overall health demand adequate sleep and should top everyone's priority list. The journal Sleep recently published a study conducted by Hans Van Dongen at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Van Dongen and his associates found that being deprived of sleep by as little as two hours a night affects thinking processes and memory abilities in young and middle-aged adults. To make matters worse, sleep-deprived individuals lack the ability to recognize, or act on, their diminished capabilities--they don't even realize they need sleep!

The best way to ensure proper rest is to set regular bedtimes. The party animal within may want to "go with the flow," but the human body functions fare better with regular routines. Other elements that can affect both quality and quantity of sleep include light and noise levels, diet, stress, and exercise.

According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco all disrupt sleeping patterns, making it difficult to drift off or stay there. Eating too much food close to bedtime affects many people's slumber as well. The wrong kinds of foods can cause heartburn, keeping dreams at bay. Room temperatures and humidity levels can interrupt a good night's sleep, too.

The NSF says slightly cooler temperatures promote healthy Zs, and those who awaken with sore throats or dry nasal passages may want to increase the humidity in their bedrooms.

If you wake up with a sore back or headache, you might want to check the condition of your mattress. A worn-out bed causes pressure points, disrupting sleep as you toss and turn trying to get comfortable. If your mattress is more than 10 years old, it's probably time to shop for a new one.

BEDTIME ROUTINE

Everyone knows that stress can interfere with a good night's sleep. If tension is preventing you from entering dreamland, NSF recommends creating a relaxing bedtime routine. Just as reading a bedtime story to children sets the stage for their slumber, relaxing rituals help adults achieve better sleep. The right music, cozy pajamas, meditation, and prayer are all ways the NSF suggests that you prepare for bed. A hot bath is relaxing, and studies report that the drop in core body temperature that occurs after a bath may signal the body it's time to snooze.

PUMP YOU UP

Last, exercise promotes healthy sleep. But timing is important. While exercise is indeed a stress buster, it also raises the core body temperature. Since body temperature drops take place five to six hours after exercising, late afternoon is the best time to give yourself that all-important workout.