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The holiday season is a never-ending whirlwind of activity—family gatherings, late nights, shopping sprees, indulgent meals, and all the festive cheer. While this time of year celebrates togetherness and tradition, it’s also one of the most sleep-disrupted. Between changes in routine, holiday stress, and tempting treats, your sleep schedule can take a big hit.
It starts with the shift into winter—our sunlit hours (and temperatures) drop, dipping us into bouts of depression, lethargy and general unhappiness. Call it what you want, the “winter blues” or just plain “SAD,” Seasonal Affective Disorder affects nearly 10 million Americans every year—and it’s serious business.
We get it: A new year rounds the corner, and the old “This year, I’m going to get in shape” tune starts playing again. Maybe you get a membership to the gym or sign up for a subscription meal service. But one of the biggest players in your health doesn’t cost anything—and affects everything. It’s, you guessed it, sleep. And if you’re going to hit any of those health goals this year, better sleep is a resolution you have to make. Here’s why:
We’ve all heard of mindfulness by now, from traditional Buddhist meditation practices to 21st-century trends like breathing apps and even retreats. And while we’re all for jet-setting to Bali for a mindset reset, so much of our mental health is dependent on how many Zs we’re getting in a night. The best part? Solid sleep is the one trend you don’t need to spend on in 2020.
We’ve all been there: Trying to fall asleep when your bed buddy starts sounding the snore train. Snoring is annoying, there’s no question, but it can also be a red flag for more serious health issues. But before you go WebMD-ing the nighttime affliction, you should understand what snoring actually is, why not all snoring is created equal, and what your snoring means for you.
Here’s the thing: Sleep isn’t as simple as being awake or being asleep. There are actually multiple phases of sleep that we cycle through every night—if we’re sleeping well. When we’re not sleeping well, these cycles are disrupted and we feel it the next day (think fatigue, headaches, all the things). So, what are you doing in your everyday life that’s sabotaging how well you sleep? Here are our top three culprits:
We get it: Work is your bread and butter, and in a society that glamorizes the grind, it’s hard to say no to late nights and even all-nighters in the name of productivity. You want to prove yourself, land that promotion or seal the deal on a raise—but sacrificing sleep for success could actually be compromising your job performance.
The countdown is on: Tomorrow marks not only a new year, but a new decade. If you’re setting goals to eat healthier, workout and lose weight you’re not alone: According to The Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, roughly 55% of New Year’s Resolutions are health related. And while we’ll cheerlead you all the way to the gym and that triple-digit monthly membership, there are other (read: cheaper) things you can do to crush your health goals in 2020. It’s called sleep. And this is why you need more of it: