Oh good, I see that this post’s provocative anti-holiday title has piqued your interest. I will probably end up on the naughty list for pointing this out, but the holidays are bad for your health. People often talk about “surviving the holidays” because, let’s face it, being festive is exhausting. Holidays have you staying up past your bedtime, overindulging in food and alcohol, and stressing out. All of these are bad for your health in general and your sleep in particular.
Staying up late throws your sleep schedule out of whack. If you have to get up early, staying up late to wait for midnight or to binge-watch Hallmark channel movies will result in a shortened sleep period. If you do have the opportunity to sleep in after a late night, you might experience social jet lag, a form of fatigue resulting from a mismatch between your body clock and your social clock. You may also experience actual jet lag if you have traveled across time zones to visit family for the holidays (or to get away from family for the holidays; no judgment here).
Alcohol is also bad. The World Health Organization published a statement in The Lancet Public Health declaring that no amount of alcohol is good for your health in 2018[1]. Prior to this statement, it had been believed that a glass of wine per night was beneficial for cardiovascular health, but that was just wishful thinking. Alcohol is alluring as a sleep aid because it reduces the time required to fall asleep and increases deep sleep at first[2]. The sleep-promoting effects of alcohol wear off quickly, though. Non-alcoholics will experience sleep disruption later in the night after drinking. Alcoholics have it worse; they can expect to suffer from sleep disturbances, insomnia, and daytime sleepiness if they partake and withdrawal symptoms if they abstain[2]. Staying up late, drinking alcohol, and then driving home is an especially dangerous combination[3].
Eating close to bedtime, especially overeating, will disrupt your sleep as well[4]. To add insult to injury, party foods tend to be processed or rich in sugar, fat, or carbohydrates. These types of food disrupt sleep more than eating fruits and vegetables[5]. Holiday eating may also lead to acute digestive problems. Gastrointestinal distress will have an impact on sleep due to pain or the need to visit the bathroom through the night[6]. People tend to overeat during the holidays not only because the food is delicious and available but also because holidays are stressful[7]! Common holiday stressors include family drama, the pressure to make everything perfect, and the jolly upheaval of your daily life. Stress makes it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep[8]. Stress can also drive you to eat more and drink more, which will further impact your ability to get a good night’s sleep.
In the United States, the holiday season is generally considered to start with Thanksgiving, which occurs on the fourth Thursday in November and ends on New Year’s Day, January 1st. The best American holiday (according to me) is Halloween, which occurs on October 31st every year. Halloween is great not only because it celebrates spooky things and costumes but it serves to hold back the “Christmas creep”—the tendency for Christmas paraphernalia to appear earlier and earlier over time. I was surprised to see Christmas décor already up in Amsterdam during the SAFTE-FAST User Conference in late October this past year. Halloween is not a widely celebrated tradition in Europe and Christmas had already crept over the Netherlands.
Christmas is the most obvious holiday in December, but it is by no means the only one. Here are some examples of holidays happening between November and January this year and features of their celebration that might impact your sleep quality.
Thanksgiving is a holiday occurring in late November in the United States and in October in Canada. Both holidays focus on the bounty of the harvest and are celebrated with a large communal feast. Overeating, alcohol consumption, travel, and stress can disrupt sleep during Thanksgiving.
Diwali ended in early November this year. Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, is one of the major religious festivals in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism that occurs annually in late October and November. Diwali celebrations that could disrupt sleep include visiting friends and family, stress, feasting, staying up late to watch fireworks, or being awoken by the sounds or light from fireworks.
Christmas officially occurs on December 25th annually, but celebrations stretch all month long. Christmas is the modern Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, which has been heavily influenced by winter holidays from other religions, namely Yule, Saturnalia, and the Winter Solstice. Holidays related to Christmas include Advent, Boxing Day, and Saint Days. Christmas traditions that can interfere with sleep include visiting family and friends, holiday parties that include rich foods, desserts, and alcohol, waiting up late to catch Santa Claus, waking up early Christmas morning to open presents, and holiday-related stress.
Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, begins on December 25th and ends on January 2nd, 2025. Hanukkah celebrates a miracle that happened during the 2nd century. During a re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, there was only enough holy oil to burn for one day. However, the oil miraculously lasted for eight whole days. Likewise, Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days. Hanukkah traditions that might disrupt sleep include visiting friends and family, eating rich foods like latkes and doughnuts cooked in oil, and holiday-related stress.
Kwanzaa is an annual holiday affirming African family and social values that is celebrated from December 26th to January 1st. Each day of the celebration is dedicated to one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Families gather each day to discuss the principle of the day. There is also a community feast known as a karamu. Travel to visit friends and family, holiday eating, and stress during Kwanzaa may impact sleep.
New Year’s Eve will happen on December 31st and celebrates the end of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. New Year’s Eve is celebrated by staying up until midnight, fireworks, dancing, socializing with friends, and drinking champagne. Good luck sleeping well on New Year’s Eve with all the noise and excitement.
Lunar New Year will occur on January 29th, 2025 this year. As the name suggests, the Lunar New Year celebrates the first moon cycle of the lunar calendar. Traditions that may disrupt sleep include traveling to visit family, fireworks, and stress.
References
1. Organization WH. Global status report on alcohol and health 2018. World Health Organization; 2018.
2. Thakkar MM, Sharma R, Sahota P. Alcohol disrupts sleep homeostasis. Alcohol. 2015; 49 (4): 299-310
3. Howard ME, Jackson ML, Kennedy GA, Swann P, Barnes M, Pierce RJ. The interactive effects of extended wakefulness and low-dose alcohol on simulated driving and vigilance. Sleep. 2007; 30 (10): 1334-1340
4. Crispim CA, Zimberg IZ, dos Reis BG, Diniz RM, Tufik S, de Mello MT. Relationship between food intake and sleep pattern in healthy individuals. Journal of clinical sleep medicine. 2011; 7 (6): 659-664
5. Godos J, Grosso G, Castellano S, Galvano F, Caraci F, Ferri R. Association between diet and sleep quality: A systematic review. Sleep medicine reviews. 2021; 57: 101430
6. Cremonini F, Camilleri M, Zinsmeister AR, Herrick LM, Beebe T, Talley NJ. Sleep disturbances are linked to both upper and lower gastrointestinal symptoms in the general population. Neurogastroenterology & Motility. 2009; 21 (2): 128-135
7. Abdulan IM, Popescu G, Maștaleru A, et al. Winter holidays and their impact on eating behavior—A systematic review. Nutrients. 2023; 15 (19): 4201
8. Sanford LD, Suchecki D, Meerlo P. Stress, arousal, and sleep. Sleep, neuronal plasticity and brain function. 2015: 379-410
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