If you have noticed that your sleeping pattern isn’t great, you’re not the only one. Many people are struggling to sleep at night and therefore waking up in the morning is becoming tougher.
However as tempting as it can be, you need to “avoid lying in during your Christmas break,” says Dr Neil Stanley. “Studies show that we start waking up about an hour and a half before we actually get out of bed,” he explains.
“If our body and brain know when we’re going to wake up, they can prepare us to rise and hit the ground running. So, while it might seem tempting or even necessary to lie in and catch up on missed sleep, it’s actually counterproductive.”
The freelance doctor, writing on the Holland & Barrett website, says that if you stick to a consistent wake-up time and ensure you set your alarm to the same time every morning, you should feel more energetic as this method will help to regulate your circadian rhythm so you don’t fall victim to festive oversleeping.
According to further research by Harvard Health: “An irregular circadian rhythm can have a negative effect on a person’s ability to sleep and function properly, and can result in a number of health problems, including mood disorders such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder.”
How does circadian rhythm work?
Our circadian rhythms, controlled by multiple genes, are responsible for a variety of crucial functions, including daily fluctuations in wakefulness, body temperature, metabolism, digestion and hunger. They also control memory consolidation (the formation of long-term memories happens during sleep), the timing of hormone secretion (for instance, hormones controlling body growth work predominantly at night) and body healing.
While the circadian sleep phase typically occurs at night, there’s a range of times during which the sleep phase can happen. Some people are programmed to sleep from early evening to early morning while others stay up late and sleep late.
A person’s circadian tendency can also influence their choice of emotional coping skills, such as assertiveness or rationalisation, and their predisposition to psychological disorders.
In addition to setting an alarm for the same time each day, seven days a week, the sleep experts add that studies show adults need to get at least seven to nine hours. Not only that, but screen time matters too.
You should “avoid screen time and bright lights at least 60 to 90 minutes before bedtime. Try activities like reading a book in dim light, listening to audiobooks, guided meditation or mindfulness talks, and soothing music”, they add.