Christmas Sleep + gift guide

How hard is it to wake up during the winter when it’s so much easier to stay in your warm bed? It is very common to wake up to dark and cold weather.  Research suggests that our circadian rhythms change over the winter months. This Christmas, do yourself a favor and get up early and get quality sleep.

So where does the urge to stay in bed come from?  When night falls and the light begins to fade our pineal gland starts to produce melatonin.  This triggers to the body that it is time to shut down for the night and let the cells recharge which makes us feel sleepy.  In the morning the light that comes through our eyes acts as a trigger for the pineal gland to stop producing melatonin.  This then signals to the body that it’s time to wake up and get on with the day.  However, in winter the light in the morning is often dull or non-existent so the body does not completely stop producing melatonin.  Knowing this, it makes sense that getting out of bed in the winter is harder as we do not get the same wakeup signals in winter that we do in summer.

During the Holiday season your internal clock is all messed up so getting up early without a good night sleep makes it VERY hard. A simple way to combat this is to make sure that you get enough quality sleep as much as possible over the Christmas period so that waking up is as bearable as it can be.

Making sleep happen is simple. Here are a few things you should do.  First, you need to make sure that you go to bed at a consistent time each night.  When you have decided on the time you will be going to bed start winding down about 30 minutes beforehand.  This means stop looking at your screen (ipad, phone, etc), brush your teeth, change into your pjs,  turn off the lights and get into bed.  In the morning when your alarm goes off get out of bed straight away.  Don’t press snooze.  

Getting proper sleep is difficult. If you do this you will feel more awake and alert and your body will thank you for the additional time it has to rest and recharge.

Do you have any extra tips for getting enough sleep over Christmas?

Still need ideas for the fitness lover in your life? I've got some ideas and ways to save money:

DAILY HARVEST $47.94

Daily Harvest delivers varieties of delicious, whole food, ready-to-blend smoothies and ready-to-heat soups to your freezer. Seriously, this product is a time saver. It takes all of 30 seconds! This product has saved me so much money and stress when it comes to eating well. I don't ever feel like I'm compromising my nutrition. Use the code Sassy25 to get 25% off your first order!

SPARKLY SOUL $15.00

I live in this product. I wear a sparkly headband everyday because I love to be a workout princess. Sparkly Soul guarantees no headaches and no slip. The entire band is elastic.

GREAT SOLES $12.00

It’s said that wearing socks during your workout increases circulation, helps you grip onto slippery surfaces, and makes for more enjoyable enhanced cushion or comfort. I love grippy socks. Plus the pic is of MY feet. I'm actually standing for this product. You can get 15% off a order of 1 pair of these socks with the code JESSICA15

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