Why your Christmas lie-ins are leaving you feeling tired and low
Share:
The festive season, for many, offers a much-needed break from the daily hustle and bustle. With extended days, delayed bedtimes, and the occasional obligatory drink, the period from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day is a stark contrast to the usual 9-5 routine.
However, this disruption, as welcome as it may be, can play havoc with our sleep patterns, leaving us feeling exhausted and low. According to Kevin Morgan, a psychologist at Loughborough University, our sleep is governed by three mechanisms: firstly, the balance between sleep and wakefulness, a self-regulating process of homeostasis that means the longer we stay awake, the greater our need for sleep; secondly, our body clock (or circadian rhythm), which conveniently aligns our sleep-wake cycle with the 24-hour day, making us feel most sleepy when it's dark; and thirdly, psychological factors – such as the feeling of "having had a long day" – that make us more inclined to hit the hay.
But Morgan cautions that Christmas brings a "perfect storm that challenges all of these processes at once and leads to lingering fatigue". With extended days and delayed bedtimes, we require compensatory lie-ins – but chances for those might be scarce, given family visits, high street sales, or parenting responsibilities.
Moreover, the socially accepted sleep deprivation fest that is New Year's Eve certainly doesn't aid the weary. Christmas isn't just about festive cheer; it also brings a fair share of planning, which can lead to both anticipation and anxiety. After all, if things can go right, they can also go very wrong.
