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Get Fresh Outta Holiday Fatigue

January 18, 2024 Sleep Health
8 tips you should know to beat the holiday hangovers 8 tips you should know to beat the holiday hangovers

8 tips you should know to beat the holiday hangovers


You gave your all to make your year-end holiday happen. Working hard, saving up and sorting out all the details, even the healthy snack pack for everyone and their friend. 2023 ended with a pat on your back, and a bit of Eat Pray Love by the deck chair – but it’s January, and you’re exhausted. How?


The truth is we’re all travellers. Time travellers. We pace it through road trips for school runs and school holidays. Most of us buzz between home and office work-spaces, and many are teleported out of town into back-to-back meetings. Two weeks to recharge and reset your trigger buttons, just isn’t enough. Fact. Cue Holiday Hangovers – there is such a thing, and it begins long before the holiday.


When it comes to post holiday exhaustion, nobody’s exempt. Travel fatigue is a real thing post the holidays – simply because our body is trying to catch up from an adrenalised 365-days of life. Nobody’s immune to things like constant fatigue, mood and behaviour changes, and loss of motivation. As we race against time to make the best of our year, we forget that we’re slowly draining our batteries along the way. And, losing sleep through the rat race, essentially, is what keeps us from staying awake in January (and February and March) despite our extended deck chair antics. Consistent sleep, quality sleep and undisturbed sleep are key to cracking the New Year yawn code. Here’s what we know to be true:

Science says sleep is a superpower

No matter what time of year it is, there’s science behind our need for our zzz’s. In The Neuroprotective Aspects of Sleep, the National Library of Medicine reminds us, “There are many consequences of lack of sleep on body as well as our well-being. But most importantly studies have shown lack of sleep can hinder memory recall in the brain as well as elevate stress levels. Sleep is needed to regenerate parts of the brain so that it can continue to function normally. Lack of sleep or not enough sleep can cause some neurons in one’s brain to malfunction.” 


Authors Andy R. Eugene,* and Jolanta Masiak explain that when a person sleeps, the brain reorganises and recharges itself, and removes toxic waste byproducts which have accumulated throughout the day. It’s why a good sleep finds us feeling fresh again.


Sleep improves memory recall and regulates metabolism, and if you’re into the numbers, we all need a baseline of seven hours of it a day. To keep the New Year gremlins from your door, here are our best kept tips to beat the post travel sighs:

PRE-TRAVEL:

1. Protect your sleep as much as possible before you travel.

Some call it a sleep banking strategy but in plain talk, it’s a suggestion to rest well before you travel. There’s also quite a bit of planning to get done before you head for the holiday, so make sure that between banking that sleep, you’ve got your trip planned to the tee including calculating total travel time and putting stopover plans in place. Whether you’re driving or flying, put time into your schedule to recharge.

2. Pack in for your needs

You guessed it, this tip is for you and your very own list. Pack your satin pillow cover if space isn’t at a premium or pop the whole pillow in the car if there’s a long drive ahead. We know you can’t fit your mattress in but if we’re talking about getting good quality sleep in ahead of the adventure, try out Bed King’s Comfort Solutions Lab to find out which mattress is made for you.

DURING TRAVEL:

3. Check out of “busyness burnout”

It’s ok to switch to neutral. Sometimes switching your mind off is as simple as switching off from busy screens. Scribble with pen and paper for a bit, read a paperback, go for a walk, a run, a cycle or sit still. Just be and breathe. Rest doesn’t need a full meditation. Choosing moments of stillness in a day does wonders for the soul. Do whatever helps you check out of the hustle of bustle.

4. Whatever ‘vert ‘ you are, everyone needs people time

The Festive Season is full of family, friends, and acquaintances, so protect your space and fill up your energy with social time that works for you. Whether you’re an introvert, extrovert or ambivert, add in a little (or a lot of) people time – however much you feel is right – because this exchange of energy can add renewed energy to your mind and soul. Be kind to yourself. Pick your people - and be as picky about who you choose to spend time with as you would for your bedlinen.

5. Drinking (virgin style) on the move is huge

For those expeditions that put you on a plane, keep in mind that staying well-hydrated when you fly is one of the easiest ways to limit jet lag. With about 60% of our bodies being made up of water, make it a priority to stay topped up. Although for the caffeine and sugar lovers, the reality is that alcohol, coffee and other caffeinated drinks are not energy enablers en route so limit these top ups, and opt for an herbal tea, or maybe only one virgin mojito.

TOP TIP: Have smaller meals, regularly from nutritious fibre-rich snacks like nuts, fresh or dried fruit, high-fibre crackers and energy bars.

THE GREAT RETURN: POST TRAVEL

6. Kick the lag

When it comes to covering thousands of miles across continents and time zones, jet lag’s a reality. According to a paper about Managing Travel Fatigue and Jet Lag in Athletes, jet lag can bring on heartburn, indigestion, sleep disturbance, daytime exhaustion, and impaired mental or physical concentration. To sidestep these things, why not try the app that connects users to lighting schedules that have been mathematically proven to adjust your body to a new time zone quickly, by recording your lighting history and using it as a primary driving input to reboot your circadian rhythm. There’s also the Timeshifter app that helps astronauts perform at their best. It's really rocket science.

7. Add in buffer days

Before returning to your regular life, prepare to buffer. As in, do not start your regular life on Day One of Return. This is a sure-fire way to create anxiety before the year begins. Inserting a buffer day or two before you get ‘back on track’, is a calmer solution to diving in deep. Use your buffer days to sleep in a little, prepare nourishing meals for your family, watch a soppy romcom, and get to bed early. This helps to resent your brain, and your year, to ‘Start Mode’, without the overdrive.

8. Get Clean. Get Active.

A great way to re-energise post vacation, is to make time for clean eating, and movement. Detoxing from rich holiday foods and copious mojitos is a plus factor for your nervous system, your water retention and your quality of sleep. And while you are at it, include a walk in the neighbourhood, or a park run for good measure. Your blood needs to pump in order move toxins out of the body, to and reawaken your holiday cells.


What’s clear from this journey into counteracting holiday fatigue is that a few me-too changes before, during and after travelling can protect your most precious zest in life – your energy. Now you know! Check back soon for more insider insights from the Bed King team. In the meantime, keep an eye on our Facebook page and Instagram profile to stay up to date with great deals, special offers and more.


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