Sleep Your Way Back To Work.

All good things must come to an end. Like holidays. Hey-ho, it’s back to work you go. And, for some strange reason, you’re not quite ready for it. Not just yet. Maybe it has something to do with the holiday routine you sank into.

Odd as it may seem, the best thing for a happy, rewarding holiday experience is to keep as close as possible to your everyday bedtime and waking routine. But what are well-earned breaks for if not to revel in relaxation and forget about time altogether? What to do when. When to be where. Whatever. It’s just not in the holiday spirit. Right?

Enjoy a sleep-smart holiday.

If you’ve been gunning it all year, you may suddenly feel the wall of exhaustion hit you when you finally find yourself on holiday. You may start sleeping in, napping through both the mornings and afternoons. That’s okay. That’s your mind and body telling you that you really need to catch up on your sleep. And sleep you must! Just take proper control of it.

Sleep Scientist Dr Dale Rae explains why keeping to your regular sleep routine, even over the holidays, can be so much more beneficial.

“We all have a natural circadian rhythm, or body clock, that tells us intuitively when we want to sleep and get up. Whether in holiday mode or not, this body clock is inclined to keep to the same routine sleeping and waking time.”

“Holiday periods may interrupt our natural sleep patterns. After all, it is just as natural to want to let go and take it easy for a while. And, of course you should take care and pay attention to that, too. But it is more likely that your usual manic work-life routine was at odds with your body clock, and the pattern of sleeping and waking that you give in to when on holiday may well be your natural routine. You may be interested to know that minds and bodies tend to function better when there is a steady routine.” It doesn’t have to be a strict regime, just a gentle schedule to stay somewhat on track.

Dr Rae suggests a few pointers we might consider to get the best out of a holiday, yet optimise our rest and regained energy, so that we return to the daily ‘bump ’n grind’ fully rested and rearing to go.

1. Use your holiday period to rest and reset – Reflect on your lifestyle demands, including work, family and other commitments and whether you feel you are managing okay. Invariably, it’s your lack of sleep, or that perpetual niggle that you just feel tired all the time, that may be the clue that you need to reassess your regular sleep pattern.
2. Reset means reset – Take back the time you need to recuperate. This includes getting your full night’s sleep at the time your body tells you to, to pay back your sleep debt. Listen to what your body is prompting you to do. You may find that, after a few nights of long recovery sleep, your sleep shortens a little as your body settles on your true, sleep-duration sweet spot.
3. Take non-bed naps – If you feel like a late morning or afternoon nap, consider a quick couch nap, or somewhere shady outside. Try not to head to your bedroom. Your bed should be associated with a full night-time's sleep, at your regular hour. Just be mindful not to nap too late in the day, as that can then make it difficult to fall asleep that night. There is nothing more luxurious than a nap on holiday, and it can help you catch up on any sleep debt you may have accumulated before your holiday, but it is not a substitute for sufficient, good quality night-time sleep.
4. Use your waking hours – The best way to 'rest' your mind and body is often to engage in activities that are not your run-of-the-mill workday. Enjoy reading, watching movies, getting out and walking, and trying new outdoor activities. The point is that you're not just sinking into a non-work lethargy, but using valuable holiday time to reconnect with family and friends, spark new interests, or simply catch up with the pastimes and hobbies that you most enjoy. When you expend your daily energy on the things that matter most to you, you may be surprised how easily and deeply you are able to relax and sleep come the evening.
5. Keep to a ‘routine’ – It’s holiday time. So, an extended hour here and there is no big deal. But by routine, we mean sleeping and waking, eating, exercising and occupying yourself with intention. The happier and more engaged you are by day, the more likely you’ll retire each evening to enjoy a deeply restorative night’s rest.
6. Take note – When you have a few weeks respites from the humdrum of daily work life and you're able to take stock of what promotes, or detracts from, your wellbeing, you would do well to take it all onboard. Consider how you might streamline your working day to allow for more consistent, quality sleep.

Dr Rae is a sleep scientist, not a life coach. Yet it is precisely lifestyle choices, or habits, that are so often picked up in the scientific study of sleep. Disordered sleep (interrupted or poor quality) can be directly related to patterns and behaviours that we pursue during our waking day; whether intended, consciously engaged, or just obliviously followed.

Holidays are wonderful. But they come to an end. Sleep, however, is a constant. Or should be. If you find, especially after a restful time away, that your sleep isn’t what it could be – and you’ll have a definite sense of it – don’t let it drag. Check out www.sleepscience.co.za and consider professional sleep advice. A Sleep Science team member is available to consult online, wherever you are. Even on holiday.

How to recover from a holiday.

Holidays can be hard to put behind us. Especially if we’ve fallen into a stupor of doing little to nothing each day, like flopping from meals to naps, from lunches to siestas, and dinners to bed. Repeat.

Of course, there can also be those manic once-in-a-lifetime holidays where every day and night is taken up with unforgettable experiences. By the end of the adventure, we really could do with a proper break.

Either way, the common factor in both scenarios is that we may experience a significant disruption to our waking and sleeping routine. (Even discounting a holiday in another time zone. That, in itself, is an obvious sleep challenge.)

Again, if we’ve managed to moderate our holiday routine so that we haven’t completely thrown our body clock off balance, it shouldn’t be too difficult to take a few nights ahead of that first day back to ensure we’re up and at it!

But for most of us, reality will bite. So here’s a nifty hack-list to help us take charge:

1. Settle back in – By that we mean don’t return home the day before work starts. Ensure you get back with a good few days to spare. Quite literally, allow yourself to settle back into your daily routine. And your usual sleep time. Go to bed at your usual hour. And get up at your usual hour. No cheating, no slouching.
2. Get prepping – If the kids are due back at school within the week, use a day or two to sort out their stationery and kit. Get back up to speed with essential work emails. Stock up on household necessities for the weeks ahead. Of course, this is all obvious, ‘mission critical’ stuff, but the point is to start kicking into gear as soon as you’re back home. The sooner the better. Keeping things within your grasp and control is always a great way to sleep easier.
3. Reflect and initiate – Don’t let go of that holiday too quickly. Not altogether. It’s likely you’ve enjoyed some quiet time away to review and resolve some of those daily challenges you could do without. Or at least resolve. Now's the time to make good on that.
4. Recon your holiday finances – Seriously? Yes, seriously. Whatever you budgeted for your holiday, it’s likely you’ve had loads of fun, with interest. It’s better to know ahead than to wait for that credit card statement to land. Why? Because you’ll sleep better. Let’s not have those monthly household finances ruin your holiday memories.
5. Plan your next holiday – No kidding. Planning your next holiday is one of the most motivating things to get your act together for the working months ahead, so that you manage each day and night with a resolve and reward in the back of your mind. In the wake of a wonderful time away, throw out some ideas about the next holiday break. You may even start dreaming about it.

Get to work on your sleep with Dial•a•Bed.

Ever been away on holiday and returned home to that first night back in your own bed? How amazing does it feel? There’s nothing like coming home to the mattress you love. Of course, if you get home and you suddenly notice that perhaps your mattress isn’t quite what it used to be, you need a Dial•a•Bed intervention. Fast. Holidays are a time to appreciate, and reflect on, what’s most important in your life. And it starts with your very best sleep at www.dialabed.co.za. Every night’s rest on the comfort and support of your perfect mattress should feel like a mini-holiday. #SleepForLife.

TAKE CARE: Lifestyle recommendation is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional should you be experiencing prolonged sleep difficulties or related health issues.