Getting back into a good sleep routine after vacation: Simple tips for the whole family

Insufficient or irregular sleep can have several negative effects on our body and mind:

• Physical and mental fatigue: we feel exhausted, even after a day of rest.
• Problems with concentration and memory: our ability to learn, memorize, and stay focused decreases.
• Irritability, anxiety, and depressed mood: Sleep also affects our emotional balance.
• Increased susceptibility to infections and chronic diseases: our body is less effective at defending itself.
• Hormonal imbalances: these can affect our appetite and stress levels.

Many habits can disrupt our sleep, especially after a vacation.

• Bedtime and wake-up times that vary too much, disrupting our biological clock.
• Prolonged screen time in the evening, which stimulates our brain, may delay drowsiness or disrupt sleep.
• Overly stimulating activities just before sleeping, whether physical or mental.
• A heavy meal or drinking caffeine or alcohol late in the day.
• Stress related to returning to work or school, which often prevents us from relaxing.

Here are a few tips for restoring quality sleep, step by step:

• Gradually adjust your bedtime and wake-up time: Move the time forward or back by 15–30-minute intervals per day until you reach your goal.
• Create a calming bedtime routine: Read, as long as the subject is not too stimulating, take a hot shower or bath (but not too hot), listen to soft music, write down your thoughts, or plan your next day. Like a plane slowly and gradually descending as it prepares to land, it is important to allow our body and mind to slow down and to clear our head before bedtime.
• Dim the lights and avoid screens at least 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime: This promotes the production of melatonin, the hormone that helps you fall asleep.
• Sleep in a dark, quiet, cool, and uncluttered environment: All you need is a bed, a few essential pieces of furniture, and curtains. An uncluttered room calms our brain and helps us fall asleep naturally and enjoy a restful night’s sleep. If silence bothers you or surrounding noises disturb your sleep, listening to white noise can help.
• Avoid napping for too long or too late in the day: This reduces sleep pressure, that is, the body’s need for sleep, built up during the day, which can make it harder to fall asleep at night.
• Eat a healthy diet and stay hydrated: This will help you sleep more soundly and improve the quality of your sleep, which reduces the need for stimulants like coffee, tea, and energy drinks. The benefits include:
  • Better regulation of sleep-wake cycles thanks to hormonal balance and stable blood sugar levels.
  • Prevention of nighttime digestive disorders, headaches, muscle cramps, and restlessness during the night.
  • Reduced stress and anxiety, since a healthy diet, just like sleep, helps regulate our mood.

Involving the entire family in reorganizing sleep helps us stay on course and remain motivated:

• Involve the children in developing the new routine. This empowers them and can be fun. They can draw pictograms such as them brushing their teeth and putting on their pajamas.
• Wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends, to stabilize your internal clock. Waking up early may be difficult for adolescents; a compromise of one hour later may be a good solution without disrupting their circadian rhythm too much.
• Expose yourself to natural light as soon as you get up. If it is still dark out, use light therapy (for people aged 12 and older) or turn on as many inside lights as possible.
• Choose quiet activities in the evening, such as drawing or puzzles, but not in bed: our brain must associate bed with sleep.
• Avoid homework or stressful tasks just before bedtime.

Sleep is fundamental to our health, well-being, and daily living. By gradually adjusting our habits, we can quickly feel the benefits of quality sleep. If you continue to have trouble sleeping despite your best efforts, it is important to consult a healthcare professional for personalized support, whether for an assessment or to follow an insomnia treatment program. Taking care of our sleep means taking care of ourselves!