How to avoid fatigue around the holidays

It’s happened to a lot of us when we travel: After traveling for hours to get to a relative’s home for the holidays, you can’t sleep.

“One reason we struggle to sleep in unfamiliar surroundings is because of environmental differences,” said Lauri Leadly with Valley Sleep Center. “Think about the sleep environment you have at home and plan to account for any differences at your new location.”

Leadly suggested that you plan ahead for environmental differences. As an example, if you’re used to falling asleep to white noise or with a lavender-scented pillow, bring it along for the trip.

Jet lag is especially difficult to overcome for some people, but there are ways to mitigate the effects. You can do that by catching a little shut-eye during your travels and planning for rest upon your arrival. Using a sleep mask is helpful.

If your internal clock is off, because of time differences or exhaustion, try basking in the sun.

“Good ‘ole sunshine is good if you’re struggling to adjust to your new location,” said Leadly, adding that sunlight triggers certain hormones in your body signaling that you should be awake.