How to Avoid Becoming the Holiday Grinch: Sleep Better, Reduce Stress and Enjoy the Season

The holidays are a time of peace, joy, happiness, and even reflection, making it a wonderful celebration. It's a time for wrapping presents by the tree, baking those famous sugar cookies your kids love, and sharing memories with your loved ones around the holidays.

No matter where you are on the emotional spectrum for the holidays, we've listed some helpful tips for you to overcome holiday stressors and enjoy this time with friends and family – and even neighbors.

Why Holidays Can Trigger Stress

The holiday season is meant to bring joy, connection, and celebration—but it can also trigger stress, exhaustion, and unrealistic expectations. When pressure builds, even the most festive among us can start to feel like the Grinch.

That’s why understanding the root causes of holiday stress and learning simple, practical ways to manage it matters. With the right strategies, you can protect your sleep, stay emotionally balanced, and enjoy the moments that truly make the season meaningful.

Related: Stay sharp, stress less, and actually enjoy the holidays—check out our Holiday Wellness Guide for tips that keep you energized all season long.

Unreasonable Expectations

No gathering goes perfectly, and trying to make everything flawless adds pressure really fast.

Dietary Concerns

Christmas treats are everywhere, and the shift from normal eating habits can add stress about health, choices, and balance.

Maintaining Diet, Exercise, and Sleep Routines

You might pack on a few extra pounds with the smorgasbord of holiday food on your table and at parties you attend, but maintaining diet, exercise, and sleep routines is crucial for managing stress.

And burning those unwanted calories with a workout may not be an option considering the lack of free time you’ll have with relatives visiting. And sleep? Forget keeping your usual hours.

Related Blog: Whether you're traveling for the holidays or any other occasion, discover tips to sleep better while traveling.

Feelings of Sadness, Loneliness, or Loss

This holiday season may not be a time of peace, joy, and happiness if you've experienced a traumatic event, family issue, or the death of a loved one.

Common Holiday Stresses

Hosting family during the holidays can feel like running a small operation — equal parts excitement and pressure. From cleaning and cooking to making sure everyone actually enjoys themselves, the mental load adds up fast. The numbers below show what men and women worry about most while preparing for guests, giving a clear look at the stress points that tend to hit hardest.

Below are the common stressful aspects of hosting family during the holidays

Common Stress for Hosting Family During the Holidays

Top Tips to Manage Holiday Stress & Stay Joyful

No matter how you feel when dealing with the above stressors, give some of the following stress tips a try.

Prioritize sleep: keep regular sleep schedule & self-care
2. Plan ahead (gifts, budget, schedule)
3. Set boundaries — say “no” when needed
4. Practice mindfulness & gratitude
5. Focus on experiences over perfection — accept family/friends come with quirks
6. Stay physically healthy: moderate treats, exercise, rest
7. Reach out for support if you feel overwhelmed (friends, family, professional help)

Remember to start slow and see what works for you.

Make Sure You Get Enough Sleep

Let’s start with the tip that matters most: sleep. If you’re already running low before Christmas even begin, everything feels harder—hosting, traveling, juggling events, dealing with family dynamics, all of it. Quality rest helps keep your mood steady, your patience intact, and your stress levels in check.

If you’re a hot sleeper or you tend to overheat at night, cooling tech can make a huge difference. Shop our cooling bed systems—the Chilipad Dock Pro, our best cooling mattress topper, or the original bed cooling pad, the Cube.

Take Time and Plan Ahead This Holiday Season

This doesn’t mean you need to put the Christmas tree up before Thanksgiving. It’s really about getting a little organized so you can enjoy the holidays with family and friends without the chaos creeping in.

Holiday Gift & Budget Planning Strategies

Make a gift list and set a realistic budget by deciding who you’re buying for, assigning spending limits, and tracking purchases so you don’t overspend. We all know, that over spending can happen to anyone. Make sure to focus on meaningful gifts rather than impulse buys, choosing thoughtful, intentional items instead of last-minute picks driven by stress or flashy sales.

Did You Know: According to a recent study, around 43% of U.S. adults have a holiday budget. [1]

Stress Tips: The following holiday shopping list apps will help you stay organized with your gift list and budget: [2]

Set Realistic Expectations

One of the most effective ways to manage the pesky stress of the holidays is to set realistic expectations. It's crucial to prioritize your physical and mental health above all else and to make time for quality time with loved ones. Start by making a list of what truly matters to you during the holiday season and focus on those priorities.

What’s important is the time spent with loved ones and the memories created.

Here are some tips to help you set expectations and manage holiday stress:

• Prioritize Self-Care: Make time for activities that bring you joy and relaxation, whether it's a brisk walk, reading a good book, or simply enjoying a quiet moment with a cup of tea.
• Set Boundaries: Learn to say no to commitments that cause undue stress. It's okay to decline an invitation or delegate tasks to other family members.
• Seek Support: Don't hesitate to reach out to friends, family, or a mental health professional if you need support. Sometimes, just talking about your stress can provide significant relief.
• Practice Mindfulness: Focus on the present moment and let go of worries about the past or future. Mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing or meditation, can help you stay grounded.
• Take Breaks: Often overlooked, allow yourself time to rest and recharge. Step away from stressful situations when needed and give yourself permission to take a break.

Setting realistic expectations and prioritizing your physical and mental health, you can reduce holiday stress and truly enjoy this wonderful time of year. Remember, the holiday season is about creating joyful memories, not about achieving perfection.

Volunteering can foster a sense of community and help improve mood during the holidays, offering a meaningful way to connect with others and spread joy.

Start Compiling Gift Ideas

You might already know what the spouse and kids want, but the rest of your holiday crew can be trickier. Making a gift list early helps you stay organized and keeps your budget in check. And don’t forget to shop smart—there are plenty of sales leading up to the holidays. Sign up for emails from your favorite retailers so you’re first to know when deals drop.

Make a Decoration Plan

Whether you like decorating for the holidays or not, your relatives and neighbors might expect your house to look somewhat seasonal. Start writing down a list of items you have or need to decorate. [3]

Learn to Say “No”

The holiday season is basically a parade of invitations—parties, family dinners, school events, work potlucks, cookie swaps, you name it. And saying “yes” to everything is the fastest way to run yourself into the ground. You can simplify your holiday schedule by limiting the number of events you attend, ensuring you have time to recharge and truly enjoy the moments that matter most.

It’s completely okay to say “no.” Your time and energy matter, and not every event needs to make the cut. Choose the moments that actually bring you joy, skip the ones that drain you, and give yourself space to enjoy the season instead of sprinting through it.

Allow Yourself to Take a Breather

One mindfulness tactic is meditation which involves deep breathing, walking, and listening to music whenever you're experiencing stress or need to take a break from family for a moment.

Check out some of your favorite podcasts! We've put together a list of the best sleep podcasts and calming sounds to help you relax and get ready for a good night's sleep.

Invest in Your Physical Health and Well-Being

As mentioned before, you may not find the time to crush that workout while hosting family and friends, but physical activity is a great way to provide stress relief during the season and help with sleep.

Plus, be aware of seasonal affective disorder, which can exacerbate feelings of stress and anxiety during the winter months. If you know that this time of year is typically hard for you, lean on your friends and family for support. Their presence and understanding can make a significant difference in navigating the season..

Use Gratitude or Journaling to Take the Edge Off

These months can feel overwhelming, so taking a minute to write down what you’re grateful for—or jotting your thoughts in a journal—can help steady your mind and soften the stress.

It’s a simple way to reset your perspective when everything feels a little chaotic. Making space for your grief during the holidays is also essential, as it allows you to process emotions in a healthy and constructive way.

Acknowledge When You're Stressed

If last season was stressful, then you’re probably expecting this year’s family get-together will be with higher stress levels. Hopefully, by including some of the tips from above, this season will be less stressful.

Related: New Year, Better Sleep: Creatting a Sleep Resolution

Set Aside Family Differences

Everyone’s running on some level of stress right now. Between busy schedules, rising expenses, news overload, and the general chaos of the year, your relatives are probably showing up just as overwhelmed as you feel.

The holidays aren’t the time to settle old debates or reopen family arguments. Give everyone a little grace, press pause on the tough stuff, and save the deeper conversations for after December 25th—when no one’s running on holiday pressure and half a tank of patience.

Take Control of the Holidays

Try to enjoy the holiday season rather than it becoming something you dread. Recognize holiday triggers, which might include financial pressures and personal demands, and combat them before you experience a major meltdown in front of the family.

Overindulgence adds to stress, which can increase anxiety. Prevent this from happening by eating a healthy snack before holiday meals, so you don't consume too many sweets or unhealthy foods. [4]

Keep Your Holiday Drinking in Check

Holiday parties make it easy to overdo it, but extra cocktails won’t make the season any calmer—and they can wreck your sleep. People typically double their weekly alcohol intake this time of year, and many admit that “rough mornings” take the joy out of the holidays.

If you choose to drink, pace yourself and stay aware of your limits. And if you know you tend to overindulge, bring someone you trust who can help you stay grounded and safe. A little awareness goes a long way toward keeping your holidays enjoyable instead of exhausting. A study revealed that 36% of its participants agreed that “rough mornings” from excess drinking “dampen their overall holiday spirit.” [5]

Nearly 70% of people will overindulge during the holidays more than any other time. [6] If you know you might struggle with binge drinking*, it is recommended that you have someone at the party or gathering to look out for you.

Whether it's a friend or family member, have someone with you that you trust to make sure you are safe this holiday season. [7]

Be Present with Friends and Family

It might be that same old war story your grandfather recites every year or your neighbor who constantly talks about her kids' new school teacher, but being present is important for your mental health this holiday season.

However we find ourselves disagreeing with what's being said, instead practice asking questions and avoid interrupting the speaker.

The following are eight ways to being a better listener:

• Pay attention
• Use positive body language
• Avoid interrupting the speaker
• Ask questions
• Just listen
• Remember and follow up
• Keep confidential information confidential
• Maintain eye contact [8]

Final Thought: Embrace the Joy

Remember, to embrace joy over perfection — holiday is about memories, not perfection. You might not resemble the titular character from Dr. Seuss' “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!,” and you might not have any desire to ruin Christmas for Whos down in Whoville. But stress and anxiety caused by relatives, shopping, cooking, lack of quality sleep, and more during the holiday season can cause anyone to definitely feel like a grinch.

If you or someone you care about are struggling with alcohol or other substances, help is available.