The holiday season is just the arrival of bright lights, a bevy of social activity and perhaps the boom of the Hallelujah chorus. There’s also plenty of evil store lighting to be endured while waiting in line at the grocery store (for the third time in one week), only to discover back at home that even though you’re now ready to make mice out of marzipan, there is, in fact, nothing for dinner. (I will soon hear the clank of fish sticks hitting the baking sheet during this busy time of year. Don’t judge!)
But curiously, one theme that shows up repeatedly in the Christmas tradition is sleep. Like the animals who hibernate in toasty burrows beneath a blanket of snow, so too are there (apparently!) children who are equally tucked up with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads. Certainly, being asleep is a critical issue for Santa and whether or not he makes good on that chimney-promise thing. And let’s not forget that legend, Ebenezer Scrooge, who endured a full-on Yuletide intervention as he slept!
So, with all this sleepy imagery around, why are so many of us still yearning for at least a few silent nights? 
Like many holiday things, it’s complicated.
One of the most obvious reasons is that Christmas, especially, requires attention to detail even if you’ve vowed to keep it simple. A friend of mine’s wise — but also tired — mother once observed that “without women, Christmas simply wouldn’t happen.” Sometimes the burden of effort is indeed, shall we say, not evenly distributed, especially if other family members are oblivious to all the baking, shopping and time-juggling unfolding in the background. (If this is you, do ask for help! Alternatively, make some direct enquiries to find out if anyone else really cares …)
People of a certain age may look back in awe at what their parents did to make Christmas happen: elaborate dollhouses were assembled into the wee hours on Christmas Eve; giant turkeys were prepped to begin cooking during the night, often following a midnight service; massive amounts of potatoes were peeled; trees were decorated. At our house, the table was set with — wait for it — special Christmas china, the edges bordered with gold poinsettia. As well as all this, my mother (ably assisted by my formidable grandmother) somehow managed to crank out all the holiday baking on the night before Christmas. I suspect that the traditional bottle of good brandy (only on hand for trifle, you understand) may have helped buoy their baking along.
Sleep experts recommend the creation of a calm, dark bedroom and perhaps adding a weighted blanket to the bed (all of which sounds very similar to hibernation!), but realistically these suggestions may not be feasible during the holidays, particularly if travel is involved. Already strung out on the three Cs of Christmas (cashews, chocolate, cheese) and hours of driving, imagine sinking into an ancient mattress that feels as though it’s been stuffed with old coat hangers, or worse, trying to balance atop an asthmatic air bed. Combine this with a too-short “Star Wars” comforter (and a lively cat with a grudge) and a good night’s sleep may prove elusive.
But even without such challenges, I cannot recall a single Christmas Eve when I’ve slept well. To-do lists still swirl in my mind, and I fret about whether the turkey dinner (something I have made more than 30 times) will be a success. Admittedly, things are quieter these days, but still, I remain too excited to sleep. Eventually, I just get up and revert to my child-self, quietly watching the snow ticking against the window as I wait for dawn. In those young, flannelette-feeted years, I would also have the TV on very softly with only the single note of the test pattern to keep me company. At the first bleats of the national anthem, I would know it was nearly time. (If you know, you know!)
Experts point out that good sleep hygiene requires routine, which is challenging during the holidays. Parties, late dinners and shopping all demand time. A middle path might involve being vigilant about not taking on too much and pressing pause when needed. After all, there’s some quality hibernation time coming in January — when those weighted blankies go on sale! •
As well as a lengthy career in public library systems in Canada and the UK, SUE SUTHERLAND-WOOD has written for numerous publications. Her short essays have won national awards. Read more from Sue at her Substack, Everyone Else is Taken (EveryoneElseisTaken.substack.com).
