Enjoy the Thanksgiving Feast, But Don’t Let it Ruin Your Sleep

Nov. 18, 2010 - PRLog -- (Richmond, VA) – The traditional American Thanksgiving feast is a major highlight of the holiday season for families across the country and leading sleep tips website SleepBetter.org is offering tips to help revelers enjoy the occasion without spoiling a good night’s rest afterwards.

“The Thanksgiving banquet is an important holiday gathering for many families,” said Dan Schecter, vice president of consumer products at Carpenter Co. and creator of SleepBetter.org (http://sleepbetter.org).  “Every year, we hear news reports about how many millions of pound of turkey and potatoes were feasted upon, but we don’t hear about the sleepless nights that resulted from the culinary blowout.”

When the meal is served, what's on the menu, and what participants do after the feast will help determine whether they’ll enjoy a good night’s sleep on Thanksgiving night.  Schecter offers these tips to help ensure thankful people can also become well-rested people.

*If you’re going to have a huge feast, eat in the early afternoon, not in the evening.  Give your digestive system a chance to work on a big meal well ahead of bedtime.  Going to bed on a full stomach is uncomfortable and can interrupt normal sleep patterns.

*If you have your big chow-down at midday, you can still have a modest late-night snack, butskip the turkey leg.  Close to bedtime, it’s best to avoid proteins like meat in favor of dairy and carbohydrates, such as milk and cereal or crackers.

*Other things to avoid close to bedtime:  caffeinated and/or alcoholic beverages.

*Turkey, the centerpiece of most Thanksgiving meals, is famous for causing Tryptophan-induced sleepiness.  While this is largely a myth, a large meal can make you want to rest for a while.  If you take a nap after the big feast, try to limit your snooze to no longer than about 30 minutes.  Shorter naps lead to less grogginess and are less likely to interfere with your regular sleep that night.  And try to take your nap no later than 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

For more tips to help you sleep better, please visit http://sleepbetter.org.  You can also get sleep advice from SleepBetter on Twitter and Facebook.

About Carpenter Co. / SleepBetter.org
SleepBetter.org is dedicated to helping people sleep better. Designed as an online resource, the web site creates a forum for visitors to define, discuss, and discover solutions to their particular sleep needs. SleepBetter.org’s quest is to continually gather pertinent sleep information, then share this knowledge with the general public. The site also shares tips on the best sleep related products, both in stores and online. SleepBetter.org has created the Sleep Better seal as a way to easily identify products recommended for their superior quality or scientifically based design. Created by Carpenter Co., the world’s largest producer of comfort cushioning products, SleepBetter.org provides information and advice that visitors can use to sleep better. For more information, please visit http://SleepBetter.org.