LOS ANGELES (KABC) — During the holidays, a good night’s rest is even more elusive than it is the rest of the year.
Lack of sleep is a major public health issue with one out of three Americans saying they don’t get enough uninterrupted sleep. It’s why so many people fall asleep on their couches, but that may not be the best thing you can do.
“If I fall asleep on the couch after a long day, I’m not getting up until the next day,” said Trent Monroe of Burbank, who knows that if he moves to his bed after snoozing on the sofa, it’s hard to fall asleep.
“I struggle with that. Once I’m up, my mind is going and it’s hard to fall back asleep,” he said.
Dr. Raj Dasgupta, a sleep medicine specialist with Huntington Health, said napping before bedtime disrupts your sleep cycle.
“I have a couch in my living room, and you’ll rarely catch me on it,” he said.
“Who knows, you may dream on the couch and go into REM sleep,” he added. “Now, that’s not going to be good when you transition into bed.”
Dasgupta also reminds us that the bed is not a place to doom scroll or watch videos.
“The bedroom should be three things: it should be on the cooler side, the darker side, and the quieter side,” he said.
A bed partner who snores may be keeping you up and sleeping with pets may be another problem, but often, it’s a racing mind that robs you of rest.
“I think stress … a little more of that day-to-day life stuff when that happens,” said Wilson Lima of Chatsworth.
Dasgupta recommends something he calls “quiet wakefulness.”
“That just means close your eyes and focus on something like breathing,” he said. “You may just doze off. I bet you that’s what happens, and on top of that, it does help the body and mind.”
If poor sleep continues for more than three months, it may be time to seek help.
“Start making that sleep journal and actually bringing that to your physician to help figure out what are some easy things we can do to get you those better Zs,” said Dasgupta.
Monroe said he likes to listen to calm music, like low-fi jazz – and he rarely sleeps on the couch. A habit that helps him get the rest he needs.
“Happy holidays! I hope you sleep well,” he said.
Copyright © 2025 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.
