According to research, millions of Brits are not getting their eight hours of sleep leading up to Christmas.
Some of the reasons adults get less sleep in December include working longer hours, staying up late to watch Christmas television, and late-night parties.
More than one in five adults go to bed past 11pm but are up long before 7am.
A study of 2,000 adults who celebrate Christmas found 61 percent also lose track of time during the festive period. It is due to shorter days and spending time at home with loved ones.
Research by DFS revealed that the typical Brit might start nodding off on the sofa by 10:40 each evening – although a tenth only heads to bed past midnight.
A spokesperson for DFS said: “A good night’s sleep is always important, more so as we spend time preparing for Christmas.
“December is the month of the year where Brits go all out to enjoy themselves, and as a consequence, it can be very tiring.
“The wonderful parties, brilliant television, planning, and preparations for the big day, can mean even eight hours sleep a night isn’t enough.”
Over one in ten – about 13 percent – admit they are likely to stay up too late watching Christmas movies.
Another tenth – about 10 percent – find they do not sleep well if they are hungover from a party the day before. Many cite the amount of shopping as a key reason they cannot wait to put their feet up at the end of the day.
Adults would like to be up and about by exactly 7:41am on Christmas Day, according to research. Up to 27 percent, more than one in four, like to get up early to make the most of the big day. Fifteen percent of them are roused by excited kids.
A further tenth hauls themselves out of bed much earlier than they may like. It helps them get a head start on the mammoth task of preparing the roast dinner.
About a quarter of respondents revealed that not thinking about Christmas chores like decorating or cooking would help them sleep better this month. With 13 percent believing that simply not celebrating Christmas at all would see them sleep better during December.
OnePoll figures reveal that, on average, Brits will spend a bit more time sleeping in on Boxing Day and not get up until 8:07am. This is after going to bed at 11:08pm the night before.
To help them sleep 19 percent are likely to try a relaxing bath, while 18 percent will read before bed. Another 13 percent will try meditation, and 12 percent opt for sleeping tablets.
DFS’s spokesperson added: “Christmas is a pretty tiring time of the year, despite it being a period of joy and laughter for many.
“Having fun can be exhausting! However, most would agree it’s all worth it – and we can all catch up on our much-missed sleep throughout January when nothing else is happening.”
