As we all know, Christmas is fast approaching, and most are making a list and checking it twice. Some for gifts for the family, and others for preparing to travel. December is one of the most traveled months in the US, and many like myself hit the roads and airways to celebrate the holidays with family and friends.

The holiday season as stated in many songs and by many people is “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”! Well making the holiday season “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” will not come easy without a good night’s sleep. The last thing we all want is to travel to a family member or friend’s home and be labeled as the GRINCH who stole Christmas due to lack of sleep.

This makes me think to a couple years back when my family and I traveled for the first time to my Brother-in-Law’s house. It was our first Christmas together as a family, and my wife and I were excited about making this particular Christmas the best ever. We planned our trip around our kid’s schedule and had everything planned from when to leave, food stops, gas stops, and even potty breaks. As we were leaving we did what most folks do, we kept saying “I feel like we are forgetting something”. Well with all the preparation we had put in to this trip, I respond as I always do, “we are good we have EVERYTHING covered!” Well we had safe travel and arrived at our destination and everything was great. We were having fun telling old stories and having a grand ole time, we were having so much fun! Then it came time for everybody to call it a night. Well remember when I told my wife “we have everything covered!” Well we didn’t, we forgot one of the most important things for everyone…… SLEEP! My wife and I sleep on a soft bed, we like our marshmallow feel, it’s a great fit for us. Wellll, my Brother-in-law’s guest bedroom mattress was like sleeping on a slab of concrete. I’m pretty sure it was the firmest mattress ever made! Let me tell you, it was rough waking up each morning and not being our chipper selves without any sleep. You have any idea how hard it is to pretend to be Ryder from Paw Patrol and sing carols (“Santa Clause is Coming to Town” on repeat) all day long with zero sleep?!? To top it all off, we didn’t consider our kids sleeping tendencies either. NOBODY IN OUR FAMILY SLEPT! Me personally, I will NEVER FORGET how tough it was to celebrate Christmas on the road labeled by EVERYONE as EBENEZER SCROOGE!

Here are a few tips to try and help you from being labeled as a GRINCH OR SCROOGE. NO BAH HUMBUG’S THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM MY FAMILY TO YOURS!!!

Here are a few tips to make sleeping easier as you are away from home this holiday season:

  • Ask the person you are staying with the comfort (firmness) of the mattress you or your family will be sleeping on. The closer the comfort to your mattress, the easier the transition will be. (If it is a firmer mattress than you normally sleep on, consider getting yourself a topper to take with you. Very easy to fold up for travel without taking up too much space.)
  • Take personal pillows from your own bed to sleep on. Not having the correct pillow support can ruin an individual’s sleep for many nights.
  • Take extra blankets, you never know when your children may find the floor in your room more “comfortable” in the middle of the night, or like me find yourself looking for the couch!
  • If you sleep with a fan on or a noise machine, make sure to pack those essentials, especially for the Kiddos. If you happen to forget these things like we did, you can very easily download a free noise machine app on your smart phone or tablet. (Life saver, trust me)
  • Take a night light for the kid’s room in case they need to wake up and find the bathroom in a house they aren’t too familiar with. If you do not have a night light and do not wish to purchase one for this trip, crack the bathroom door and leave the light on. A little light, scares away the biggest monsters.