The Christmas gift of 2023 is here • And it's free of charge

(Image removed) Christian Benedict wishes everyone Merry Christmas & A Good Nights Sleep

This year's Christmas gift for the preschooler
Give your child your attention and have a good time together every evening before bedtime. Play a game, sing a song or read a book. Anything goes as long as it's relaxing - and just like that you have created a tradition that the child will look forward to and that will give a positive feeling about going to bed.

This year's Christmas gift for the teenager
Throughout adolescence, your brain needs plenty of time to rest to continue maturing. At the same time, you find it harder to get to bed: On weekdays you have homework and activities, on weekends friends and parties await – while you still have to get up at seven to make it in time to school. Therefore, I would like every teenager to get at least one good sleep-in a week, preferably on Mondays when the risk of Social Jetlag peaks.

This year's Christmas gift for the parent of a toddler
During the early toddler years, some tiredness is impossible to avoid, but family, relatives and friends can make important contributions by offering to be with the child for an hour or two, so that the parents have time to sleep for a while or at least the opportunity to relax. It is a small gift that will make a big difference.

(Image removed) The Christmas gift of 2023

This year's Christmas gift for the overworked employee
In a time when we are constantly online, I would like all employers and employees in Sweden to agree on leaving company mobiles and computers at the office when the working day is done. Several companies in Germany have already introduced this, which has contributed to a significantly better balance between work and private life, and not least increased performance during work hours.

This year's Christmas gift for the senior citizen
Many elderly experience early sleep phase, which means that they fall asleep early in the evening and wake up way before sunrise. One way to delay your circadian rhythm is to reduce your exposure to light in the afternoon and then increase it a bit during early evening. It is equally important to fill your day with positive experiences, and here family and friends can provide an important Christmas gift by spending some extra time often with elderly that experience involuntary loneliness.

... and finally, what is a definite No-No under the Christmas tree?
Well, when it comes to sleep there are no prohibitions. Whether you run a few miles or light a scented candle, once you find the routine that helps you sleep well: Stick to it. So, after first emphasizing the importance of good research, my wish is that more people allow themselves to fall asleep without anxiously waiting for their particular sleep routine to be backed up with scientific evidence before they dare to trust it. Merry Christmas!

FACTS

• In the spring of 2023, Christian Benedict participated in SVT's Sov Gott, which reached an average of 600,000 viewers per episode
• In October 2023 he published the book Sov dig till ett bättre liv, in 2018 he published Sömn, sömn, sömn.
• Christian Benedict's research group studies how disturbances in the circadian rhythm and sleep loss affect health and performance. In June he was granted DKK 9.35 million from the Novo Nordisk Foundation to study sleep and blood sugar levels.

LEARN MORE

• “If I am to give one advice, it is...” Bedtime talk with sleep expert Benedict
• Christian Benedict helps 600,000 Swedes to Sleep Tight

KONTAKT

(Image removed) Christian Benedict, Associate Professor
Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences
Christian.Benedict@farmbio.uu.se

Text: Magnus Alsne, photo: Stefan Tell m fl