It’s no secret: kids everywhere are looking forward to Holiday Break this time of year. A break from school, from busy sports schedules, homework, and an excuse to veg out on the couch. You want to honor your athlete’s time off this holiday season, but you also don’t want to start at ground zero come January when it’s back to school. That’s why we put together this guide: here are a few easy steps to reboot your athlete’s sleep and nutrition after the holiday sugar, late nights, and relaxation.
Why Holiday Break Throws Off Young Athletes
First, let’s start with the ‘why’. Why is a reboot necessary for our young athletes as the holiday break comes to an end? Well, if your children are anything like my brother and me when we were growing up, they are likely snacking on holiday cookies, eating heavy holiday meals, and having a sweet treat every hour, on the hour. They are also home all day: it’s easy to grab a cookie every time they walk past the kitchen!
During the holidays, screen time spikes: In research conducted by the National Library of Medicine (Primary Author: Emily Eglitis), a study showed that on holidays, children, compared with regular school days, spent 58 minutes more per day using screens, plus had lower energy expenditure.
In addition to more sugar and screentime, bedtimes often become irregular. Whether it be sleepovers with friends or the lack of pressure of getting up early for school, kids stay up later and may sleep in later. Even with sleeping in later or naps throughout the day, the sleep routine is no doubt thrown off.
So how do we get everything back on track? Let’s dive into our practical tips that every family can implement.
How to Reset Sleep, Fast.
We don’t want to be the kill-joy when it comes to sleepovers, late nights, sleeping in, and post-meal naps. That’s all part of the nostalgia that is ‘Holiday Break’. So we recommend you start employing these strategies 3 days before school starts again:
Step-by-Step 3-Day Sleep Reset
Day 1: Set a consistent bedtime and wake-up time. We recommend it’s close to what a school day would feel like.
Day 2: Now let’s cut screens 1 hour before bed; this helps anyone fall asleep faster, stay asleep, and have better quality sleep. Youth athletes and adults alike.
Day 3: Add light movement after dinner to “burn off energy.” Bonus: add in a walk after dinner, this mitigates a body’s glucose spike, ultimately giving your athlete a better night’s sleep.
Bedtime Habits That Help Athletes Perform Better
Sometimes we don’t have to work harder; we just have to work smarter. These bedtime habits are low-stress and low-commitment, but go a long way. As we wrap up Holiday Break and start the New Year, there’s no better time to start with these easy hacks:
Take a warm shower before bed: this lowers cortisol, or our “stress hormones”.
Device-free wind-down: Instead, try some journaling time. This is especially important for young athletes to measure their progress (we suggest the prompt “3 things I’m grateful for” … notice how things that were once goals are now gratitude points).
Limit light & turn down the heat: Studies show that cool and dark bedroom environments support a great night’s sleep.
How Much Sleep Do Athletes Actually Need?
Now, why is this important? Youth athletes NEED sleep; it’s their best tool for development on the field, in the classroom, and as a human. And you’ll be surprised by how much sleep each youth athlete actually needs … hint: it’s not how much you need:
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- Ages 8–12 → 9–12 hours
- Ages 13–18 → 8–10 hours
Nutrition Reset: Simple, Realistic, Zero-Shame
We aren’t here to make your life harder. That’s why we aren’t suggesting crazy meal prep guidelines, zero-carb diets, nor the elimination of sugar. Let’s be realistic with what’s possible for a youth athlete with some simple “wins” that go a long way:
Start with Hydration
The holidays may consist of travel, dry air, or different routines for your family. And lack of hydration is usually the first consequence from all of that fun. Simple tips to keep your athlete hydrated through the chaos:
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- Start your child’s morning with an electrolyte drink instead of juice!
- Keep their water bottle visible – whether the kids are hanging out by the TV or on the go, the water bottle is a main character.
- Flavor water with fruit: try adding fruit to the water pitcher for some extra flavor and excitement.
- “Hydration habit stacking”: when your child goes to eat a snack, they get both a cup of water AND the snack.
Breakfast Reboot Ideas
For some reason, breakfast seems to be the sugariest meals of the day in America? That glucose spike in anyone’s system just causes more hunger, irritability, and stress throughout the day. Instead of a sugar-based cereal, try these simple swaps as we wind down the holiday break:
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- Greek yogurt + fruit + granola: Get your taste of sweet with the fruit, a crunch from granola, and the protein from the yogurt!
- Eggs + toast + fruit: Protein-forward balanced with carbs and fruit for an energy burst for some activity.
- Protein pancakes: sub out the regular pancakes (which don’t have too much nutritional value for athletes) and instead give a delicious dose of protein. Bonus idea: look for pure maple syrup to cut out some of the processed sugar in regular syrups.
Healthy Snack Swaps
We know eating Christmas cookies all day is tempting… but to cut out that sugar hangover that your poor teacher is going to deal with come Monday, start swapping in some healthy snacks 3-5 days before holiday break ends. Here are some easy swaps!
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- Chips → popcorn
- Soda → fruit-infused water or water with electrolytes
- Candy → fruit
That’s not too hard right? Remember, we don’t want you to become the food police, mean parent. Treats are totally okay in moderation! We are working towards balance, not restriction.
When to Expect Your Athlete to Feel “Back to Normal”
So, you’re still on the fence? Not sure how much these tips are actually going to help your child and wondering if it’s worth the extra effort? Well, let’s help you get past the hump with a picture of when you can really expect your athlete to feel more energetic, less groggy, and excited to start the new year on a good foot:
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- Sleep regulates fastest: In only 3-5 days, your athlete’s Sleep Debt should be back to a baseline.
- With these changes to sleep and nutrition, energy levels improve after 1 week.
- Nutrition changes show up in mood & performance quickly, think 1-2 days.
- And after only 1-2 days, hydration can fix 50% of sluggishness.
As you help your athlete reset from the holidays, it’s a great time to look ahead to the summer. Signature Sports Camps gives young athletes a place to grow, disconnect from screens, and build healthy routines in a fun, supportive environment. If you love these tips and want to learn more about Signature Sports Camps, check out the Sports Tracks we offer at Overnight Sports Camp.
