LOS ANGELES — As the holiday season approaches, finding a restful night’s sleep becomes increasingly challenging, a struggle that many endure throughout the year.

Sleep deprivation has emerged as a significant public health concern, with a staggering one in three Americans reporting insufficient, uninterrupted sleep. This widespread issue often results in individuals dozing off on their couches, though experts caution that this habit may not be the most beneficial.

Trent Monroe from Burbank shares a common experience: “After a long day, if I fall asleep on the couch, I usually stay there until the next morning.” He notes the difficulty in returning to sleep if he moves to his bed after initially dozing on the sofa. “Once I’m up, my mind starts racing, and falling back asleep becomes a challenge,” Monroe explains.

Dr. Raj Dasgupta, a sleep medicine specialist affiliated with Huntington Health, warns that napping just before bedtime can interfere with your natural sleep cycle, making it harder to achieve restful slumber when you finally retire for the night.

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.