Last-Minute Tax Tip: Get a Good Night's Sleep

Each year, millions of Americans wait until the last minute to file their federal income tax returns.  This, of course, leads to a great deal of stress, which can lead to sleepless nights. With the April 15th I.R.S. deadline fast approaching, we’re offering some tips to help sleep-challenged taxpayers through tax season.

“For a lot of folks, tax season is one of the most stressful times of the year,” said Dan Schecter, vice president of consumer products at Carpenter Co., and creator of SleepBetter.org. “The best advice, of course, is not to procrastinate. But in the real world, we know that, for a variety of reasons, plenty of people find themselves up against the deadline every year.”

Schecter warns that rushing to meet the filing deadline may cause people to overlook important details and could increase the risk of making errors. “Take a deep breath,” says Schecter. “In fact, if you can manage it in your schedule, try to get a good night’s sleep before preparing your tax return. An alert and well-rested taxpayer is less likely to make mistakes.”

Here are some more tips from SleepBetter.org to help stressed-out taxpayers:

• Take heart: sometimes just taking the initiative to solve problems is enough to beef up your confidence level and shake away those doubts and fears, and help you fall asleep.
• Set the stage for successful sleep: Try dimming the lights a couple of hours before bed. This will work as a cue for your brain that sleep is just around the corner.
• Establish a cutoff time for crunching numbers, and stick to it!
• After putting away the tax return for the night, sip some warm milk or herb tea before going to bed. It will raise your body temperature and to help induce sleep. Chamomile tea is a good choice.
• Snack on protein and complex carbohydrates up to one hour before bed to enlist the aid of these naturally calming compounds.

Each time of year brings different sleep challenges. With a little effort you can get a great return on how much and how well you sleep. And, since the quality of your sleep affects all other aspects of your life, it’s worth the time to take a few moments to review your sleeping arrangements.