Awake for too long, more than 18 hours, with a possible deterioration of cognitive functions.
Without adequate nutrition and hydration, because although full of affection, the cookies left as a gift on the evening of Christmas Eve cannot fully satisfy the needs in terms of nutrition, as well as wine or milk.
Being Santa Claus is difficult, but useful advice comes from science.
In the Christmas issue of The BMJ, two doctors, surgeon Peter Brennan and radiologist Rachel Oeppen, reflect on the topic and make suggestions.
"It is well known that regular breaks as well as adequate hydration and nutrition - they write - during work are essential to maintain performance and safety".
As the foreman, Santa makes sure his reindeer get rest and food while delivering presents, but how he manages to get everything to work safely remains a mystery - the advice is to leave a glass of water to counteract the physical and mental effects of fluid loss, particularly if Santa is wearing full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) this year.
Instead of cookies and other sugar-based treats for scholars "it might be better to have him snack on carrot sticks left for his reindeer."
Another issue concerns language: Santa should be commended for his exemplary commitment to a mile-long gift list, but the authors of the article note that his limited verbal communication skills ("ho ho ho") could be improved.
Finally, there is a lot of pressure on the nice old man that everyone dreams of as a grandfather dressed in red: with such an intense workload, scholars explain that "with high expectations and the fear of widespread disappointment in case of error, the pressure on Santa Claus has to be immense to offer superlative service.
When something doesn't seem right, he will instinctively know to stop the sled if he is sure of how he is doing, take a step back and reassess the situation with the whole team. "
(HANDLE).