Learn how to get quality sleep even when you’re away from home.
Travel is one of the most exciting adventures you can take, especially around the holidays when your destination is to see close friends and family. But sometimes, it may be difficult to fall asleep in a new and unfamiliar place.
Instead of laying awake or counting sheep, here are a few great tips and tricks you should try to help you figure out how to sleep well while traveling!
Here are a few tips and tricks to better sleep away from home:
- Bring items that help you sleep
- Plan time to rest during your vacation and travel
- Have a bedtime routine
- Use scents to trigger sleep
- Limit electronics usage just before bed
As always, if you have questions about your health or any concerns about your sleeping patterns, a chat with your primary physician is best!
Keep reading for details on how to sleep well while traveling!
Bring items that help you sleep
While this may seem like an obvious one, it can easily be overlooked in the hustle and bustle of packing for a trip. If you’re trying to pack light, reserve some room for any items that help you get your best sleep — you may sacrifice the space, but it’s definitely worth it to pack a few extra items to help you feel well-rested!
Some common items that can help people sleep include eye masks to block out light or a special pillow that helps support the neck and back in ways a hotel or guestroom pillow can’t. You may also want to bring a favorite blanket or your comfiest pair of pajamas to replicate the experience of sleeping at home.
Plan time to rest during your vacation and travel
You may want to book events and tickets from before sunrise to late at night to maximize the time spent seeing new things in a new place, but be sure to pencil in some time for rest! You’ll want to plan so that you can have some early nights in or a few late wake-up calls so that you don’t get exhausted or burned out from your travel. If you can, plan to rest on the plane, train, or bus during your trip — this can be a great way to catch up on a bit of sleep!
If you’re changing time zones during your travel, jet lag can be tough to get through. But, if you plan ahead, it can have little to no impact on your sleep schedule. Read up on how to combat jet lag before you head out on your trip. For example, it may be worth it to sleep the whole time on the plane, arrive in the morning at your destination, and push through the day awake to kickstart your circadian rhythm into the right cycle.
When you can’t get on the right time zone or circadian rhythm, you may find your sleep pattern is off, and you may struggle to sleep at the appropriate time. Being able to get on the right time zone pattern is a key factor in how to sleep well while traveling!
Have a bedtime routine
This is one tip that will have to be set up before your trip, but it can definitely be a great help in setting your sleep schedule up for success. Before your travel, start setting a bedtime routine. This may be as simple as a shower just before bed, or it can be as elaborate as a full wind-down hour. This gets your mind into “sleep mode,” and your brain will start to associate the routine with sleep to shortly follow. This can help as you use it on your trip; as you perform the bedtime routine, your body will associate those motions with sleep and will help how well you sleep while traveling.
Use scents to trigger sleep
Essential oils or bed sheet mists are great at releasing calming chemicals or smells! A lavender pillow mist can help your mind relax and help you fall asleep. Make sure any bottles of liquid meet security requirements if you’re flying with only carry-on luggage!
Using scents is an easy tip that you can implement at home as well. As always, if you have questions about which essential oils to use or if pillow mists are right for you, or if you have any concerns like allergies, talk with your doctor.
Limit electronic use before bed
It’s the one we’ve all heard so many times before, but it’s true; put down the phones and electronics before bed! The blue light can impact your circadian rhythm, so putting down the devices can help you fall asleep and stay asleep better, and have more energy to tackle your itinerary for the next day.
These easy tips will help you learn how to sleep better while traveling. If you want more help on travel, check out these other blogs on how to travel with hearing loss, how to plan a cruise with hearing loss, and the benefits of a good night’s sleep.
