Traveling can be fun and exciting. It is a great way to explore the world, learn about new and different cultures, and open your mind to new possibilities. But despite the fun, being away from home can impact your sleep routine.
Below are several tips on how to make the most out of your travel experience by ensuring you get a great night’s sleep while on the road.
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Turn down the lighting to turn up the sleep quality – Light can have a big impact on your ability to sleep. Whether you’re staying in a five-star resort, bunking in a camper, or couch surfing in a friend’s living room, being able to control the amount of light that is in the room is essential to regulating your senses and getting the right amount of shut eye. When traveling, you can’t pack blackout curtains or ensure the room will be optimally dim, so we recommend not leaving home without a high-quality eye mask.
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The sound of silence – When traveling, the hustle and bustle of the city or the utter quietness of the great outdoors can both be welcome changes and sensory symphonies during the day, but when trying to go to sleep, different sound environments can be difficult to adapt to. When traveling, we recommend taking a small fan or white noise machine to help drown out ambient noise that could prevent you from catching ZZZ’s.
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The tools of the trade – The right pillow is a traveler’s best friend. You don’t want to get stuck having to sleep on a deflated worn pillow from yesteryear or worse yet, a sweatshirt bundled into a ball. Ideally you would take your personal pillow, but when traveling, packing space is at a premium. To have the best of both worlds, we recommend a compact high-quality travel pillow. The right travel pillow is a multitasker that is at home in an airplane, in a hotel room, or camping in the great outdoors. A small, high-quality pillow will ensure you can take a luxurious, restful night sleep with you wherever you go. From a red-eye flight cross country, to getting some shut eye after a day of hiking, a travel pillow is a must-have travel accessory for the frequent road warrior or weekend wanderer.
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Maintain a schedule – When traveling it is easy to get off schedule since you are in a new environment and want to get the most out of your time in the foreign place. But getting off schedule can inhibit your ability to enjoy the rest of your trip as it can interrupt your sleep schedule and cause drowsiness and mental fog. To maintain your natural sleep cycle and the rhythms of your body, continue to wake-up and go-to-bed at the same time. This will keep your body in sync with its natural circadian rhythms and ensure you are well rested and ready for any adventure while on your trip.
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Work out to conk out – Working out in the day can help you conk out at night. Exercise helps maintain a healthy body, mind, and sleep schedule. If you’re going to exercise, make sure to do so early enough in the day for your heart rate to return to normal and for your body to begin to calm down prior to going to bed. Working out directly before going to bed can make it difficult to fall asleep as exercise stimulates the system.
- Fuel up without over doing it – One of the greatest things about travel is breaking bread as you try new dishes from the local culinary scene. Practicing moderation at both the table and bar can help ensure your ability to get a good night’s sleep. Overdoing it at dinner with high-fat, greasy, spicy, or other foods that you’re not used to, can upset the digestive process and create issues when trying to go to sleep. Likewise, overindulging at the bar can impair your system and result in shallow, restless sleep.
Get out and enjoy the great big world we live in! From traveling with friends and family, to exploring alone, travel can teach us a lot. Be sure to get the most out of your travel by maintaining a healthy sleep schedule. Here’s to a great night’s sleep – at home and on the road!
Updated Links August 3, 2022
