Hard beds, different pillows, new surroundings. These can all make it difficult to have a good night’s sleep while traveling. Whether flying to Europe or taking a road-trip across America, there are some things you can do that will help you sleep well while traveling. To help you be at your best and get the most out of your trip, we have compiled these tips and tricks to help you sleep better while traveling.
10 Tips to Get the Sleep You Need
1. Continue Bedtime Routines
Keeping routines is essential to telling your body it is time to sleep. Do you usually get a shower at night? Do this on your trip. Are the kids used to a bedtime story before falling asleep? Bring a book to read to them, or make up a new story. Avoid technology and dim the lights at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
2. Go to Sleep at Your Normal Time
Throughout your trip, try to go to bed and wake up at your normal times. If you normally go to sleep at 10:00 p.m., try to go to sleep at 10:00 p.m. local time to quickly get your body back in its normal rhythm.
3. Use Essential Oils for Improved Sleep
Many scientific studies have shown that aromatherapy improves sleep quality. Lavender oil is among the top essential oils used for better sleep. Other essential oils to try are Roman Chamomile, which has a light flowery scent, and Marjoram. You can apply the oil directly to your skin, or place a few drops on your pillow.
4. If You Are on a Road Trip, Bring Your Own Pillow
Nothing says comfort like your pillow from home. Of course, bringing a pillow along isn’t practical if you are trying to pack light for an airplane trip. But, if you are on a road trip you have enough space to pack your own pillow.
5. Avoid Jet Lag When Flying
When traveling across multiple time zones, you will likely experience jet lag. One way to alleviate this is to stay busy and keep yourself awake until evening (in the local time). The day you arrive, your body will tell you to go take a nap. DON’T. If you do this, you are setting yourself up for tougher days ahead. Stay awake until at least 7:00 p.m. on the first night. For more ways to avoid jet lag, read our article here…
6. Drink Plenty of Water
Most people are more active on a trip than at home — all that sight seeing keeps you walking more than you realize. Make sure to drink a lot of water. Staying hydrated throughout the day will help you feel better at night. Any chance you have during the day, drink water…even while enjoying your morning cappuccino and cornetto.
7. Shut out Unwanted Light
A big disruption to getting a good night’s sleep is light. It can be a night-time street light or the early morning sun shining in your window. Carry a large binder clip with you to keep the draperies closed. Or wear an eye mask to block this light.
8. Use a White Noise App and/or Earplugs
Horns beeping late into the night in New York City, early morning garbage trucks picking up Tokyo’s trash, and even birds chirping in Segovia can wreak havoc on a good nights sleep. Bring earplugs to muffle the noise, turn on the ceiling fan or use a white noise app to mask the sounds.
9. Control the Temperature in the Room
According to Sleep.org, the ideal temperature for sleep is between 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit.
When lying in bed trying to snooze, your body temperature decreases to initiate sleep—and the proposed temperatures above can actually help facilitate this. If your room is cool, rather than warm, it will be much easier to shut your eyes for the night.
— Sleep.org
10. Read Reviews to Check the Bed Comfort
In our 19+ years of traveling, we’ve slept on all sorts of mattresses. The comfort runs from the most comfortable bed to the hardest bed we’ve ever slept on. It’s a good idea to read reviews to check on the comfort of the bed, especially if you are staying longer than three nights in one spot. The most uncomfortable bed we ever slept in was in Siena, Italy. Luckily, we were only staying two nights; and when we had views like this, we really couldn’t complain!
You have precious little time when you are traveling and you want to be at your freshest and most awake. Follow these tips to get the good night’s sleep you need.
Let us know in the comments below if you have any tips we missed.
Pin for Later…
[…] An eye mask is essential and makes a great gift for travelers. It is helpful to have an eye mask on the plane. This helps to ward off the cabin lights, but also to help sleep when it is still daylight. When you are in your hotel room or Airbnb, an eyemask is helpful to block out streetlights, or early morning sun. For more tips on sleeping while traveling, read our article here. […]