How to get a Good Night's Sleep when Traveling

Excerpt from Secrets of a Good Night's Sleep

Copyright ©, All Rights Reserved Dream Essentials 2015

Traveling can be one of the biggest hindrances to your regular sleep cycle. It doesn’t matter if you are traveling on business or for pleasure, the idea of sleeping in a place other than your own bedroom can seem like quite a challenge. This becomes worse, when the place you are staying in does not have a favorable sleeping environment.

According to a study conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, most of the 1,004 travelers who were surveyed agreed that their homes were much better when it came to getting some sleep. 62% of the people said that they preferred the pillows back home and 56% preferred their sheets. 55% felt that their mattresses were much better, while 59% stated that the major difference was that their sleeping environment back home felt much quieter.

However, there are a few ways to getting a good night's sleep when traveling and it would benefit you greatly to follow them.

If you are going to stay in a hotel, make sure you book the right room. Sometimes hotels can be the noisiest of places due to parties and other events that take place on a regular basis. Rooms located in the middle of the hallway are relatively quieter since they are away from facilities such as ice vending machines, housekeeping closets, and other areas known to be noisy. Also avoid rooms near pool areas as pool areas tend to be a gathering ground for people who are looking to socialize or have a party. Make sure your room is located at least 2 to 3 floors away from banquet halls, bars, or clubs. These places can get pretty loud and the sound can easily travel into your room if it is located too close.

Make sure you don’t forget to pack your sleeping necessities such as comfortable nightwear, ear plugs, and sleeping masks. They can be quite helpful in improving your quality of sleep while traveling. So, make sure they get in to your luggage somehow, even if it means squeezing them in.

All hotels follow a fixed schedule when it comes to services such as housekeeping. So, make sure you inform the staff about not being disturbed or at least hang the “Do Not Disturb” sign outside your door if you don’t want someone to wake you up in the middle of your sleep. Inform the front desk to avoid waking you up when there is a phone call. Tell them to take a message instead.

Avoid having rich or large meals before going to bed. The temptation to indulge in the local cuisine while traveling can be very strong, but keep that for the daytime. A light meal should suffice before bedtime. You can also try warm beverages such as chamomile tea as it is known to induce sleep. Avoid caffeine before bedtime at all costs.

If you have certain habits such as reading a book or listening to music before sleeping, do not avoid them when you’re traveling. Continue those habits even when traveling, as they will act as indicators for your brain and body to go to sleep.