Overview

Traveling is a fun and exciting experience. It can help people learn more about themselves, while also learning cultures and customs of interesting places around the world. However, traveling can become quite exhausting, that is why you need to pair it up with good old-fashioned sleep. So, whether you are traveling for work or for leisure, here are 8 sleeping tips you need to know as a traveler.

1. Maintain a Bedtime Routine

Our bodies rely heavily on routine. That is especially true when it comes to sleep, which is why we always feel sleepy around the same time because our bodies are well-accustomed to it. So, if you have a bedtime routine in your home, bring it with you when you check into a hotel or bed and breakfast.

This may be hard to do if you’re travelling internationally. One good tried and tested travel tip for sleeping is during your first 24 hours in the country you’re visiting, set your smartphone’s clock settings to two time zones: your local time zone and the time zone of the country you’re visiting. This way, you can still keep track of the current time you’re in and your bedtime hours back home.

2. Buy or Bring Sleeping Accessories

Whether you are on a plane, train, bus, or boat, chances are you can experience a few disturbances during your travel. Whether it’s a baby crying, loud engine, or a talkative person behind or in front of you. So, before traveling, we recommend that you invest in a few sleep accessories, such as an eye mask, neck pillow, and noise cancelling headphones.

3. Bring Your Own Water

Staying hydrated is key to prevent grogginess and sleeplessness during long trips. It does not help that drinks, especially water, on flights, cruises, barges, etc., are quite expensive. That is why you always bring your own bottle of water during a trip. This can help you save money and stay hydrated as well.

4. Make the Hotel Room a Small Part of Home

Chances are, sleeping on the first night away from home might be difficult for some. Your body is still getting used to the new environment and won’t be able to fall asleep easily. That is why we suggest that you bring small items that you can fit in your bag and place it in your hotel room. This helps make it feel a little more like home.

5. Stay Active

It is vital that you take time off from your vacation or work to get exercise. Staying active during the day means you are more likely to sleep a lot faster during the night. Not only that, it can also help make your sleep better, according to this study .

6. If You’re Checking In, Choose Your Room Wisely

When you are leaving the comfort of your own home, it is essential that you find accommodation in the country you’re visiting that is also quite comfortable. You don’t want to live in a place that has a small and uncomfortable mattress, loud busy streets, and a room that many customer reviews say “has a funny smell”. Ensure that you find the right mattress when choosing the right size mattress . Also read customer reviews of the place you’re going to sleep.

7. Don’t Drink too Much

While it’s true that alcohol can help you fall asleep faster, it also decreases your REM sleep, according to research . This can disturb sleep, and, in fact, the research also states that people who drink before bed might experience insomnia while also feeling sleepy the next day. So, while it’s tempting to drink in a new place, keep it to a minimum.

8. Relax

On a long trip, there is always a delay or something like that, which can increase your stress levels. So, when you get to your room, pamper up! Take a nice long bath, get comfy on the bed, build a fortress of pillows, whatever it is that can help you relax, do it; more so if you are traveling for leisure. But even if you are traveling for work, always take time to relax and unwind.

Conclusion

If you are planning to go on a vacation or if you have a job that requires you to go out of town, always make sure that you have enough sleep. It can help you perform better during the day, as well as provide much needed energy to go out and explore. Bottomline is, when traveling, have fun, relax, but don’t forget to sleep.

Brett is a writer at ID-MAG . An enthusiast and expert when it comes to sleep products, Brett dedicates a lot of his time reading, researching, and reviewing about both traditional and emerging sleep brands that manufacture varied types of sleep products – from eco-mattresses, smart pillows to cooling sleep systems, Brett has probably reviewed them all. Brett also finds sleep especially important since he juggles a small business which he runs from home, makes sure he spends time with his daughter and he also writes during his spare time – you can definitely see that he needs a great forty winks all night, every night so he’ll make sure that you get great sleep, too!

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