This post will actually be a combination of both topics I write about – travel and my health journey. As travel agents we travel more than the average person, often driving
or flying somewhere different each month, going to see the kids, and occasionally even going back to some of the places we have learned to love. Some of those are just day trips while others can last a few weeks.
While seeing new and different places is wonderful, it always brings into sharp focus one of my major issues – sleep. For those of us that have trouble sleeping, either getting to sleep or staying asleep, routine is an important part to getting the rest our body needs to heal. Here are some suggestions that might help you to sleep better while traveling.
Stay with your routine.
If you have a routine at home for sleeping, you should try to stay as close to that as possible. Your routine may include a bath, mediation, a movement activity, a cup of calming tea, melatonin, or almost anything that works for you. Yes, you may be in a different time zone which complicates your routine – but if possible stay with what you know. You may need to pack your favorite tea or find a quiet place for your Tai Chi or yoga when you arrive. But since routines help us to do what we want to do (including get some sleep), putting in the effort is worth it.
Bring something from home that tells your body and mind it’s okay to get some rest.
I know this may sound a little like Linus from the old Peanuts/Charlie Brown comic strip, but it can really work. That something may be a pillow, blanket, favorite pajamas, etc. If you think back about you, your child, or someone else you know; when they were younger did they have a favorite thing they couldn’t sleep without?
For me, when I was two or three, it was a stuffed bear. Mom saved it and now it sits on a shelf in our home. Mom told me that I used to lay in bed and roll the bear’s ear back and forth until now there is hardly anything left of the bear’s ears. OK, too much information but I think you get my point.
We have subconscious ties to things in out lives and perhaps there is something in yours that you associate with sleep. Is that something like that you could take with you on a trip? Yes, you don’t want to take anything that is valuable, either financially or emotionally, but you might have something that could help you sleep but not be a tragedy if you lost it.
Caution: as disgusting as this may sound, one of the things to worry about when traveling is bed bugs. Soft things you travel with can be susceptible to picking up bed bugs so take appropriate care to not bring the little buggers home with you.
Take a portable sound machine.
When we travel, often there are noise/sounds that we are not used to. When my wife used to travel to do training, her noise machine was the TV. It helped to cover the new and different sounds that she got being in a new city and hotel every day or two.
Generally, using a TV or phone to fall asleep isn’t a good idea because the blue screens can interfere with natural melatonin production. Also, there can be a temptation to get involved in whatever is on. But back in the day there weren’t the portable white noise machines we have available today.
Sound machines today can be very compact and so easy to travel with and come in a variety of price points depending on the features you want. Some only have white noise while others will have a variety of different “colors” of sound. (More on that in a future post. Some run all night, some can be set to run for specific durations.
Caution: most sound machines have lithium batteries and so can’t be placed in your checked luggage when flying. All devices with lithium batteries have to be in your carry on bags.
Keep it cool.
Temperature control seems to be one of the hardest things to get right when traveling. Unfortunately, temperature has a lot to do with getting to and staying asleep. When you first arrive at your destination you are probably tired and hungry. Yes those needs have to be addressed, but make sure you also figure out the heating/cooling situation while you are still aware enough to figure out a different system
It seems that every HVAC system has its own quirks. Most hotel units are mounted under a window. In the old days all the controls were inside that unit. Now many of the units are still under the window but the controls are across the room. I have also seen the controls in something that looks like a TV remote. It’s bad enough trying to find and figure out how to set the temperature you want at 5 or 6 or 7 when you arrive. Imagine trying to do it at 11 or 12 after you have had a few liquid refreshments.
If you just can’t figure it out, call the front desk or message your host. A bad night’s sleep can ruin your whole next day.
Caution: You may find an occasional hotel or rental thermostat that has timings – one setting for day and another for night. Regardless of the system where you are staying, spend a little time with it so you can get the rest you need.