Whether it’s staying near the in-laws for the weekend or traveling for work, trying to sleep in a bed that’s foreign to you is challenging.
Not sleeping well can cause you to struggle the following day, so it’s best to use effective strategies to manage the situation.
Here are 5 sleep tips for getting great sleep away from home.
Maintain the Same Nighttime Routine
Being away from home can mean eating different foods in new places, reading more instead of watching Netflix, and messing up your evening routine. Don’t allow that to happen.
While your day and evening may be filled with different activities because you’re with other people or don’t have access to what’s at home, don’t lose yourself in that. Ensure that you stick to an already established nighttime routine.
Prepare yourself for bedtime a little while before going to bed. Also, go to bed at the regular time wherever possible. Schedule meetings to end earlier or leave the in-laws with sufficient time to ensure your head hits the pillow when your body expects to do so.
Book a Quieter Hotel Room
Some hotel rooms are noisier than others. If you’re a notoriously light sleeper, this can be a problem. While you cannot necessarily do much about thin walls and neighbors who aren’t as quiet as you’d like, other proactive steps prove helpful.
Book directly with the hotel rather than using an online booking app. This way, you can talk with them about where it’s the quietest on a floor with rooms available.
Secure a hotel room away from an audible ping… of the elevator door as it opens.
Also, if external washrooms are provided or stair access, get a room some distance from both. This avoids hearing foot traffic in the late evening. Additionally, ask what side is the noisiest for road traffic and choose a room on the opposite side of the hotel.
Consume a Nighttime Drink
Consuming a sleep drink can be advantageous to a restful sleep when sleeping in a new bed.
Getting off to sleep is one thing, but feeling rested by the morning is another. A nighttime drink that provides minerals to encourage restful sleep will help you to doze off sooner and sleep well through the night.
Ensure It’s Dark Enough to Sleep Well
Some hotel rooms are bright and designed that way. However, if the blinds aren’t that effective or the curtains aren’t thick, then the sun may reach your bed too early in the morning. Then you’ll wake up before your time.
Check that the hotel room has window coverings that block out enough light. If you’re worried about it, bringing drapes or blackout curtains in your car that can clip onto existing window decorations to blanket your hotel room in darkness overnight.
Try to Relax More
The first night’s sleep in a hotel or away from home is difficult, usually because you’re unsure of your surroundings. Nevertheless, this will ease by the second night.
Staying in a higher-quality hotel with better card key security is reassuring. When all guests are confirmed in the reception area and don’t have a security card to access the upper floors, then it’ll feel safer right away.
As well as staying in a safer hotel, also think about listening to calming music or something else that can ease the tension away. Getting to sleep is hard enough in an unfamiliar bed, but when you’re stressed, it’s doubly so.
Lastly, don’t forget your earplugs and a sleep mask; they can block out remaining sounds and light sources. And if you cannot sleep with lumpy pillows, pack your own to bring something familiar into your hotel room.
