I posted this post a couple of months ago, explaining that I’m the lightest sleeper in the world. As a traveller, it’s not always a case of staying in luxury five star hotels with no noise and lovely air con, so I need to prepare for a bad night’s sleep in advance.
I’ve definitely got used to packing everything I need, and so I wanted to share what I’ve learnt with you, so that you can sleep better whilst you travel.
Sleep whenever you can. Really. Even if you’re taking a 2-hour shuttle bus, try and fit in an hour. It’s not essential if you’re travelling to your next resort, and can easily check in and have a snooze when you’re there. But if you’re taking a bus, then an aeroplane, and then another bus, you should try and fit in a short nap when you can. Those electric beds for elderly people sound like a dream when your bus seat only moves backwards about 2 inches.
Pack your earplugs. Anyone else slept on an overnight train before? *Puts hand in air*. They can be the most horrific of journeys. Despite being called an ‘overnight’ train, lots of people don’t actually sleep, and proceed to make lots of noise so you don’t either. Take some earplugs to block out unwanted noises, and pack extra clothes. Overnight trains have a reputation for having a climate similar to that of Antarctica. An eyemask might be handy too. Sometimes on buses, they leave the lights on all night. If you can’t sleep unless it’s pitch black, take a mask to block out the light.
Adjust to the new time zone as quickly as possible. When you arrive in a new place, it can be very tempting to check into your hotel, and go for a quick power nap in the afternoon to shake off the exhaustion. This will only confuse your body, and it needs to adjust to the new time. Try and fill your first day with lots to do, so you forget to feel tired. You can then crash in your hotel at 9/10pm and you’ll hopefully sleep through the night.
Take objects from home to help you sleep. We all have our favourite pyjamas, socks, or pillows that help us sleep. Whilst I wouldn’t advise packing a full-sized pillow into your flight luggage, it can be nice to take things with you that remind you of home. Maybe a candle that you like the scent of, or a pair of pyjamas. You’ll be amazed how much faster you’ll relax and fall asleep.
Update your iPod before you go. I like listening to music before I go to sleep, usually music without words, so film soundtracks. Some people need some kind of white noise, or wave noises to drift off more easily. Again, if you do this at home, it’ll help you adjust quicker. It will also block out the sounds of noisy guests arriving back at 4am, or blaring horns from the traffic outside.
Stick to your standard routine. Do you normally have a workout, a shower, and then go to bed? Or perhaps you grab a cuppa and read a book for an hour. Whatever your bedtime routine is, you need to stick to it. It’ll settle you much faster, and you’ll fall asleep more quickly.
So those are my top tips for sleeping when you’re travelling. There are so many factors that can stop you from having a good night’s sleep, such as light, noise, and time zones.
Do you have any tips that have been a godsend for when you’ve been travelling? I’d love to add them to my list!
