14 Tips To Prevent Bad Sleep From Ruining Your Vacation
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Ah, vacation. The perfect time to catch up on rest, lounge by the pool, and finally fully relax and unwind. Right? Yet, it always becomes more difficult than expected to find (or make yourself prioritize) quality sleep. Who hasn’t returned home from vacation, only to feel utterly unprepared for work on Monday, and already in need of a vacation after “vacation?”
When you’re traveling, rest becomes one of the hardest activities to maximize and prioritize. Traveling introduces a whole multitude of ways to exhaust you. There are many moving parts, logistics to figure out, unexpected mishaps, foreign environments that could be difficult to relax in, and the overall lack of a reliable daily routine.
Here are some travel hacks when it comes to getting enough–if not better–sleep as you travel!
Kick FOMO and peer pressure to the curb, and don’t feel guilty for prioritizing sleep
You know the drill when you’re traveling: Your travel companions say, “Just one more drink. You’re on vacation...” with puppy dog eyes. Before you know it, it’s 2 am. Don’t feel guilty abiding by what you know you need; you should never feel guilty for taking responsibility for your health. More than likely, you’ll face increased FOMO or peer pressure, but remember that to have a quality vacation, you also need quality rest.
Catch quick naps whenever you have downtime
Use that precious transit time on planes, trains, and in the car to catch some nap time. Optimal napping lengths are about 30 minutes; longer than 60 minutes could end up leaving you feeling more tired. But being able to close your eyes–even for just a short period of time–can provide that boost of energy you needed (instead of smashing an energy drink).
Get natural light exposure during the day
Make sure that you are getting sunlight and spending time outside as you travel. There is a wealth of evidence that supports that exposure to the sun and natural elements will organically rejuvenate you and help you sleep better at night.
Adjust your sleeping patterns if your trip is longer than two days
If you are going to a different time zone for longer than two days, it could be worth it to start adjusting your sleep schedule (forward or backward, depending on your new destination). This will decrease jet lag symptoms and allow you to have a smoother transition when you touch down at your destination.
Limit your stress factors beforehand
Planning a travel itinerary before your trip will reduce any in-the-moment stress load. The fewer question marks you have, the more time that you’ll have to be fully present and relaxed. Go into the trip with research already under your belt, activities listed, lodging booked, and restaurant reservations made, instead of scrambling for last minute ideas and tickets. If your days are roughly planned, then you don’t have to stay up late and research on your phone what to do tomorrow.
Get daily movement in
Your routine is out of sync; your body and cycle are confused. Exercise and daily movement will help it adjust, improve your mood, reduce stress, and provide some normalcy to the day. Whether you are traveling for work or to a relaxed environment like a resort, working out may be the last thing on your mind. On the other hand, if you are traveling to an extremely active destination where surfing and hiking are some of the top activities to do there, then movement is built into the day. Either way, moving your body in some positive, constructive way will ensure deeper sleep when you finally lay down.
Don’t overbook your first few days of travel
Jet lag will be the worst off the bat. If you are coming in for a work conference or you have one main activity on your itinerary that you are most excited for, give yourself a grace period by scheduling your arrival one or two days before the most important piece of the trip. That way, you can be sure to have allotted warm-up time to adjust, find your way around town, and figure out logistics.
Accept that prioritizing your sleep time and space might be the more expensive option
If you're someone who needs sleep in order to function, it’s worth the few extra bucks to upgrade your sleeping location and timings. In the excitement stage of pre-travel planning, you often think that you can sacrifice quality sleep and cut corners for the sake of the budget. You may also think it's a good idea to tough out cheaper red-eye flights, overnight buses, cheap motels with uncomfortable beds, or 10-person co-ed hostel dorms with no privacy. However, the underlying cost could be arriving at your destination at 6 am, bleary-eyed and disheveled, a full day of activities ahead of you, when all you really want is a warm, quiet bed to drop into.
Make sure you are drinking and eating well
Whether you’re at home or traveling, your hydration and nutrition choices will play a critical role in how well you sleep and can largely impact how you feel over the course of your trip. Stay hydrated to stay healthy, and make smart meal choices to stay nourished. It’s difficult to prioritize this when on the road; people are throwing back caffeine and booze, letting good habits slip, and you may have limited access to nutritious food. Eating heavier meals and saying “yes” to too many treats is more common while traveling, but could also be negatively impacting your sleep quality.
Limit alcohol and caffeine consumption
One of the most repeated travel tips for wellness is watching your caffeine and alcohol intake. In addition to increasing anxiety, Both can negatively affect your sleep cycle. That’s not to say you should completely avoid them, but that over-splurge is common on vacation.
Follow a bedtime routine
While it doesn’t have to entirely follow your typical nighttime routine (or even resemble it), having some sort of process that brings your energy down and relaxes your mind and body before sleep will work wonders. Turning off your phone and electronics, as well as avoiding eating too close to bedtime are good rules to follow.
Know yourself and your limits
The best travel tip is knowing and actually following through with what is good for you. You know better than anyone else what you need. If halfway through the week, you are exhausted and struggling to maintain good energy and mood during the day, take a day off to fully relax. After all, traveling is supposed to be a positive, wonderful experience, and if you find that you’re not awake and energized enough to do that, then it’s better to stay in rather than “keep pushing.” Travel fatigue will hit you like a runaway train once you arrive back home if you don’t take care of yourself.
Have the right comfort items for you
Can’t sleep well on vacation? Here are the best sleep aids for travel to ensure a solid sleep.
Image: Amazon
Image: Amazon
Loop Ear Plugs
Jayine
Image: Amazon
Mini White Noise Machine
Babelio
Image: Amazon
Contoured Eye Mask
Albatross Health New England
More to consider:
Comfy clothes
A book or journal
App for meditation or podcasts
App for white noise