No matter if you’re on a vacation trip or a business delegation, traveling is an incredible experience that allows you to see the wonders of the world, try exquisite local cuisine, and meet new people. Unfortunately, it can also wreak havoc on your circadian rhythm. Especially when you cross time zones, your body becomes confused and might have trouble falling asleep when the night comes, making you sleep-deprived and cranky.
Though you may have a carefully curated plan to enjoy your trip, your perpetual exhaustion can throw a wrench into the works and prevent you from making the most of the whole experience. To avoid such a situation, you need to have a game plan even before you arrive at your destination. Your strategy may include using sleep remedies, booking an appropriate room, avoiding caffeine, maintaining your sleeping routine, and using sleep accessories, among other things.
Struggling with falling asleep is pretty common while traveling, but you can follow some of the tips described below to ensure that you’ll have enough energy to make your trip unforgettable.
Take Sleep Remedies With You
One way to ensure you get enough sleep while traveling is to take a sleep remedy. Make sure to bring something you’ve tried, so you don’t have to worry whether it will work or not.
An excellent choice for those who want to fall asleep fast and wake up feeling refreshed, melatonin can be a real lifesaver when you’re on a business trip or vacation. It is a natural hormone that your body produces after it gets dark and acts on specific receptors to encourage sleep.
Using melatonin might be the best option for those who are sensitive to caffeine and other stimulants. Moreover, it might be a good idea to supplement it with natural sleep aids such as CBD. This way, you’ll be getting the benefits of both relaxation and better sleep quality. What’s great is that you can find a variety of different products, e.g., Kosher Blends best quality CBD edibles & tinctures, or even a ready-to-use mix of CBD oil and melatonin.
Maintain Your Regular Sleeping Ritual
One of the best ways to ensure that you’ll fall asleep quickly is to maintain your regular sleeping ritual even when you’re away from home. Your body is accustomed to your routine, and once your brain registers the usual pattern, it should react by getting ready to sleep.
If you usually read a book before going to bed, bring one with you so that you can continue doing what you do every night. Or, if you end each day with a hot bath, make sure you’ll be able to do that in the hotel. In this manner, you’ll set the tone for sleep, which should help you switch off once your head hits the pillow.
Keep Your Sleep Schedule Steady
With a schedule set in place, your body adheres to a routine and readies itself for sleep at specific hours. However, traveling can throw your sleep schedule off balance even if you work hard to maintain it. To prevent this from happening, it’s a good idea to get accustomed to the new time zone as soon as possible.
Though you might feel tempted to catch the zzz during the day, it might be better to wait until it’s your proper bedtime. Then, try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day. Of course, you might move them if the situation requires, but try to be more or less consistent.
Use Sleep Accessories
If you have trouble getting used to the new environment, using sleep accessories is a good idea. Things such as eye masks, earplugs, and white noise machines are portable tools that can help you fall asleep easier while traveling despite the possible disruptions.
For example, noise is one of the most common reasons why people have trouble falling asleep when they’re away from home. Even if you book a luxury suite in a prestigious hotel, there’s still a chance you’ll hear street noise or loud conversations from neighboring rooms. If that happens, use earplugs so you won’t be disturbed by the noise.
Choose Your Hotel Carefully
When you’re out of town, choosing the right hotel can make a lot of difference in how well you sleep. Though it might not be feasible for you to book a five-star luxury hotel for each trip, try to find a place that’s free from noise or isn’t super crowded. If possible, request a room that doesn’t face the street, so you don’t hear the bustle of the city.
Before booking your accommodation, you should check out the hotel website and read the reviews. Find out how comfortable the rooms are and how the guests usually behave. Additionally, you’ll want to know how the staff deals with noise complaints.
Don’t Eat Big Dinners
Being in a new place, it would be a waste not to indulge in the delicious local cuisine. And though it’s natural that you might stay out later than normal, it’s best to avoid eating large meals in the evening, as it can prevent you from falling asleep.
When you eat late at night, your stomach has to digest and metabolize the food, making part of your muscles work when they should be resting. As your body isn’t fully relaxed, you might have trouble falling asleep, or the quality of your rest may be diminished so that you feel tired the next day.
If you choose to dine in the evening, opt for lighter dishes that are less likely to disrupt your sleep, like salad, soup, or grilled fish. To ensure that your body gets enough nutrition, eat something nutritious and small earlier in the day. When it comes to beverages, opt for water instead of juice or soda.
Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol After Noon
Unless you desperately need caffeine to keep you awake in that particular moment, skip the coffee and other caffeinated beverages after noon. Coffee is a well-known stimulant that might make it harder for you to fall asleep at night if you consume it later during the day. Aside from the hours of tossing and turning, you may be restless in your sleep, and the deep phase may be short.
Similarly, you should be moderate with your alcohol consumption. Though it might initially help you black out, alcohol can seriously impede the quality of your rest as it keeps you in the lighter stages of sleep. With alcohol in your system, you may not sleep very deeply or for long enough to feel truly refreshed in the morning.
In Conclusion
Though traveling undoubtedly is one of the best ways to broaden your horizons and gain the necessary perspective, your sleep schedule can get completely out of whack. To ensure that you’ll have enough energy to enjoy every moment of your trip, you can use sleep remedies, maintain your regular sleeping routine, choose a hotel carefully, avoid caffeine, and keep your alcohol consumption moderate.
Use the tips above to make sure that you’ll have plenty of energy to have fun and explore the wonders of the world.