Sleep and travel don’t really go well together. Life on the road can be quite taxing and exhausting, especially if you’re traveling for work or business. It’s an entirely different ballgame if you’re on vacation as that is considered rest in itself but business trips definitely take their toll on a person’s body.
When you’re away from home and you’re missing out on your typical comfort sleeping systems and environment, how can you ensure that you still get a good night’s sleep every night you’re away? Here are a few tips that you can try out on your next trip:
1. Give much thought to the hotel room that you will book
When most folks travel, they usually look for accommodations that are comfortable and affordable. But beyond these two, you should give careful thought to the room you are booking. Ask for a room that’s quiet and away from any noisy surroundings. This means staying away from lower floors with windows that are not facing any major thoroughfares.
2. Sleep strategically and make adjustments a few days before the trip
When you have a scheduled trip coming up, try to adjust your sleeping hours accordingly a few days before the actual trip. Depending on which time zone you will be in, start sleeping earlier or later as needed. Take it one day at a time. Let’s say, sleep earlier (or later) one hour on the first day, then add another hour to that on the second day, and so on. This will help your body clock become adjusted to your destination’s local time which does away with jet lag or at least, minimizes it.
3. Adapt to your destination’s local schedule
When you make it to your destination, do your best to follow their local time on the very first day. If you’re going to a place where folks are up and about when you arrive, that’s what you would want to follow. Try to get as much sleep on the plane as you can. If you’re getting to your destination at night, do your best to stay awake during the entire plane ride and sleep when you get to your hotel room.
4. Personalize your hotel room
Sometimes people find it hard to sleep soundly when they’re away because their bodies are looking for the familiar things of their personal sleeping spaces. One way to remedy this is to bring something with you to remind you of home. Perhaps it’s a picture of your family or your personal alarm clock or your trusty old pajamas. Anything that makes you feel at home can help you get a better good night’s sleep even if you’re far away.
5. Take some time to pamper yourself
When you’re on the road for business, you know how much beating your body gets with all the running around and talking to people. It can be quite exhausting. So do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a nice massage. It will help relieve you of stress and take some tension off allowing you to relax and recover from a hard day at work.
6. Drink lots of water
One of the main causes of fatigue during travel is dehydration so make sure that you drink as much water as you can. Especially when you’re taking the plane as plane cabins can become quite dry in mid-air. So drink water before, during, and after your flight.
7. Exercise and get that body moving
Frequent flyers say that when you’re away from home and there’s a slight time differential, it helps if you set the alarm to wake you up early and get some exercise to jumpstart your brain and body. Exercise increases your body’s temperature which is very helpful in triggering your circadian rhythm.
The ability to get good quality sleep whenever you travel is crucial in keeping your health in tip-top shape as you take on the stress and exhaustion caused by life on the road. While there are a lot of things beyond your control when you’re out and about, your sleeping environment and routines are within your grasp. Work with what you can control and keep yourself healthy at all times, even when you’re away from home.
