Ashwin Lewis
Sleeping in a new environment can be challenging, with unfamiliar surroundings keeping you from a good night's rest. This phenomenon is known as the first-night effect, where a new environment causes sleep problems due to shorter sleep time and other issues. However, there are ways to improve your sleep when you're away from home. From bringing familiar items like your pillow or a favourite blanket to creating a soothing atmosphere with lavender sprays or white noise, you can make your temporary space more comfortable. Additionally, maintaining a consistent bedtime routine and exposing yourself to natural light during the day can help regulate your sleep patterns. With a few simple tips, you can transform any new place into a restful haven, ensuring you wake up refreshed and ready to take on the world.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Adjust to the new time zone gradually | Use an app like Timeshifter or move your bedtime and wake time by 15-minute increments |
| Make your "home away from home" feel familiar | Bring your favourite pillow, blanket, pillowcase, or a familiar scent |
| Choose the right room | Opt for a high-up room, away from the elevator, and facing away from the sun |
| Block out light | Use a sleep mask, roll up a towel to block light from the hallway, or download a white noise app |
| Reduce noise | Use earplugs, a white noise machine, or a mini fan |
| Maintain your bedtime routine | Stick to your pre-bed rituals, such as watching TV or listening to music |
| Get extra sleep beforehand | Practice "sleep banking" by logging extra sleep in the days leading up to your trip |
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What You'll Learn
- Pack items that help you sleep at home, such as a pillow, blanket or eye mask
- Request a quiet hotel room, away from elevators and upper floors
- Expose yourself to sunlight during the day to help you sleep at night
- Maintain your bedtime routine and adapt it to your new environment
- Reduce jet lag by adjusting to your new time zone before you leave
Pack items that help you sleep at home, such as a pillow, blanket or eye mask
Packing items that help you sleep at home can be a great way to improve your sleep when you're away. This could include your favourite pillow, a pillowcase, or a blanket. A familiar scent can also help you sleep in a new environment, so you could spritz your pillow with lavender spray or your favourite scent. If your pillow is unfamiliar, you could bring your own pillowcase to make it feel more like home.
If you have extra space, you could also consider packing a mini fan or a white noise machine to help you sleep. Alternatively, you can download a white noise app on your phone. If you require absolute silence, earplugs can also be useful.
If you're someone who sleeps with an eye mask, be sure to bring that with you. There are many different types of eye masks, from fluffy ones to blackout ones, so it's worth researching which one will make you feel the most comfortable.
If you have any other items that you use for your sleep health, such as a bite guard or a CPAP mask, be sure to bring those with you as well.
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Request a quiet hotel room, away from elevators and upper floors
When you're away from home, it can be challenging to sleep in a new environment. This is because a new space disrupts your sleep routine, and factors such as new bedding, smells, sounds, and lighting can affect your sleep quality. One way to improve your sleep when away from home is to request a quiet hotel room, away from elevators and upper floors. Here are some tips to help you achieve this:
Request a Quiet Hotel Room
When booking your hotel room, it is essential to consider the location within the building. Rooms on lower floors or close to elevators tend to be noisier due to guest foot traffic. To ensure a quieter stay, request a room on an upper floor, away from the elevator. This will reduce the amount of noise from other guests walking by or moving around in their rooms.
Deal with Street Noise
Even on upper floors, street noise can still be a factor. To minimise this, consider requesting a room that doesn't face a busy street. Some hotels may offer interior rooms that don't have windows, which can be ideal for light sleepers. If an interior room is not available, ask for a room facing a quieter side street or a courtyard.
Be Mindful of Sunlight
Sunlight is another critical factor in getting a good night's sleep. When booking your room, request one that doesn't face east. This will prevent early morning sunlight from disrupting your sleep. Darkness is crucial for sleeping well, so consider bringing tools like a sleep mask or blackout curtains to block out any unwanted light.
Use White Noise
If you're staying in a busy hotel or a noisy area, consider using white noise to create a quieter environment. You can bring a small fan or download a white noise app on your phone. White noise can help block out unwanted sounds and create a more peaceful atmosphere conducive to sleep.
Bring Familiar Items
To make your hotel room feel more like home, consider bringing some familiar items from your bedroom. This could include your favourite pillow, blanket, or pillowcase. Having these familiar items can provide a sense of comfort and help you relax and fall asleep more easily.
By following these tips and requesting a quiet hotel room away from elevators and upper floors, you can significantly improve your sleep quality when away from home. A good night's rest will leave you feeling refreshed and energised for your travels or work commitments.
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Expose yourself to sunlight during the day to help you sleep at night
Sunlight is a key factor in getting a good night's sleep when you're away from home. Our circadian rhythms, which regulate our sleep-wake cycles, are influenced by daylight. So, getting plenty of sunshine during the day will help you sleep better at night.
Try to spend at least 30 minutes a day outside in natural sunlight. Sleep experts recommend an hour of morning sunlight if you have insomnia. Even a quick step outside for some fresh air will revive your senses. Research has shown that exposure to morning natural light is linked to better sleep at night. It also helps ward off depression and stress, which might accompany the realization that you slept poorly the night before.
If you're in a hotel, request a room that doesn't face east so that you don't have the sun pouring into your window first thing in the morning. Darkness is critical for sleeping well, and hotel rooms often have lots of stray light. Alternatively, if you're staying somewhere with lots of natural light, bring an eye mask to block out the light when it's time for bed.
If you're in a new time zone, try to eat your meals according to local times. This will help your body adjust to the new time zone and improve your sleep.
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Maintain your bedtime routine and adapt it to your new environment
Maintaining your bedtime routine when you're away from home is a great way to ensure you get a good night's sleep. However, it's important to adapt your routine to your new environment.
If you're travelling through time zones, it's a good idea to adjust to your new time zone gradually before you leave home. You can do this by moving your bedtime and wake-up time by 15-minute increments toward the time zone of your destination in the days leading up to your trip. Alternatively, you can use an app like Timeshifter, which will provide a personalised jet lag prevention plan.
When you're away from home, it's a good idea to bring some of your home sleep setup with you. This could include your favourite pillow, blanket, or pillowcase. A familiar scent can also help you drift off to sleep in a new environment. If your bedroom at home smells like lavender, for example, spritz some lavender spray on your linens.
If you usually watch Netflix for two hours before bed or listen to a sleep playlist, make sure you can do the same when you're away. If you're going somewhere without internet access, pre-download some movies or TV shows onto your phone, laptop, or tablet.
If you're staying in a hotel, it's worth requesting a room that meets your needs. If you prefer a quiet bedroom, ask for a room on a higher floor, away from the elevator. If you want to avoid the sun pouring into your room in the morning, request a room that doesn't face eastward.
By maintaining your bedtime routine and making some adaptations to your new environment, you'll be well on your way to a good night's sleep, even when you're away from home.
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Reduce jet lag by adjusting to your new time zone before you leave
Jet lag can be a nuisance and even ruin your trip, so it's important to prepare your body for the change to reduce its impact. The key to reducing jet lag is to adjust to your new time zone before you leave. This can be done gradually by moving your bedtime and wake-up time by 15-minute increments toward the time zone of your destination in the days leading up to your trip. This is known as "sleep banking" and can help you deal with sleep deprivation and reduce anxiety.
There are also apps like Timeshifter, which provide a personalized jet lag prevention plan. These apps can tell you when to have caffeine, take melatonin, wake up, and go to bed before you travel. By following these schedules, you can help your body adjust to the new time zone before you arrive at your destination.
Additionally, when you arrive at your destination, update your clocks and watches to the local time as soon as possible. This includes any technology that might not have automatically updated. Exposing yourself to sunlight at the right times can also help your body adjust. If you're travelling east, for example, try to avoid bright light until the time your body would usually be awake. Consider wearing dark glasses until then.
Making your new environment feel more familiar can also help you sleep better. Bring some of your bedtime essentials, such as your favourite pillow or a familiar scent, to trick your brain into feeling like you're at home. These small adjustments can make a big difference in reducing jet lag and improving your sleep when travelling to a new time zone.
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Frequently asked questions
There are a few things you can do to improve your sleep when you're away from home. Firstly, try to make your new environment feel more familiar by bringing your favourite pillow, blanket, or pillowcase. You could also spritz your pillow with a familiar scent, such as lavender. Secondly, if you're travelling through time zones, try to adjust to your new time zone gradually before you leave. You can do this by moving your bedtime and wake time by 15-minute increments towards the time zone of your destination. Thirdly, reduce noise and light by asking for a quiet room in a hotel that is high up and away from the elevator. Finally, try to stick to your usual bedtime routine and sleep schedule as much as possible.
The first night of trying to sleep away from home can be particularly difficult due to a phenomenon known as the "first-night effect". This occurs because the unfamiliar environment causes half of your brain to stay on guard throughout the night, resulting in shorter sleep time and other problems.
To reduce jet lag, try to get plenty of sunshine during the day. Exposing yourself to bright sunlight in the morning and throughout the day will help to re-synchronize your circadian rhythm. You can also use an app, such as Timeshifter, which will provide a personalized jet-lag-prevention plan based on your destination.
If you're staying somewhere particularly noisy or bright, you can use earplugs and an eye mask to block out the noise and light. You can also download a white noise app on your phone or bring a small fan to drown out the noise.
