Colin Snow
Sleeping in a new place can be challenging due to the first-night effect, where our brains remain partially alert to safeguard us from potential dangers in unfamiliar surroundings. This protective mechanism can result in fitful sleep or even insomnia during the first night in a new location. However, you can employ various strategies to improve your sleep quality when away from home. Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and bedtime routine, minimizing caffeine and alcohol intake, and creating a relaxing sleep environment through the use of white noise, earplugs, or sleep masks can all contribute to a better night's rest. Additionally, bringing familiar items from home, such as your pillow or a sleep kit, can enhance comfort and familiarity, making it easier to fall asleep in a new place.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Natural instinct | The brain's natural instinct is to safeguard against potential dangers in a new environment. |
| Circadian rhythm | Exposure to sunlight, especially in the morning, can help regulate the body's circadian rhythm, promoting better sleep. |
| Sleep environment | Make the new sleep environment as familiar and comfortable as possible, reducing differences from your usual setup. |
| Sleep kit | Pack items that promote better sleep, such as a sleep mask, earplugs, white noise machine, and chamomile tea. |
| Sleep schedule | Maintain your regular sleep schedule, including bedtime and wake-up time, to reinforce your body's sleep-wake cycle. |
| Sleep routine | Stick to your usual bedtime routine, such as reading or meditation, to signal to your body that it's time to wind down. |
| Avoid stimulants | Refrain from consuming caffeine, alcohol, and heavy or spicy meals close to bedtime, as these can disrupt sleep. |
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What You'll Learn
Stick to your sleep schedule
Sticking to your sleep schedule is one of the most important ways to protect your sleep in a new place. When you follow a fixed sleep and wake-up time, you train your body to feel comfortable falling asleep at a particular time. A 2019 study found that regular sleepers had more sleep time, less difficulty falling asleep, and less daytime sleepiness compared to irregular sleepers.
If you usually go to bed at 9 pm and wake up at 6 am, try to stick to these times in your new location. It's also important to avoid caffeine, alcohol, and heavy or spicy meals around bedtime, as these can disrupt your sleep. The CDC recommends avoiding heavy or spicy meals three hours before bedtime and limiting caffeine, chocolate, and nicotine five or more hours before bedtime.
If you're travelling across time zones, it's especially important to stick to your sleep schedule as much as possible. This will help your body adjust to the new time zone more quickly. You can also try to gradually adjust your sleep schedule before your trip by going to bed and waking up slightly earlier or later each day, depending on the direction you're travelling.
In addition to maintaining your sleep schedule, there are other strategies you can use to improve your sleep in a new place. Creating a relaxing bedtime routine that includes activities such as reading, yoga, meditation, or taking a warm bath can help you feel grounded and relaxed before bed. Familiar scents, such as pillow mist, and sounds, such as listening to podcasts, can also increase your comfort and familiarity with the new environment.
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Avoid caffeine and alcohol
Caffeine and alcohol can negatively impact your sleep quality, especially when you're trying to sleep in a new place. When you're in a new environment, your brain is already predisposed to being extra vigilant and alert, scanning the unfamiliar surroundings for potential safety issues. Consuming caffeine, a stimulant, will only further aggravate your brain, making it even more alert and increasing the difficulty of falling and staying asleep.
It's important to be mindful of your caffeine intake throughout the day if you're aiming for a good night's rest in a new place. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends limiting caffeine, chocolate, and nicotine five or more hours before bedtime. It's best to avoid caffeinated drinks in the afternoon and evening and opt for caffeine-free alternatives like herbal tea or water.
Similarly, alcohol can disrupt your sleep patterns and hinder you from achieving deep, restorative sleep. Alcohol may make you feel drowsy and help you fall asleep initially, but it interferes with your sleep cycles, resulting in fragmented and low-quality sleep. The sedative effects of alcohol wear off after a few hours, leading to more frequent awakenings and lighter sleep.
To enhance your sleep quality in a new place, it's advisable to avoid consuming alcohol close to bedtime. Instead, opt for non-alcoholic beverages or herbal teas known for their calming properties, such as chamomile or lavender tea. Creating a sleep kit with chamomile tea can be a smart way to ensure you have the tools to calm your brain when trying to sleep in a new place.
By refraining from caffeine and alcohol, you can reduce the stimulation of your already alert brain and improve your chances of a restful night's sleep in a new environment.
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Create a familiar environment
Creating a familiar environment is key to getting a good night's sleep in a new place. This is because the brain's natural instinct is to safeguard against potential dangers in a new environment, which can make it difficult to sleep.
One way to create a familiar environment is to bring your own things from home. This could include your own pillow, a sleep mask, earplugs, or a small white noise machine. You can also download a free app to your tablet or smartphone that generates white noise or calming sounds such as ocean waves. If you have a particular scent that you find comforting, bringing a pillow mist or room spray can also help to create a familiar atmosphere.
Sticking to your usual sleep schedule and bedtime routine can also help to create a sense of familiarity. This includes maintaining the same sleep and wake times, as well as engaging in familiar bedtime activities that help your body wind down, such as reading, yoga, meditation, or having a warm bath.
Finally, spending a lot of time in the new room and getting comfortable there can also help to make it feel less unfamiliar. This could include watching TV, having a snack, or simply relaxing in bed before trying to sleep.
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Establish a bedtime routine
Establishing a bedtime routine is crucial for good sleep, especially in a new place. Our bodies function according to a natural circadian rhythm, and any disruption to our sleep-wake schedule can negatively impact our sleep.
- Stick to your sleep schedule: Maintaining a fixed sleep-wake time helps prime your body to feel comfortable falling asleep at a particular time. If you usually go to bed at 9 pm and wake up at 6 am, try to stick to this schedule even in a new place. A regular sleep schedule can improve sleep quality and make it easier to fall asleep.
- Consistency in pre-sleep rituals: Consistency is key when it comes to your pre-sleep rituals. This includes the time you brush your teeth, get into bed, and even the side of the bed you sleep on. Maintaining these familiar activities helps your body wind down and prepares your mind for sleep.
- Create a relaxing environment: Make your new sleep environment as comfortable and familiar as possible. Bring your own pillow, adjust the lighting, temperature, and bedding to match your preferences. Consider using a sleep mask, earplugs, or white noise to block out distractions and create a peaceful atmosphere.
- Avoid stimulants and heavy meals: Caffeine, alcohol, and heavy or spicy meals can disrupt your sleep. Avoid consuming these substances close to bedtime, and opt for calming activities like reading a book, doing yoga, or listening to soothing music instead.
- Sunlight exposure: Get some sunlight early in the day to trigger your brain to stay awake and alert. This will help regulate your body's internal clock and promote better sleep at night.
By following these tips and establishing a consistent bedtime routine, you can improve your sleep quality and ease the transition to sleeping in a new place.
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Use white noise or earplugs
The "first-night effect" is a phenomenon that occurs when you sleep in a new place, causing one side of your brain to remain alert and vigilant while the other side sleeps less lightly. This protective mechanism allows you to be more easily aroused in case of danger. As a result, you may experience reduced sleep quality or even insomnia.
One way to mitigate the first-night effect is to use white noise or earplugs to block out or drown out unfamiliar or unexpected noises. White noise machines or apps can generate soothing sounds, such as thunderstorms or ocean waves, that can help mask other sounds that might startle you awake. If you prefer silence, earplugs can be an effective way to block out noise and create a quieter environment.
If you're travelling, a small, portable white noise machine can be a worthwhile investment. Alternatively, there are free apps available for download that can generate white noise or calming sounds. If you're particularly sensitive to noise, you may want to consider the location of your accommodation in advance and choose a quieter neighbourhood.
In addition to using white noise or earplugs, there are other strategies you can employ to improve your sleep in a new place. Maintaining your regular sleep schedule and bedtime routine can help your body feel more comfortable and primed for sleep. Exposing yourself to sunlight during the day and keeping your room cool at night can also promote better sleep. Finally, bringing familiar items from home, such as your pillow or a sleep mist with a familiar scent, can increase your comfort and sense of familiarity in a new place.
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Frequently asked questions
The inability to sleep in a new place is known as the "first-night effect". Due to our brain's natural instinct, one side of our brain becomes extra alert to make sure we are in a safe sleep environment.
Stick to your sleep schedule and avoid caffeine, alcohol, and heavy or spicy meals close to bedtime. Try to engage in familiar bedtime activities that help your body wind down, such as yoga, meditation, or reading a book.
Try to spend a lot of time in the new room and bring your own things from home so it doesn't feel so unfamiliar. You can also use a familiar scent, such as pillow mist, to trick your mind into thinking you're still at home.
A sleep kit can include a portable white noise machine, a sleep mask, earplugs, and chamomile tea.
During the first night in a new place, about half of the brain goes fully asleep, while the other half remains alert and scans the environment for safety issues. This phenomenon is similar to how birds can switch off half their brains when they sleep.
