If you’re away from your regular bed, even if you’re staying at your partner’s house, or you’ve gone away with the family somewhere, it can throw your regular sleep routine off. It’s not uncommon to find it tricky to slide off into perfect slumber.
Fear not, because, with these tips, you will be able to sleep well no matter where you are!
Don’t expect each point to work 100% of the time for you; you might find certain ones work better, but just let the trial and error process take its course.
There’s an app for that!
When you aren’t in your own bed, things feel strange; the sounds aren’t the same, and neither is the lighting or the smells. Why not give your brain and body some normality by taking some earplugs, a sleep mask, and a white noise app on your phone.
By adopting this triumphant trio when it’s time to get some sleep, no matter where you are, you’ll get to sleep just as you would when you’re tucked up in your own bed. You might find that you don’t need all three, but this combination’s been proven to provide a level of relaxation that’s needed to drift into non-REM sleep.
Remember, it’s the 21st century, so a face mask is perfectly acceptable for everyone and everyone!
Try Sleep Banking
This isn’t actually the most well-recognized method of finding sleep no matter your location, but it’s a strategy that could well work wonders when you need to rely on it the most. There’s every chance that you will be sharing this one with your friends!
If you’re staying away from the sanctuary of your bedroom for a while, the chances are that you’re likely to be guaranteed to have some a certain level of sleep disruption. Being tired means that you could jeopardize the reason that you are away, but here’s where sleep banking comes in to prevent this from happening.
The clue is in the name; you literally have to ‘bank’ an additional thirty minutes to an hour of sleep for around three nights and voila, you will have set yourself up to overcome any potential sleep deprivation that could have been ready to interrupt your inertia.
Let’s be honest, who wouldn’t fancy preparing for something by adding more sleep to their routine?
Let the pillow be the savior
There’s a lot to be said about pillows, and therefore, when you go away, it’s a great idea to take one of your favorite pillows you prefer to sleep with most and take it to wherever you are going too.
There’s an additional beneficial reason to do this because it’s not simply a useful way to help you get to sleep, you can also use your pillow to nuzzle into and nap with as you travel to your destination (if you’re not driving).
As you’ll no doubt be aware, no two pillows are the same. You really only have to think about your own pillows (it’s okay to admit that you have a favorite) and realize that there are preferences people have.
Preferences can come in the form of the size of a pillow, its firmness and the materials used for the filling, so why would anyone want to risk having to deal with pillows that don’t meet the necessary requirements?
It’s such a simple thing to do in bringing your own pillow, and this is a cost-effective way to help ensure sound sleep is achieved, no matter where you lay your head.
Recognize your routine
Habit is essential, and this is where sleeping away from home can it a little trickier. Your routine is thrown out, but don’t let this deter you at all.
As we’ve mentioned so far in this article, there are some things that you can do to bring normality to your sleep while you’re away from home. Take advantage of small measures that might trigger the brain into thinking there is regularity and it becomes easier to get some sleep, regardless of where you are.
For example, try getting the lights down low and into an ambient setting well before you head for the Land of Nod. Obviously, this can be slightly more difficult if you have gone on a camping weekend, but it’ll work almost anywhere else!
Artificial light from smartphones, etc., should be avoided – and this includes slipping under the sheets to get comfy before editing pictures for Instagram!
If you take a warm shower usually, then aim to take one of those too; it’s all about routine, after all, and they’re relaxing, so it’s a win-win.
These pointers are sure to lead you in the right direction when it comes to catching some Z’s before your head hits the pillow… Enjoy!
Thanks to Sarah Cummings of SleepAdvisor.org for this guest post and photo