Vacation time is meant for recharging and refreshing your body, but if you’re unable to sleep while you’re away from home, you may end up less refreshed than if you’d never left home. While some people can sleep anywhere, most people have at least a little trouble sleeping away from their own beds. Fortunately, the sleep professionals at Queensway Mattress can give you suggestions on how to find those ZZs when you’re on vacation.

Set a Sleep Routine Before You Leave

Sleep experts recommend that you have a sleep routine in your regular life, but it’s even more important for when you’re on vacation. This is because your body will tell you when it’s ready to sleep and this is beneficial when you’re trying to sleep in a new place. Identify a set of relaxing activities that you do before getting into bed. They might include a bath or warm shower, deep breathing, reading a book (not an ebook), listening to relaxing music, and drinking a warm cup of decaffeinated tea.

When you are in a new place, even if it’s in a different time zone, as soon as you start performing these activities, your body will detect that it’s time to sleep. It even works if you’re in a location that has opposite days and nights than what you’re used to, but only if you’ve created and practiced the routine for several weeks before your trip.

Create a Sleep-Friendly Environment

You won’t be able to completely re-create your home bedroom in your vacation accommodations, but you can make the room more sleep-friendly in a few ways. For example, you can keep it cool and dark (most hotels have room-darkening shades), which is the easiest environment for sleeping. Experts have found that 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 degrees Celsius) is the ideal temperature for sleep. If your room has a thermostat, keep the temperature here to make sure the room is nice and comfortable when it’s time to sleep.

You may not be able to control the noise level where you’re staying, so be sure to bring earplugs or a white noise machine with you. This is one of the most difficult parts of sleeping away from home because not everyone respects sleepers when on vacation. Even members of your own party could be guilty of being too loud when you’re trying to sleep. These aids will help.

Limit Exposure to Caffeine, Blue Light, and Alcohol Before Bed

Stop consuming caffeine and alcohol about four hours before bed as research suggests these substances interfere with your sleep cycle. Additionally, try not to watch television, look at your phone, play a portable gaming device, or use an ebook at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Blue light suppresses the level of melatonin in your body, making it more difficult to fall asleep. Try taking a walk around the hotel or city instead to tire out your body and produce more melatonin to sleep better.

Conclusion

Sleeping while on vacation seems like it should be easy, but that’s not always the case. If you’re struggling to fall or stay asleep while on the road, try some of these tips to get those sweet dreams.