How To Optimize Your Sleep While You Travel

Whether you are off to a sunny destination, or you are at a corporate sales meeting, sleep quality tends to decline when you crawl into the hotel’s starched/crisp sheets. We plan for any skin-care climate transition, our supplements carefully counted out and we ensure to include leggings to maintain our workout routine, but has a thought been given about sleep hygiene?

What is the sleep hygiene and why do we struggle while we travel?

Sleep hygiene is defined as environmental and behavioural practices designed to promote consistent, uninterrupted and restorative sleep. Is this even possible with the dry air quality, uncontrollable noise in the hallway, mattress firmness, abstract lighting and a possible change in time zone? Our body’s natural intelligence craves constant ‘sameness’ and therefore with a complete change in environment, falling asleep and staying asleep can be a massive struggle. Research proves that the unconscious brain is wired to stay more alert as the unfamiliar environment needs to be processed for potential threats in order to feel safe. Known as the “First Night Effect”, this leads to a lower quality restless, fragmented sleep. Behaviourally, when we are away we are eating out and therefore consuming more calories, sodium, saturated fats, etc. leading to poor digestion. We possibly are drinking more alcohol at work-related cocktail events or sipping Pina coladas on the beach,  we may be staying up later than usual and we might be encountering forms of stress not equivalent to the everyday.

How you can prioritize sleep while you travel:

Pack your own pillowcase, eye mask, soft ear plugs and a lavender scented hand cream. This will reduce the extreme change in environment, inviting your subconscious to feel familiar and safe. Inhaling lavender acts as a sedative to calm the nervous system.

No electronics 30min before bed. Disconnecting yourself from the blue light as well as the alert-sensory will invite your body to relax and move into alpha brain wave.

Try your best to maintain the same bedtime. Consistency is key when it comes to signalling the brain to release melatonin. Stick to familiar actives before bed like bathing, reading, listening to calming music, etc.

Limit alcohol intake 3-4 hours before. By ditching the booze a few hours before bed, you invite the body to metabolize the alcohol to prevent disruption of sleep cycle throughout the night.

Add probiotics to your supplements. Dehydration from flying, changes in diet, and eating later than usual can all wreak havoc on your microbiome.

Listen to sleep meditation to manage stress. Cortisol levels can be higher when travelling based on work pressure or family pressure, interfering with sleep rhythms. When you decide to hit the pillow, try a Practice By Erica sleep meditation, designed to lower the brain waves efficiently, facilitating falling asleep faster and inducing a longer ‘deep sleep’.

Adjust environment. Try removing the hallway light from the base of the door with a towel and ensure to utilize the blackout blinds. If you do not have an alarm clock at home, take the time to unplug the one provided. Research from sleep experts recommend keeping the room temperature cooler (18deg) so check the thermostat.

Happy packing,

E