Discover 7 Ways to Sleep Better in Hotels
Are you looking forward to your vacation and at the same time having sleep anxiety already? It is not uncommon to have disjointed sleep when on vacation. Whether you are a frequent or occasional traveler, sleeping in an unfamiliar hotel can hinder regular sleep pattern. And the lack of sleep can cause moodiness, fatigue or migraine headaches. Added to that, traveling to destinations with different time zones can easily mess up the body clock.
How do you cope? Here are 7 ways to sleep better in hotels:
1. Room temperature
You never know what to expect in a hotel room. Many rooms don’t even allow guests to change the temperature, leaving you stuck with arctic temperatures or stifling heat. According to Sleep Foundation, cool rooms around 65 F makes for the best sleep.
Before making a hotel reservation find out if you can
- adjust the room temperature
- open the windows
Ideally, you will want rooms with both features to ensure comfortable room temperature and ventilation.
2. Essential oils
Bring 100% pure lavender essential oil and a travel diffuser. Lavender essential oil improves sleep, reduces stress and calms the nerves. According to
Dr. Josh Axe, a study on college students found that using lavender essential oil improved the overall quality of sleep by 60%. The improvement is found in the length of sleep, time it took to fall asleep, restfulness and reduced symptoms of insomnia.
We travel with lavender oil because of the reasons stated by Dr. Axe. Rub the oil on the bottoms of the feet, temples and neck. Just make sure you have the 100% pure lavender oil like those from Young Living Essential Oil.
Diffusing essential oil like Young Living’s Thieves or lavender oils can eliminate bad odors. It also helps to have a familiar scent while you sleep.
3. Time difference
Use Travelmath’s time difference calculator to find out the
time difference between your hometown and your travel destination. For example, London, United Kingdom is
eight hours ahead of Los Angeles CA.
Knowing the local time in advance will help you mentally adjust to the local time of your destination. You can start adjusting a week before departure by going to bed earlier if you are flying to London from Los Angeles (eastward). If you are flying from London to Los Angeles (westward), adjust to a later bedtime. When on board the plane, change your watch to the new time zone.
4. Stay with the same hotel brand
Most hotel brands like Marriott or Hilton, use the same type of mattresses, pillowcases, bed sheets and décor in the rooms throughout the United States and in some parts of the world. Staying with the same hotel brand means you get a familiar environment and even the scent in the room may be the same.
For example, the Spring Hill Suites by Marriott in Alpharetta, just outside Atlanta GA is the same as the Spring Hill Suites in Hazleton, PA. Both towns are
776 miles apart.
5. Stay away from caffeine and alcohol
Most hotels offer free coffee in the lobby. Stay away from coffee if drinking coffee after 2 pm keeps you awake all night. It’s best if you avoid both caffeine and alcohol, at least three to four hours before bedtime. Caffeine and alcohol are diuretic, resulting in frequent bathroom visits during sleep time.
6. Pillowcases
Not everyone has the privilege to bring their favorite pillows while traveling. The next best thing is to bring your favorite pillowcases. A little familiarity goes a long way. Some hotels will cater to your pillow preferences. Marriott hotels offer down and feather pillows. Check if yours gives you that choice.
7. Noise cancellation device
Sharing rooms with someone who snores or staying in a room with paper-thin windowpanes facing a busy street will definitely keep you awake all night. Even the sound of an alarm clock or dripping faucet can be annoying.
Pack a few TaperFit2 earplugs. Pack a set comfortable noise-cancelling headphone if you can sleep while listening to your favorite music.
Do you have a tip to have a better sleep in hotels? Please share.
