Travel and Sleep

Planes. Trains. And Automobiles.

Travel season is among us.

A popular topic lately has been how to get good sleep when traveling; whether traveling be for leisure or work.  “What if I can’t sleep?” “I feel anxious about my sleep with my upcoming girls’ trip!” “I’m fearful I won’t be able to sleep and it’s going to ruin my trip!” Do any of these statements sound like you? If you struggle with your sleep, I’m guessing it has crossed your mind before. This is anticipatory anxiety – the fear of something before it has actually happened.

In theory it is reasonable to think that while traveling you are going to get great sleep because you are able to relax and have fun. But that might not always be the case and it’s called First Night Effect (FNE). What is FNE? FNE is when half of the brain hemisphere stays alert at night because it is monitoring the new environment. It’s basically in protective mode that if there is danger you can awaken quickly and protect yourself. The other half of the brain hemisphere is trying to sleep. Thus, this is creating fragmented, poor-quality sleep and let face it, sometimes might not even get any sleep.

Another reason for potentially having difficulty sleeping, especially international travel, is circadian rhythm getting off track. It is rooted in your home time zone. The common term for this derailment is called jet lag. Typically, jet lag happens after we cross 2-3 time zones and its usually more severe when traveling east due to “losing time.”

Now that we know what’s going on with our sleep, lets set ourselves up for success.

Tip 1

Keeping circadian rhythm in check and minimizing jet jag

Stick to your routine and sleep schedule as much as you can. That means adjusting your normal times to the new time zones. A tool to help is called Jet Lag Rooster. Get natural light exposure early in the mornings and use an eye mask at night to help regulate the light/dark (wake/sleep) cycle keeping that internal clock in check.

Tip 2

Make it feel like home

Sticking with your home sleep routine and mirroring elements of your home sleep environment will help aid in a good night’s sleep. Keep the air cool, bring your favorite pillow, white noise machine, and use an eye mask. Utilizing breathing and mindfulness before bed to improve your quality of sleep. For ideas on how to build your sleep routine check out my blog article Utilizing Your Senses to Develop a Personal Sleep Routine.

Tip 3

Practice healthy habits

Exercise. Being active during vacation will help you sleep better at night. It will also help to keep levels low of the stress hormone called cortisol.

Alcohol Balance. Sure, we all have been there where we probably drink a little more than usually while on vacation. But alcohol does interrupt our quality of sleep. Try to stop drinking alcohol 3 hours before bed and stay hydrated. Maybe alternate your favorite cocktail, followed by a water, and so on.

Stay hydrated and eat balanced meals. Being dehydrated can cause poor sleep. Drinking half of your body weight in water will help stay hydrated. This is especially important while flying or in hot climates. Eating balanced meals will help you be more active than eating something heavy that’s weighing you down.

Tip 4

Have fun!

Relax and have fun. You deserve this trip.

When we think about vacation or travel, we don’t necessarily think about implementing the tools and routine we have at home. It does help make a difference with our quality of sleep while traveling. Wherever your compass takes you, I hope you enjoy yourself and get the rest you deserve.

Written by Amber Simpson, LCSW, CCATP, CMHIMP, PMH-C

If you are struggling with your sleep while you are home, reach out today to give yourself the gift of good sleep.