As a linen provider for the hospitality industry, as well as a family-run business who happens to be passionate about helping people get their best sleep, we here at Comphy love combining the two and helping people get better sleep while traveling. We’ve gathered a selection of suggestions from the National Sleep Foundation, John Hopkins Medicine, and Travel & Leisure to give you some options to improve your sleep while traveling.
Long Flights & Jet Lag
If you’re going somewhere especially fun, it may involve a looong flight as well as big time zone shift when you touch down. While you’re in the air, you don’t have a lot of control over your surroundings. If you’re an especially light sleeper and you have the extra room in your budget, opt for a first-class or premium economy upgrade. The extra space, privacy, and quiet can be worth it if you need to be well rested.
Choose comfort over fashion and wear comfortable clothes for long travel, including layers so you have options in case the cabin temperature fluctuates. Also be sure to plan ahead and get items that may help you stay comfortable, like a neck pillow, noise cancelling headphones, and a good sleep mask.
It can also help to take a small amount of melatonin to prompt sleep on a long flight, but be sure to check with your doctor beforehand and test your body’s reaction to a dose before you go on the trip.
Preparation for jet-lag begins well before your trip. If you’re traveling to a drastically different time zone, try adjusting your sleep schedule earlier or later by ½ hour increments nightly before traveling. Once you arrive at your destination, try to get more natural light exposure in late morning and early afternoon. This will help you adjust your circadian rhythm faster.
Sleeping in Hotels
Even without a long flight or time zone adjustment, being away from home and sleeping in hotels can definitely throw a wrench in your sleeping habits.
Experts recommend bringing your own pillow as well as your own pillow case for a sense of familiarity and comfort. If packing a pillow isn’t an option, many hotels offer a variety of pillow types and some even have pillow menus so be sure to ask.
Set the thermostat between 60-67 degrees well before it’s time to hit the sack. That’s the ideal temperature for sleep and can make a big difference.
Hotels often have blackout curtains on their windows, so be sure to use them. If you know you need a quiet room for optimum sleep, you can ask to be placed in a part of the hotel that is away from noisy areas like elevators, lobbies, vending and ice machines.
A relaxing scent can help soothe your mind and body into sleep as well. Be sure to check out the Comphy Sleep Kit for our signature linen spray.
While you’re traveling, do your best to stick to your typical bedtime routine to keep your system on track.
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And while all of these tips can help improve your sleep while traveling, it’s also important to try to go with the flow – because traveling often leads to the unexpected and the more relaxed you are, the better you’ll sleep. So, after you follow our tips, try to kick back, relax, and enjoy the trip! Bon voyage!
