9 Tips To Sleep Better When You Travel

Clay and I recently took the kids on a little “Back To School” weekend getaway. We try to do this each year for a little extra fun and relaxation before school starts back. We had a ton of fun, however, I was sick! I’ve been battling a “chest and head cold” for about a month so I was a miserable. I put that in quotes because I don’t think it was actually a virus. I’m fairly certain it is a massive allergy attack. I do this every July and August, and it’s only affected me, so I’m thinking allergies. Anyway, it’s rough and being sick is no fun, anyway, but especially not when you’re traveling. I had a clogged head and coughing, but I didn’t let that keep me from getting a good night’s sleep. Even if you’re not sick, falling asleep while traveling can be difficult. For many, it’s hard to sleep away from home. Here are my tips to sleep better when you travel.

1. AROMATHERAPY

One thing I, highly, recommend is aromatherapy essential oils. I’m not super knowledgeable of essential oils but I know what works for me. I use them for aromatherapy and 2 of my favorites are peppermint and lavender. Peppermint is usually used for energizing and also for headaches. For me, it calms me and soothes my sinuses. Lavender is perfect for relaxing at bedtime. So, I use both together!

I was sent some of the Essential Oil Body & Room Sprays by GuruNanda, to try out. They came exactly when I needed them with all this nasty head and chest congestion I’ve had. 

I have an aromatherapy bracelet that one of our daughter’s bought on our beach vacation. So, during the day, I’d spritz the little pad with the peppermint body & room spray. That helped with my congestion throughout the day. It also helped, tremendously, with headaches!

2. TAKE YOUR OWN PILLOW

If you can, take your own pillow. Your used to YOUR pillow and that will help you sleep better when traveling. I always take my own pillow so at night, I’d spray the lavender spray on my pillow to help me relax and then follow with a small spritz of the peppermint to help keep my sinuses clear. It worked perfectly!

Each body and room spray is made from 100% natural essential oil blends. 

GuruNanda

 

3. HOT TEA

Another thing I recommend is hot, chamomile tea about 30 minuted before bed. We stayed in a cabin so we had a full kitchen but most motel and hotel rooms have, at least, a coffee maker. So you can steep your tea right in your room. Chamomile is a wonderful herb that helps you relax. Combined with the lavender on your pillow, it’s off to la-la land pretty quickly! If you’re sick, like I was, tea with lemon and ginger and a tsp of honey is also a great idea before bed!

4. SOUND MACHINE OR APP

If you are used to certain sounds when you sleep, a sound machine is a great way to help you fall asleep. I, actually, have an app on my phone that has a big variety of sleep sounds. I can set a timer and usually fall asleep within the time it is on. Clay always played the radio while he slept but I’d end up just listening to the songs all night, so a sound machine works better for us. Nature sounds work well for me, otherwise, I like it super quiet and dark in my room! Now with different apps such as YouTube, where you can listen to hours worth of music and use the binaural beats for sleep, if you are someone who cannot fall asleep without background noise, there are numerous options and apps for you to help and enhance your overall sleep, to allow you to wake up feeling refreshed! 

5. EAR PLUGS

Alternatively, if you can’t sleep with any sound, find a comfy pair of ear plugs that will block out the sounds of any guests around you.

6. TAKE A SMALL FAN

Many people can’t sleep without a fan. Clay and I have a ceiling fan in our room, which also helps with my hot flashes! So, we’re used to having a fan blowing on us. I have a small, table top fan that we take with us to work in place of the ceiling fan. This is great, too, for places that may not be as air conditioned as you’re used to.

7. NO TECHNOLOGY BEFORE BED

Ok, this one is hard! Clay loves to watch TV before bed and I am almost always finishing up emails or blog posts before bed. But, they claim that limiting or avoiding technology, our phones, social media, etc. before bed will help you fall asleep. Otherwise, your mind is active with what you just read and the lights wake you up. This is true for me so I’ve been working on this one lately. Although, I can usually read a book and be ok. Reading a book makes me sleepy.

8. TAKE A HOT BATH OR SHOWER

We try to find rentals that have a hot tub or a Jacuzzi and usually take a hot soak and quick shower before bed. If we’ don’t have a hot tub, the bath tub works just as well! Warm water works so well to relax and soothe. If you’re using the bath tub you can also use a bath bomb in lavender scent! Never put oils or anything in the hot tub though.

9. USE A SLEEP MASK

If you love a dark room but there is no way to darken your travel lodging room, a sleep mask may work for you. This is something you’d want to splurge a little one. You get what you pay for and a cheap one won’t be comfortable and won’t stay on well. So spend a little and get a nice, thick, soft one. You can spray a little of the GuruNanda Lavender Body & Room spray on that too!

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What are some tips you have to help you sleep better when you travel?