How To Sleep Better Away From Home

Even for seasoned travelers, it can be difficult to sleep away from home sometimes. A lot of this has to do with all the new smells, sounds, and general disruptions from sleeping in a new place. Although the change in mattress comfort, pillow loft, among many other things can also add to how difficult it is to get great sleep.

Which is precisely why we are going to share with you our top tips on how to sleep better away from home. This way you can travel, visit family, go on work trips, or go on vacation all while getting really great sleep. Stick around to find out how!

Get Some Rest in Transit

If you are one of those lucky people who can easily sleep on planes or during road trips, then we highly advice doing so whenever possible. Getting sleep during transit is a great way to top up on your energy. Traveling is often stressful and exhausting.

If you can get a bit of shut eye during takeoff, we say “why not?!”. It is a great way to keep your stress levels low, and your energy high. By keeping your stress levels low it will help you to sleep better throughout the night also.

If you need a bit of help discovering how to sleep on planes, check out our blog post all about it: Tips for Sleeping on A Plane

Bring Comfortable Pajamas:

When it comes to sleep, it is not the time to try and impress your friends and family with a new matching set of pajamas that makes you look like Martha Stewart. Instead, bring pajamas that are actually comfortable. If you are embarrassed, then bring a robe you can cover up with when you are around other people.

There is no easier way to ruin your sleep than to be uncomfortable or overheated. If you will be unable to control the AC or heater (Like in your parent’s home where your dad likes to make the house an ice box for example.) then be sure to bring layers. This will ensure you will be able to bundle up if you need extra warmth, or shed a few layers to cool down if need be. Great sleep is all about making sure you will feel as comfortable as possible.

Find more cozy lounge clothes and pajamas in our review over the incredible Hass Lounge Apparel by Avocado. 

Bring Your Pillow From Home

This may seem like overkill, but here us out. If you have ever slept on a hotel pillow that fell flat. Or that stinky hand-me-down guest bed pillow that your aunt put on her guest bed. Then you know how easy it is for a bad pillow can ruin your sleep. Even if you are sleeping on a pillow that is a great loft for how you sleep, and it is clean and comfortable. It can take quite a long time for your body to adjust to a new pillow. Even a great pillow can cause aches and pains because it is simply not what your body is used to.

For these reasons combined with the comfort and smells from home is why we recommend bringing your pillow with you to anyone who has a hard time sleeping away from home. It is a way that you can literally being the comfort of home with you on your trip.

Check out our review for this unique travel pillow: Infinity Pillow Review

Bring An Eye Mask

Thankfully, most hotels these days are equipped with blackout curtains. However, if you are staying at a family or friends house then you might not be so lucky. If you are particularly sensitive to light, then we highly recommend getting an eye mask to travel with.

Not only is a light blocking eye mask ideal for blocking out ambient light in bedrooms. It is also ideal for using on the airplane when traveling. A good eye mask is a great way to make sure you will not be woken up by any unwanted light. It even allows you to take a midday nap with ease and without having to try and block out the light in the room you are sleeping in. Making it perfect for traveling away from home.

Click the link to check out our Top Rated Sleep Masks

Pack a Reminder Of Home

If the reason it is hard to fall asleep away from home is due to becoming homesick or missing your loved ones, find a way to bring a reminder of home with you. Smells can really transport you to a different place, making pillow, clothes, or blankets that smell like home a great way to bring a piece of home with you on your trip.

While home can sometimes be a person. If you are able to FaceTime or video chat with your loved ones, it is the best way to stay connected from afar. We highly recommend a video chat right before bed to top up on your connection before heading to sleep.

Other little reminders of home like pictures, or small keepsakes can really make it easier to get through the time apart. Kids especially get homesick quickly. Making sure they have their favorite toy or blanket with them is a great way to bring comfort on the road.

Stay on Schedule

It is interesting that once we get away how much easier it is to slip out of healthy habits. If you typically have a strict sleep schedule, try to maintain that even when you are away from home. Our sleep is very much based on the rhythms of our day to day lives. Sleep loves consistency, the more often you go to sleep at the same time every evening, the easier it becomes to fall asleep and wake up at the same time every day.

This remains true even if you are on vacation. Try to wake up and go to sleep at the same time you typically would at home. This will make it easier to get to sleep in the evenings and to wake up in the morning. Of course, if you are in a completely different time zone for an extended period of time, then it may be better to try and acclimate to your new time zone first.

Need helps adjusting to a new time zone or jet lag? Then check out our post: Get Over Jet Lag… Quickly

Always Pack Essentials in Your Carry On

Personally, we highly recommend only packing a carry on bag whenever possible. However, we always recommend that everyone packs their absolute essentials in their carry on bag. If you have any medications, non-replaceable, or must have items then make sure you put them in the bag that will be with you on your flight.

This is the best way to make sure you have everything you absolutely need no matter what. Bags get lost or switched all of the time. The last thing you want to happen is to find yourself away from home without your medication or worrying about something that can’t be replaced. If you have anything that is a “must have” item, make sure you keep it with you at all times when traveling.

Practice Relaxation Exercises

If you find yourself having done everything possible to fall asleep and yet you are still unable to get some rest. Take off the pressure to sleep and instead focus on trying to relax and rest your body. Sleep is always preferred, however simply relaxing your body and mind can also be very helpful (and often helps you fall asleep.)

Try out relaxation exercises that focus on taking slow deep breaths. Or perhaps meditation that helps you to slow your busy mind. These exercises can do great things for helping you to calm your body and mind in order to get great sleep. Or at the very least to help you relax and rest your body until morning.

Check out some of our favorite relaxation exercises in our post: Bedtime Relaxation Exercises

Entertainment Before Bed

This is one of our favorite tips to help you fall asleep when you are away from home. If you have a favorite TV show, podcast, or playlist that you love to enjoy before bed at home. Then try playing it before bed while you’re away from home.

Sitcoms have become a common style of entertainment to watch before bed for many people because they are so simple to follow, and every episode somehow seems familiar and calming. By watching that favorite tv show before heading off to sleep it brings that feeling of heading off to sleep at home with you when you’re away from home. Thankfully with smartphones you can really take your show with you wherever you go these days.

Thinking about taking the TV out of your bedroom? Learn more in our post: Pros and Cons to Having a TV in Your Bedroom

Try Using Sleep Aids

When push comes to shove, sometimes we simply need that extra bit of help getting to sleep at night. Especially whenever we are away from home. A good way to get that extra help is by using sleep aids. It is always important to talk to your doctor before adding supplements into your diet.

We have found that there are many natural sleep aids that can help you get to sleep without the need of a prescription. (Again, you should still talk to your doctor first.) Even supplements like melatonin can be a very effective way to help induce sleep. Click the link below to learn more about some of the best natural sleep aids out there.

Discover more natural sleep aid options in our post: Natural Sleep Aid Guide

Bring a Noise Machine

New environments have different sounds that can often make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. Because you are away from home, even if it is only subconsciously, you are more on guard than usual. Which means sounds are going to disrupt your sleep more than usual because your body is on guard for any potential threats.

One way to combat this in order to get better sleep, is to use a sound machine that has a white noise option. This will help to drown out any outside noise like AC units turning off and on, creaking home, leaky faucets and other normal house or hotel sounds that can vary from home to home. This will allow you to fall asleep and remain asleep without as many disruptions.

Now You Can Sleep Better Away from Home

Truly the secret to getting to sleep when away from home is to make sure you are as comfortable as possible. From physical comfort with your favorite pajamas, to the emotional comfort of watching your favorite sitcom or calling someone you love. We hope that these tips help you to get great sleep the next time you are away from home and having a hard time getting the rest you need.

If you have any tips on how you manage to sleep better away from home we would love to hear from you. Contact us with your helpful tips and we’ll gladly add them to our guide!