You Miss the Physical Comforts of Home
Your body is most comfortable at home because it has grown used to its surroundings Also youre likely to be more physically comfortable in your own bed because it features your preferred linens pillows and mattress firmness An uncomfortable bed can make it very hard for just about anyone to get comfy enough to fall asleep and stay asleep so you should try to prioritize the comfort of your accommodations for sleeping when youre making arrangements
When youre going to book a stay somewhere choose a hotel that is well known for comfortable pillows and beds Some big hotel chains have bedroom furnishings that are so popular that high consumer demand has prompted the hotels to actually sell them so these options are usually a safe bet New Orleans Marriott hotels feature signature pillows that may actually make you want to upgrade your pillows when you get home
Environmental Changes Are Disruptive to Your Sleep Cycle
Even people who usually dont have any trouble at all getting to sleep may struggle to get restful sleep when they are traveling Sleep is a habitual act and making seemingly slight alterations to the conditions that are built into your regular routine can represent a forceful break from the habitual nature of your sleep cycle In fact some attributes of your routine that you might assume are irrelevant could actually have profound subconscious significance in your bodys sleep program The items in your field of vision the textures that you are in physical contact with and the ambient light in a room inside of your home can all play a role in internal sleep processes The absence of those cues could be physiologically confusing for the body and your brain wont get the signals that it needs to wind down for rest
Insomniacs May Struggle More to Manage Their Condition
Having trouble sleeping is a potentially serious medical condition and a lot of people who have insomnia struggle with it for all of their lives traveling away from home entails submitting to a substantial change in ones sleeping environment Substantial changes could make people unable to control various factors that bear on their ability to manage their condition
When a person with a medical condition is not able to practice the same level of effective management that they are usually able to maintain he or she may rapidly decompensate and experience acute symptoms For an insomniac decompensating could take the form of increased anxiety about sleeping or frequent waking
Dietary Habits Have Probably Changed Temporarily
Traveling almost always entails dietary changes and changes to your diet can affect how your body regulates energy When youre away from home eating healthy can help you maintain digestive regularity that promotes good rest
Final Thoughts
Ultimately getting good rest when youre on the road may call for some extra planning and preparation To the extent your own sleeping environment may have some disturbances built in youve probably become somewhat accustomed to them In contrast youre not familiar with the sources of stimulation and potential disturbance when youre away from home Giving yourself some extra time to rest and optimizing your environment can improve the quality of your sleep significantly
No matter your sleeping arrangements do not let sleep apnea hinder your travel plans Whether youre traveling for business or pleasure you want to be at your best and youre not going to get there if youre losing sleep
If you need any additional information on traveling with a CPAP machine or would like to purchase a travel specific CPAP machine feel free to contact the Alaska Sleep Clinic
