Alaska Sleep Education Center

How To Sleep Well on Vacation

With a step away from all of your responsibilities and the hassles of everyday life, vacation is the perfect time to relax and unwind. While this is a great way to reset, it can also present challenges to your sleep. Whether you experience jetlag, feel uncomfortable sleeping in another place or just have sleep difficulties, there are numerous reasons why you may struggle to sleep well while on vacation. Poor rest and daytime sleepiness are the last things that you’ll want to deal with along your amazing adventures. If you want to ensure that you can get good sleep on your upcoming vacation, here are a few must-try suggestions.

Book Comfortable Accommodations

If you want to sleep well, you need comfortable accommodations. Finding a place where you can feel at ease laying your head at the end of a long day is crucial to a successful slumbering experience. Make sure that you do your research; so that you can rest easy at the end of the day.

Use White Noise

Noise is one of the most common disturbances to sleep. If you are a light sleeper, white noise can be the solution that you were looking for. Whether you use a bathroom fan, bring a white noise machine with you or find an app on your phone that produces white noise, this ambient sound will drown out noticeable noises and help promote relaxation.

Stick to Your Bedtime Routine

A common difficulty that many travelers experience is the change in scenery and schedule. This can throw off your slumbers and make it difficult to fall asleep. Whether you take a shower, read a book or follow a particular routine before bed, if you can stick to this as much as possible, stick to your bedtime routine as possible. This can help send signals to your body and mind that it is time for rest.

Don’t Fall Prey to Jetlag

When you travel outside of your time zone, jetlag can present a whole host of other challenges. Even a few hours difference can throw a wrench in your sleep. Once you land, stick to your time zone. Make sure that you eat on schedule so that you don’t fall prey to jetlag. Try to go to sleep on time and make adjustments to ensure that you can adjust smoothly. The quicker you make this adjustment the easier it will be to get a good night’s sleep.

Spend Time Outside

Spending time in the sunlight can help with sleep troubles, as well. Exposure to sunlight and fresh air can help regulate your body’s natural cycle. While you may be itching to get outside to embark on the next adventure on your itinerary, this can also do wonders for promoting good rest. If you can, make sure that you spend time outside for at least an hour per day.

Squeeze in a Workout

Another great way to regulate your sleep is to exercise. While fitness may be the last thing that you want to add to your vacation itinerary, it can do wonders for your health. Not only does physical activity help you regulate your body’s natural rhythm, but it also can help tire you out so that you are ready for rest at the end of the day. If you want to sleep better, you need to squeeze in a workout on vacation.

Try Melatonin

If you need a bit of an assist with your sleep struggles, you should try adding a melatonin supplement. Melatonin is a hormone that your body naturally produces that helps to regulate your sleep and wake cycles; however, for those who struggle with slumbers or if you have disturbances in your sleep cycle from travel, a supplement can do the trick. This can be immensely helpful to get you back on track.

If you struggle with sleep while on vacation, your upcoming trip may be more stressful than restful. While many adults struggle to rest while traveling, you don’t need to suffer any longer. Instead, use these tips and find yourself back on the path to vacation bliss.

If you have already been diagnosed with OSA and are using a CPAP machine, don’t stress.  This doesn’t have to spoil your plans. Traveling with a CPAP machine doesn’t have to be a pain. Just educate yourself ahead of time so that you can have a worry-free trip.

We know that traveling with your CPAP device can make it difficult to travel. If you want to know more about travel-sized CPAP machines, check out our recommendations. 

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Alaska Sleep Clinic's Blog

Our weekly updated blog aims to provide you with answers and information to all of your sleeping questions.

Brent Fisher, MBA, FACHE, FACMPE
President and Chief Executive Officer

“Alaska Sleep Clinic has a history of providing the most comprehensive sleep medicine services in the state of Alaska. Its potential has only begun. I am here to take these high-quality, comprehensive services to all Alaskans.”

Experience

Brent Fisher has held leadership positions spanning a wide variety of complex and start-up organizations: manufacturing (pharmaceutical & medical device), software development, hospitals (academic and community), medical groups, consulting, hospice, military, engineered devices, engineered plastics, and private equity.

Publications and Organizations

His writings have been published in various magazines, trade journals, and medical journals, including the Physician Executive Journal, Healthcare Executive, Modern Healthcare, Group Practice Journal, New England Journal of Medicine, and Journal of Healthcare Management (Best Article Award).

He has served on the Board of Directors of professional associations, civic organizations, and businesses.

Hobbies and Activities

Brent enjoys being with his family, serving in the community, hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting.