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As someone who spends over 30 nights or more a year in a hotel room, I know how challenging it can be to get a good night’s sleep away from home. Due to this situation, I have discovered along the way some great tips on ensuring a great night’s sleep no matter where I lay my head down at the end of the day.
Make Sure Your Room is the Right Temperature
Crank down that AC! According to Sleep.org, most people sleep best in temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit or 15.5 and 21.1 degrees Celsius. As a hot sleeper, I prefer it when it is around 65°F (18.3°C) as this ensures I will not wake up tossing and turning in the middle of the night because I get too warm.
Eliminate Light
An essential part of a good sleep environment is a dark space. Be sure to use the black-out curtains that are standard to most rooms as they can prevent outside light from disturbing your sleep. I like to leave the curtains slightly cracked to allow the morning light to filter through and making it easier to get up in the morning. To ensure light pollution from the microwave, smoke detector, etc., is also not disturbing my sleep, I also have a sleep mask always in my suitcase. Don’t own a sleep mask? Here are some options!
Reduce Ambient Noise
Just like a dark room is essential to a good sleep environment, so is a quiet space. When booking your room try to obtain one away from noisy areas. For example, higher floors mean you are away from the street or parking lot, a room in the middle of the hall allows you to be away from the ice and vending machines, elevators, and other traditional noisy places. If you have an account set up with a hotel chain, then you can save these preferences with your account. Earplugs are an excellent option to keep in your suitcase, but I prefer my white noise machine (smaller model here) to drown out any noise.
Pack a Sleep Sack
When your stress and anxiety levels are high, the perfect night’s sleep can elude you. Weighted blankets are a fantastic option at home, but a 15+ pound blanket does not pack easily. This is why I love my sleep slack! The sleep sack provides a gentle, calming pressure that simulates being hugged or swaddled, which is a great feeling if you feel stressed or anxious.
Keep to Your Regular Habits
One of the best ways to ensure you sleep well when staying at a hotel is to maintain your regular bedtime routine. Take a warm shower or bath if you have had a long day of travel. Then, do a quiet, relaxing activity such as reading or meditating. Additionally, when packing, bring along the essentials that make your normal bedtime routine possible. Pack your favorite face wash, face masks, etc. to ensure that everything feels normal other than the room and bed.
The bottom line is when you make a good sleep environment it is possible to sleep well in a hotel.
