Chances are if you’re traveling overseas, you’re looking to have a great time. Whether it be for a holiday, business or to see family, you don’t want to spend those cherished days or weeks abroad tired, grumpy and not energetic enough to really get anything done. Few of our top tips for getting quality sleep while traveling abroad, and make your time overseas memorable for all of the right reasons.
Remembering that a myriad of sleeping issues occur during international travel, such as jet lag, it’s important to take a few precautions and also get planning as early as possible when it comes to getting quality sleep when you’re thousands of kilometers from your comfy bed at home.
- Be More Strategic with Your Sleep
Our first tip is one that is often overlooked in our routine-laden lives.
Given that you’re upending your life and jetting off to a nation that may be tens of thousands of kilometers away, it’s time to wave goodbye to home, and with it, your generic sleeping routine. There isn’t much time for that 9pm wind-down and 10pm shut eye when you’re filling your days with flights, sightseeing, family and more – and so sleeping when you can is more important than fighting to hang on to your routine.
That in mind, we suggest sleeping when you see fit, and also pre-planning your sleep before you jet off overseas. Work to begin to adapt to the time zone you’re flying to and begin sleeping earlier, later and longer to give yourself a head start!
Once you’ve got this under control, your sleep hours should remain plenty high enough to enjoy your time abroad.
- Invest in Appropriate Sleep-aids
For our readers who need a little extra help at the best of times, it’s imperative that you take this help with you when traveling abroad.
If you sleep with a CPAP device at home, for example, you’ll want to pack that with you or invest in a smaller one that can be packed in your luggage and taken with you during your travels overseas. On top of these devices, white noise machines or even sleeping masks might be something to consider if you’re prone to tossing and turning in rooms that are too quiet, or too bright.
- Keep Moving
Another tip that many of us tend to forget is that the more we sit or lay down after arriving at our destination, the more tired we will become.
It’s important to keep active and moving, even if it’s just around your apartment or hotel room. Keep your blood flowing during the day, have some fun and go see a few of the sights – even if you are profoundly tired – save sleeping for after sunset. For those of our readers with kids, it’s also important to make sure you’re catering to their needs too, because happy travel buddies will also make sleeping a lot easier.
If you’re concerned that you may not be tired during the evening, then hitting the pavement for a jog might be the best bet here. Even if it does seem impossibly difficult, a workout to flat-line your jet lag might be just what you need.
- After Landing, Become a Local
One of the more exciting tips when it comes to sleeping after a long flight in a new country, is simply becoming one of the locals.
By this we mean, immediately after touchdown, sync your daily schedule with that of what is going on outside. Regardless of how tired you are, if you land at 8 or 9am after a 14 hour flight, it’s time for breakfast and to get started with your day. Whether that means a bowl of cereal or a trip to a local cafe for a coffee, get to it.
The sooner you acclimate to local time, the better you will feel and the sooner you’ll be able to get on top of a good night’s sleep.
- Consider Melatonin or Another Sleep Enhancer
If all of the above tips aren’t completely effective, then a sleep aid before bed might be just what you need to get you to sleep.
Medications like melatonin, for example, are non-addictive and natural when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, and they’ll be your key to ensuring those eight to nine hours of sleep that you’ll need to enjoy your travels abroad.
Just be sure to keep in mind that these sleep aids aren’t a complete replacement for the tips above, and should be used to enhance a well-developed sleep routine. Your daily exercise, routine and sleep hygiene are still important to getting a good night’s rest when traveling abroad.
The Takeaway
All of those tips above out of the way, we’re sure you’ll be getting a good night’s sleep in no time, just be sure to keep yourself in check and don’t nod off at 11am during the day. A disciplined routine is going to be your best bet at quality sleep when abroad.
