The start of the warm weather and longer days means many of us are looking to plan our summer breaks. But with Covid 19 still not such a distant memory, many of us will be out of practice with travelling abroad, so there are a few things you may need reminding of, particularly when it comes to how holiday travel can impact your sleep.
However far you’re flying this summer, this article has all the information you need to ensure that bad sleep doesn’t ruin your summer getaway.
How travel can disrupt your sleep
While travel brings exciting experiences and memories, it can also bring potential problems when it comes to your sleep.
Travel Fatigue
A common problem for a lot of people is travel fatigue, with symptoms ranging from exhaustion and headaches to sleep loss and general discomfort.
Things that can make travel fatigue more likely to occur are:
- Fear of flying
- Anxiety about the up and coming journey
- Motion sickness
- Travel delays
- Stress surrounding packing or time keeping
- Long days of travel.
Ultimately, anything that puts a strain on your mental and physical robustness can lead to travel fatigue so causing disruptions to your quality of sleep.
Jet Lag
Jet Lag is usually associated specifically with long distance travel. Crossing numerous time zones can impact your circadian rhythm resulting in a misalignment with the local time zone, making it more difficult for you to fall asleep at night. In severe cases, Jet lag can also lead to reduced physical and mental performance, daytime sleepiness and gastrointestinal problems.
While jet lag tends to last for a few days, it can persist for up to a few weeks and is usually more severe when travelling from West to East.
How to sleep better when you travel
These sleep problems can be reduced or avoided altogether and improve your travel experience plus protect your sleep health when travelling abroad.
- Give yourself plenty of time in the airport, keep children on a consistent sleep schedule, and plan your travel effectively.
- Avoid drinking alcohol on your flight, and stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water both before and during your journey.
- If you’re travelling overnight, try and get some sleep on the plane. When you arrive at your destination, you should set your watch and other devices to that location’s time zone. So, for example, if you land at 11 pm, you should try and get some sleep until the next morning, even if you don’t feel tired.
- To help you sleep, keep your bedroom cool and dark. Avoid using blue light screens before going to bed, and instead try to wind down by reading, meditating, having a bath or stretching. In addition avoid caffeine and alcohol, as this can make it more difficult to shut down your mind.
Really thinking about your sleep and taking positive steps towards sleeping well prior to your holiday will go a long way to helping you feel more rested on holiday and have a more enjoyable trip overall.
Are you ready to improve your sleep?
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