Avoid
any heavy exercise close to bedtime. (Light exercise earlier
in the day is fine.)
-
Bring
earplugs and blindfolds to help dampen noise and block out
unwanted light while sleeping.
-
Try
to get outside in the sunlight whenever possible. Daylight
is a powerful stimulant for regulating the biological clock.
(Staying indoors worsens jet lag.)
-
Contrary
to popular belief, the type of foods we eat have no effect
on minimizing jet lag.
Worrying
About Sleep
According
to experts, stress or the potential for stress is another
problem that can lead to sleeplessness. Two common travel
related stress conditions are the "First Night Effect"
and the "On-Call Effect." The first condition occurs
when trying to sleep in a new or unfamiliar environment. The
second is caused by the nagging worry that something just
might wake you up, such as the possibility of a phone ringing,
hallway noise or another disruption.
Try these tips on you next trip to help avoid travel-related
stress and subsequent sleeplessness.
-
Bring
elements or objects from home like a picture of the
family, favorite pillow, blanket or even a coffee mug) to
ease the feeling of being in a new environment.
-
Check
with the hotel to see if voice mail services are available
to guests. Then, whenever possible, have your calls
handled by the service.
-
Check
your room for potential sleep disturbances that may
be avoided; e.g., light shining through the drapes, unwanted
in-room noise, etc.
-
Request
two wake-up calls in case you miss the first one.
The
Sleep Environment
The
most common environmental elements affecting sleep are noise,
sleep surface, temperature or climate, and altitude. Your
age and gender also play a part in determining the level of
sleep disturbance caused by these factors. One study found
that women are more easily awakened than men by sonic booms
and aircraft noise, while other research indicates that men
may be more noise sensitive. Children are generally insensitive
to extreme noise levels. However, this high threshold declines
with age.
(CONTINUE...)
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