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People’s opinions on what is a good hotel room can vary greatly. From those who stay only in the hotels with the most excellent amenities to those who’ll say: Whatever, I’m only going to sleep there anyway. Of course, their choice can depend significantly on their budget, not just preference.
Whatever the case, all hotel guests have one thing in common: the sleep we just mentioned. And no matter what’s the reason for them to travel, getting a good night’s sleep in the hotel room is extremely important.
Why do people have difficulties sleeping in hotel rooms?
Sleeping seems like a rather simple and enjoyable task, right? And yet, statistics show that 50 to 70 million Americans have some form of sleeping disorder and it can be immensely struggling for them.
Additionally, for people who have a problem sleeping even when they are at home, there is a certain percentage (as high as 75 %) of those who will go to this type of trouble only when they use a hotel room bed.
But why does this happen? One explanation is that the smells and the sounds that surround you are different from the ones at home. So are the bed, the sheets, and the pillows. And our brains are creatures of habit. So they get disturbed by this change and are unable to let us sleep. Many people explain this about themselves by saying they can only sleep in their beds.
According to one research, the second explanation for the inability to sleep is evolution. Change of scenery signals our bodies that we might be in danger, so we stay awake to keep safe or protect ourselves if necessary.
Whatever the issue is, there’s no reason to think there’s no cure for difficulties sleeping in a hotel room. Find out what you can do in the next few lines.
Choose your room wisely
One of the biggest problems in hotels is all sorts of noise you wouldn’t encounter at home. Ideally, you could book soundproof hotel rooms when you travel. But it’s not so easy to be sure that’s what you’re getting, especially in lower-category hotels.
But there are still things you request when making a reservation. Here’s a list of things you should ask from a room to make sure it’s as quiet as possible:
- Far from the elevator – because they are very noisy and probably in use all night long
- Far from ice machines and housekeeping closets – these could be in use all night or in very early morning hours
- At the back of the hotel – this might mean you don’t have such a good view, but it also means you’re far from the street noise
Additionally, you can bring a white noise machine, noise-cancellation headphones, or earplugs.
Stick to the same routine you have at home
Research shows that even if you think routine is bad, your body and mind enjoy it. It’s proof of stability and safety, and it’s something we feel on a subconscious level.
This is why it’s highly advisable to stick to your home routine. When in a hotel, try to go to bed and wake up at the same time as when you’re not traveling. Additionally, do the same things you do before bed. Have the same drink, do the same beauty routine, read the same amount of pages from a book, etc.
To help prove to your brain you’re about to sleep the same way as you would at your bed, it might be smart to bring your pillow with you, maybe even your blanket.
Lastly, as we mentioned before, hotel rooms smell differently than our usual environment. If you’re particularly bothered by this, you can try and get used to sleeping with an essential oil diffuser at home. If you find it enjoyable, you can then bring it with you while traveling thus having the same relaxing smells surrounding you.
Avoid things that generally meddle with sleep quality
There are many things we do (almost) every day that can significantly lower our sleep quality. These should be avoided at all times, but especially in hotels as there we’re more prone to insomnia.
Firstly, we should stay away from screens. Try not to go to bed and then watch TikToks or Instagram reels for hours, chat with people, etc. The blue light from the screen is similar to the sunlight, and it can confuse our bodies: why would we sleep when there’s so much light? If you absolutely must be in front of a screen, reduce its brightness to help your body produce melatonin and get some rest.
Secondly, sometimes when we’re on a trip, we will enjoy the hotel bar and have a drink or two before bed. Alcoholic drinks in our system might help us fall asleep, but chances are we’ll wake up quickly and won’t be able to continue to sleep. This is why alcohol is not advisable before bed. What you can and should have is a warm drink. Remember glasses of milk before bed when you were a kid? It should still work when you’re an adult. Or go for a cup of tea. Just make sure you have a drink without caffeine.
And thirdly, what you eat before going to bed is important, too. It’s advisable to have dinner at least 3 hours before sleep. If you can’t avoid eating right before, try choosing food as light as possible. Because if your body is busy processing food, it will have a hard time sleeping.
In Conclusion
Sleeping is very important to function and stay healthy. To have a good quality sleep, try sticking to your routine, choosing the most suitable room, avoiding heavy drinking and eating as well as blue light before sleep. This should help a lot to sleep better in hotel rooms. But in your bedroom, too.