It’s hard to enjoy
yourself or be
productive if you’re
exhausted. These tips
will help you nod off in
an unfamiliar placeSleep
Better At
A Hotel
ByMarissa LaliberteRudy umans/shutteRstock1
BOOK THE RIGHT ROOM
Choose a room on an upper
floor and midway down the hall, if you
can. That location is your best bet for
staying away from noisy areas such as
exits, elevators and vending machines,
says Richard Shane, PhD, behavioural
sleep specialist for New West
Physicians in Colorado, USA.2
MAKE IT DARK
You might also want to ask for
a room with blackout shades. “Most
hotels have them, but they may be in
some rooms and not others,” says
Shane. That said, window shades usu-
ally can’t close all the way, no matter
how hard you try, says Debra Kissen,
PhD, MHSA, clinical director of the
Light on Anxiety Treatment Center in
Chicago. Her advice: “Bring a sleep
mask with you in case you need it.”3
REFRAIN FROM NAPPING
Unfortunately, taking a nap
could set you up for a restless night.
“Our brain builds up a drive for sleep,”
says Kissen. “If you nap, you’ll have
less of that.”4
DON’T GO TO BED WITH
A FULL BELLY
Try to eat dinner at least two hours
before going to bed to give your body
a chance to digest. “If you go
to bed with a full stomach, your
digestive system will be active while
you’re trying to get the rest of your
body not to be active,” Shane says.TRAVEL
46 july 2019