Sleeping Better in Hotels and Airbnbs: A Traveler’s Checklist

Then bedtime arrives, and suddenly the unfamiliar pillows, hallway noise, and blinking electronics become impossible to ignore. Sounds familiar? Sleeping well away from home can require a little planning. Whether you're staying for one night or one week, a few simple habits can make unfamiliar spaces feel more comfortable and restful.

Pack Your Personal Sleep Essentials

You need not recreate your bedroom to make a hotel or Airbnb more comfortable. Carrying a few regular items can help you settle in faster. Keep these items in your carry-on if possible. You don't want to unpack your suitcase just to find a much-needed item.

Make sure these are added to your pre-trip checklist:

• An eye mask: Helps when streetlights, hallway lighting, or early morning sunshine streaks into the room.
• Earplugs: Useful to muffle traffic, noisy room neighbors, and late-night celebrations.
• A familiar pillowcase: The familiar feel and scent may make a new bed feel a little bit more welcoming.
• Comfortable sleepwear: Choosing breathable fabrics to suit the room's temperature and comfortable clothing can help you unwind more easily.
• A small wind-down essential: A favorite book, a soothing playlist, or even a journal can help as a signal that the day is over.

Make Your Room Sleep-Friendly

Before settling in bed, take a few minutes to check and adjust the room to your liking. Check the curtains, the thermostat, and the available lighting. A dark, quiet, comfortably cool environment generally supports better sleep than a bright, noisy, and overheated one. 

If the room faces a busy street, close the windows when possible and use the curtains to block outside light. Check whether the air conditioning or heating system makes disruptive noises, and adjust it if you can.

Stick to a Routine, Even When You're Away

Travel tends to throw our everyday habits and routines for a loop. Early morning flights, sightseeing, late-night dinners, and unfamiliar time zones can all disrupt your sleep and schedule in general.

Try to keep your bedtime and wake-up time reasonably consistent as much as your itinerary allows. Give yourself a small buffer between activities and bed. There's no need to have a tight schedule that forces you to go straight from a restaurant dinner onto the pillow.

Having a simple wind-down routine can help. Dim the lights and put your phone away before bed. If you're crossing time zones, be mindful of jet lag. Get daylight at appropriate times for your destination and give yourself time to adjust.

Watch Your Caffeine, Alcohol, and Evening Meals

An afternoon coffee may be a vacation ritual, but caffeine can interfere with sleep for hours. Consider switching to a caffeine-free drink. Alcohol can make you feel sleepy initially, but it can disrupt sleep later in the night. Skip the nightcap and enjoy a melatonin or indica gummies instead.

Heavy meals closer to bedtime may cause discomfort. This is especially true after a day of indulging in new and unfamiliar foods. Do not forget to hydrate throughout the day. Just avoid drinking excessive amounts immediately before bed if nighttime bathroom trips tend to interrupt your sleep.

When Sleep Doesn't Come Easily

Sometimes even after you’ve adjusted the curtains, put your phone away, and settled into bed, sleep just doesn't come. A change of scenery isn't always the only reason sleep proves difficult on a trip. Try not to make the clock another source of stress.

You may not be able to control every late-night noise or every unfamiliar mattress, but a little preparation can help. Pack the essentials, make the room comfortable, and leave yourself enough time to wind down. That way, getting some rest doesn't have to feel like another item on your travel itinerary.