Tips for Sleeping While Traveling: Sleep Hygiene Techniques for Business Travelers

Sleeping while traveling comes with the territory on business trips. However, sleeping on a plane or unfamiliar hotel room, combined with frequent nights away from your own bed, can add up to serious fatigue over time. Between jet lag and overstimulating work itineraries, it’s not uncommon to experience insomnia while traveling, which hinders daytime productivity.

We’ve gathered science-backed sleep hygiene techniques and practical tips to help you rest, no matter where your work takes you.

Why is it so hard to sleep when traveling?

Traveling opens the doors to fresh opportunities, relationship-building and business development. Sleeping while traveling is difficult for many reasons, whether it’s disruption to the usual routine or physical discomfort in an upright plane seat. Airplanes are dry, loud environments, while business hotels don’t always have all the comforts of home.

Jet lag is also a major cause of insomnia while traveling. Crossing multiple time zones throws off a traveler’s natural circadian rhythm, which remains in their home time zone. Changes to diet, fitness routines, and everyday schedules further contribute to insomnia while traveling. Business trips are often packed tightly with meetings, leaving little time for rest. This all takes a toll on the traveler in the form of exhaustion, inability to concentrate, and even anxiety.

Travel fatigue can be costly for businesses, too, with every hour of lost sleep impacting the bottom line. A study showed that workers sleeping less than six hours per night reported a productivity loss of 2.4% higher than those sleeping upwards of seven hours.

Sleep hygiene techniques for frequent business travel

Sleeping while traveling is often problematic but when the stakes are high on an important business trip, stress makes it even more difficult. Follow the latest sleep hygiene techniques to keep your health on track.

Adjust before you go

It typically takes one day for your body to adjust to each time zone. If you’re crossing several time zones for work, start adjusting your bedtime a few days in advance. Go to bed earlier or later, one hour each day, to move your internal clock closer to the destination time.

On shorter journeys, follow the two-day rule

For shorter business trips, there’s no time for your body to properly adapt to the new time zone. If you’re going somewhere for under two days, stick to your usual schedule as your itinerary permits. Try scheduling meetings during your regular waking hours back home.

On longer journeys, follow the local schedule

While short trips give little time for adjustment, when business travel lasts longer than two days, you’ll need to get in tune with the local time zone and schedule. When you’ve taken an overnight flight with little sleep, it’s tempting to go to bed upon arrival. Not only do packed business itineraries rarely allow this, it’s also counterproductive in terms of sleep hygiene.

Create an at-home atmosphere

Treat sleep on business trips the same way you would at home, whether that involves a pre-bed workout, skincare routine, or meditation session. For example, if you normally listen to white noise before falling asleep, bring your device with you to prevent disruption.

Minimize blue light

Company trips are busy, and it’s tempting to keep answering emails and working on your laptop right up until bedtime. However, the blue light emitted from screens makes it more difficult to sleep by disrupting your circadian rhythm. Turn off your devices at least one – if not two – hours before bedtime. Dim the lights, take a bath, or read a book.

Keep moving

Exercise offers a natural way to fight jet lag and stay in tune with your body’s natural rhythms. Use your business hotel’s gym to start the day with a run or power lifting session. This will naturally tire you out for a more restful night of sleep later.

Avoid alcohol and caffeine

This might be difficult when socializing with clients and colleagues, but alcohol leads to a poor night of sleep. While caffeine can help give you a morning lift, consuming it later in the day will have a lasting stimulant effect.

Keep naps short and sweet

A short afternoon nap can give you the boost needed to make it through a few more hours of meetings when you’re tired from traveling. The key is to time it right. Napping for too long can make you feel

What is the secret to sleeping on a plane?

While some colleagues will doze off as soon as they’re buckled in, many business travelers find sleeping on planes a struggle.

The best way to sleep on a plane is to create a restful environment. Travel at off-peak times with a better chance of having empty seats nearby to stretch out and book a reclining Business Class seat if your company’s travel policy allows it.

Here are a few more tips for sleeping on a plane:

• Dress for comfort: Wear loose layers to combat the temperature swings during a After take-off, swap smarter shoes for a pair of compression socks and travel slippers.
• Follow your bedtime routine: The best way to sleep on a plane is to trick your body into feeling like it’s bedtime by taking out contact lenses, moisturizing, and brushing your teeth.
• Block the light: Even with the overhead lights off and shades drawn, airplanes are still bright places. Pack an eye mask to create a calm, dark environment more conducive to sleep.
• Wear noise-cancelling headphones: During take-off and landing, cabin noise levels reach 105 decibels, equivalent to a rock concert. At cruising altitude, this drops to 85 decibels, which is still as loud as a power lawn mower. To sleep on an airplane, block the noise with a pair of headphones.
• Maximize seat space: When you’re not using your laptop for work, store belongings in the overhead compartment to stretch out and keep blood circulating to your legs and feet. Similarly, use your armrests to support your upper body and alleviate pressure from your back.
• Use travel pillows: Sleeping upright is a struggle, which is why many top tips for sleeping on a plane focus on postural support. Place a small pillow behind your lower back to encourage a natural spine position, and an ergonomic neck pillow to support your chin.
• Stay hydrated: Any frequent business traveler knows just how dry the air is on a plane. In fact, airplane cabins are usually in the range of 10% to 20% humidity. Sip water frequently to stay hydrated.

What is the best way to sleep in a hotel?

Once you’ve checked into your business hotel, it may take some time to settle into a sleep routine. Research shows that in unfamiliar sleeping environments, humans often have a ‘first night effect’ that keeps one part of the brain vigilant for signs of danger. In short, you’re more likely to experience insomnia when sleeping in a hotel, which isn’t useful when you need to attend morning meetings.

Follow these tips to enjoy sounder, more restful sleep in a hotel:

• Adjust the temperature: The optimal temperature for sleeping falls between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius, so turn down the heat if it’s too much.
• Try pink noise: While white noise plays at the same, even frequency to calm the brain, pink noise is even more effective at lulling the mind and encouraging you to fall asleep. Pink noise includes calming sounds found in nature, like waves crashing on the shore or rustling leaves.
• Use guided meditation: Along with pink noise, meditation is a proven way to reduce anxiety, improve wellness, and calm your mind for a restful sleep. Apps like Headspace and Calm have useful meditation programs for business travelers, and are already offered by many companies as part of an employee wellness package.
• Cover blinking lights: Hotel rooms are filled with small, sleep-disrupting lights, from blinking fire alarms to digital clock displays. Use a sleeping mask to create a dark environment conducive to rest.

What is the best sleep aid for traveling?

Sleep aids for flights include prescription sedatives and over-the-counter calming medications. If you need to remain clearheaded for driving or client meetings, try natural sleep aids like magnesium or melatonin to help encourage a more restful night. Melatonin acts against jet lag by regulating the body’s sleep cycle, while magnesium provides a naturally relaxing effect on the muscles.

Or, as an alternative to taking sleep aids for flights, try lavender aromatherapy instead. A Wesleyan University study found that lavender helped fight insomnia, increasing deep, slow-wave sleep.

What to pack in your business travel sleep kit

If you’re a frequent business flyer, you probably already have travel accessories you use to enjoy a more comfortable travel experience. Whether sleeping on a plane, train, or hotel room, here’s a sample packing list.

• Travel pillow
• Light-blocking sleep mask
• Noise-cancelling headphones
• Sleep socks
• White or pink noise app
• Meditation app
• Water bottle
• Healthy snacks
• Lavender essential oils
• Melatonin or prescription sleep aid for flight

Conclusion

No matter where your business travels take you, you can set the scene for better sleep using the techniques mentioned above. You can also use travel management solutions to find business flights and hotels conducive to a good night’s rest.

Find the best way to sleep on a plane with pre-booking strategies. Whether you prefer window or bulkhead, choose the most comfortable seats for sleeping, along with business travel hotels that include wellness facilities. Compare and book everything from a free all-in-one platform to minimize sleep-disrupting stress.