Business | 28 Aug 2014 | By Sun International
How to Get a Good Night’s Rest Away from Home
As any traveller knows, good sleep – the kind you enjoy at home – can elude you in a strange environment. Even in the lavish surroundings of a 4 or 5-star Sun International hotel you may experience transient or travel-induced insomnia, and find yourself tossing and turning in an unfamiliar bed.
Quality sleep is a cornerstone of good health. People who sleep well perform better athletically, socially, and in business. This is because good sleep directly affects mood, increases attention and concentration, and enhances decision-making abilities; while “stealing" sleep can lead to heart disease, fluctuations in weight and reduced immune response.
But how do you get a good night’s rest when you’re in an unfamiliar city or hotel room? The Maslow, Sandton’s popular business hotel, understands that sleep directly affects quality of life. While sleep is so complex and personal that there’s no universal cure for insomnia, a good start would be to take control of the two most common sleep hurdles – light and noise. Besides offering block-out curtains in every luxurious and soundproofed room as well as an extensive pillow menu, The Maslow has also compiled these tips for achieving good sleep when you’re away from home:
Tips to beat jet lag
Our bodies are naturally programmed to do a number of things throughout a 24-hour period, like eating and sleeping. When we travel across time zones, these circadian rhythms get thrown of sync, leading to extreme fatigue, indigestion, loss of appetite, memory and concentration issues, or a general feeling of being unwell.
Before you leave, get flexible: a few days before departure, start getting up and going to bed earlier (if you’re travelling east) or later (if you’re travelling west). During the flight, try to eat and sleep according to your destination’s local time.
Top up on your sleep: make sure you’re fully rested before you travel. If you’re flying overnight and can squeeze in some shut-eye on the airplane, it will help you to stay up until nighttime at your destination.
Stay hydrated: dehydration can intensify the effects of jet lag, especially after sitting in a dry airplane cabin for several hours. Avoid alcoholic and caffeinated drinks, which can increase tiredness, exacerbate dehydration, and disturb sleep.
Get some "anchor sleep": a minimum block of four hours’ sleep during the local night, known as anchor sleep, can help you adapt to a new time zone. If possible, make up the total sleep time by taking naps during the day.
Try to arrive in daylight: the cycle of light and dark is one of the most important factors in setting the body’s internal clock. Plan your flights so you arrive in daylight to help you adapt to the new time zone faster.
Mask outside sounds: commonly referred to as white noise, sound masking involves adding a non-intrusive artificial sound to your sleep environment in order to drown out other noise. White noise (as opposed to other sound colours) is the most effective at blocking distractions because it covers the largest spectrum range.
You can stream white noise from your laptop on a free website like simplynoise.com. Simply pick a colour orb, slide the volume knob to a comfortable level, and enjoy auditory zen.
If you travel with a smartphone, you can download a sleep noise generator app, like White Noise from the Google Play Store. This Android app features ambient sounds of the environment to help block distractions, aid relaxation, reduce stress and even soothe headaches.
Airsleep, available from the iTunes Store, has been designed specifically for travellers. Using the sound of rain, waves and wind, this app works at altering your brainwave patterns to help you relax. Choose from three settings: rainy day, beach sleep or desert wind.
Track your sleep
Sleep tracking apps work to analyse your sleep and make sure you get the most out of your time between the sheets. The simple theory is that movement equals wakefulness, and prolonged lack of movement equals sleep. This technology, known as actigraphy, is a useful tool for mapping general patterns of sleep.
Sleep Time (available from iTunes) works as both an intelligent alarm clock and sleep analysis solution. Placed beside you on your bed at night while you sleep, the app monitors the quality of sleep you're getting, and wakes you up at the best possible time to make you feel refreshed. The app works by using the accelerometer in your phone to pay attention to subtle movements you make throughout the night.
Sleep As Android does a great job of watching your sleep cycles. The app tracks your sleep habits overnight, warns you if you're running on a sleep deficit, and advises you should you need to get back into a regular sleeping pattern. Sleep As Android will wake you up gently at the optimum time in the morning with nature sounds, soothing music, alarms, or a special playlist to get your day started.
Practice pre-bed relaxation techniques
It's a good idea to stick to a bedtime routine on your travels. Our bodies crave routine and like to know what’s coming next. By creating a pre-sleep ritual, you’re establishing a clear association between certain activities and sleep. For instance, if you read before heading to bed, your body knows that reading at night signals sleep time. If you take a warm bath before bed every night, your body recognises that it’s time to slow down and relax.
Create a restful bedroom and maintain a clear association between your bed and sleep: your bed is for sleeping only. Don't work in bed – for this reason, The Maslow has equipped its rooms with dedicated workstations. Similarly, don’t watch TV in bed as it will stimulate your brain instead of relaxing you.
Relaxation exercises (like progressive muscle relaxation) are very helpful in reducing anxiety and racing thoughts. With your eyes closed, visualise each muscle and systematically tense and relax it while practicing deep breathing techniques. Deep breathing, when done correctly, is the most effective relaxation technique. Place one hand on your abdomen and the other on your chest. As you inhale, focus on pushing out your abdomen so your lower hand moves forward. As you exhale, focus on pushing your abdomen in, while keeping your shoulders and chest still.
Stretch. Before hitting the hay, take 10 minutes to do yoga stretching. This will loosen your muscles and give you a sense of peace. Don't eat a massive dinner. A belly that's churning away, digesting a big meal, interferes with your ability to sleep soundly. Exercising regularly also helps with sleep, as it's a major anxiety-reducer. But make sure you exercise a few hours before bedtime, since physical activity can be stimulating.
Lastly, take a warm bath. In addition to providing relaxation, a bath lowers your body temperature slightly, which can help you sleep better.
Tell us: do you have any tips for a good night’s sleep when you’re away from home?