Keep Your Travel Essentials Handy
It would be nice to have a crystal ball on hand to know our travel hiccups beforehand so we can prepare. While we can’t see the future, we can do our best to avert complete travel disaster with a little bit of preparation. Tend to get dehydrated during travel? Of course you’re going to need to pack that water bottle. Traveling during the day, but need to get a quick nap in here-or-there to prepare for a time change? Keep that sleep mask close by! In our recent blog, 5 Smart Ways to Make the Most of a Long Flight, we recommended keeping a small bag nearby while traveling with your travel staples inside. When you need a sleep mask, Dramamine, headphones, or a snack: who wants to dig through a cluttered suitcase in a cramped space? This tip works well for air travel, but can also be handy if traveling by car or bus where gaining access to your entire luggage supply can be difficult sometimes. Some helpful items to pack during travel if you need to get your ZZZ’s:
- Sleep Mask
- Dramamine (it’s hard to sleep if you’re nauseous)
- Earplugs or Headphones (find an app with some calming white noise to tune out your surroundings)
- Travel Pillow (bringing your favorite from home is always an option, but there are some great inflatable ones on the market that are comfortable AND take up less luggage space)
- Blanket and/or Extra Layers of Clothing (airplanes tend to get pretty chilly, but a blanket also comes in handy if your car-mates like to crank up the A/C)
Pack a Sleep Kit
While it’s important to take care of your sleep during travel, don’t forget how you sleep during your trip! Just like your travel essentials bag, pack a “sleep kit” to use nightly during your trip. This kit is essentially your nighttime routine; containing your sleep wear, sleep aids, and everything else you need to take care of yourself during rest. Some items from your travel essentials kit can be moved here during your stay, just don’t forget to move them back before your return trip! Some helpful items to pack for your nighttime routine:
- Sleep Mask (especially if you find yourself suffering from jet lag)
- Comfortable Sleep Clothes
- Travel Pillow (sometimes the smell and comfort of home can relax you into sleep easier)
- Melatonin (a hormone found in our bodies that helps anticipate darkness--and sleep. Many believe taking melatonin improves sleep)
- Essential Oils (lavender is a popular essential oil used for relaxation and calmer sleep)
- Beauty essentials (makeup remover, face wash/wipes, and all the other supplies you’d need to feel clean and comfortable as you’re journeying to Dreamland)
- Eye Drops
- Smart Phone (wait! Hear us out! While we don’t recommend the blue light that comes from phones, if you find a great white noise app that can help you drift off to sleep then, by all means, use it!)
Don’t Forget Your Daily Habits!
Can't sleep during a trip? The things you do during the day can often affect how well you sleep at night. When packing for your trip, make sure to think about different ways you can sleep better naturally. For example, maybe you should pack a paperback book to read, rather than an e-book, so the blue light of the screen doesn’t mess with your sleep. Are you going to have some downtime during your trip? Pack some workout gear! Even getting light exercise during the day can help your body sleep better at night. Related: Yoga, Meditation, and Sleep Some helpful items to pack so your daily habits don’t mess up your ZZZ’s:
- Paperback Book (rather than an e-book)
- Workout gear
- Herbal Tea (good to have on hand if you are looking for a warm beverage at night and need a calming, decaffeinated option)
- Healthy Snacks (avoid snacks packed with sugar and empty calories. While they might put something in your belly now, your body will thank you later!)
- Water Bottle (making a point to drink water not only helps prevent you from drinking high-sugar, caffeine-laden drinks too late in the day, but it also keeps your body in overall working order!)
Let SleepSwag Help
Ready to get started? We can help! You can check “sleep mask” off of your packing list today! Browse the 20 unique, crazy comfortable high quality sleep mask patterns we have in our secure online store. What do you think? Have you tried any of these tricks, or do you know of a tip that we didn’t mention here? Continue the conversation with us on social media. You may even find your tip here in our blog!Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
Sweet dreams, --The SleepSwag Team