4 Reasons to Get a Good Night's Sleep Before Travelling & 4 Tips on How to Do It

Midday Nap in Wuhan by Tauno Tõhk [CC]

Have you ever felt so excited about your upcoming travel adventures that you just can't seem to get a good night's rest? Everyone loves to get themselves stoked when thinking about their travel plans, but when it comes down to it, nobody likes to go through a night without getting enough sleep, especially when there's a day of travel experiences ahead. 

Gearing up for an exciting day of travel becomes far more enjoyable if you wake up feeling fresh and awake. On the other hand, you could be in one of the most beautiful destinations on your bucketlist, and yet feel like it's a struggle to enjoy it if you have failed to get enough hours of precious rest.

Recently however, scientists showed us that it’s not just how you feel that can be affected by not getting enough sleep - it actually has a number of other impacts on your health and development. This in turn can affect the joy you get out of travel.

The following are 4 negative side affects of not getting enough sleep, followed by 4 tips on how to get a good night's rest.

Side Effect #1: Memory Loss

Market in Mali by Emilio Labrador [CC]

Scientific experiments have shown that, although the body is in a state of rest while you are asleep, the brain still remains active throughout the night.

During this time the brain goes through a process of ‘memory consolidation’ - this means that it is storing what it has learnt through the day, meaning you are able to recall on these experiences if you ever need to in the future. It’s not surprising then that those who don’t get enough sleep suffer with a poor memory recall.

Side Effect #2: Put On Weight

Indonesian Dreamer by Maks Karochkin [CC]

Having a good night of sleep helps the body to retain control of the hormones which dictate appetite. Those who suffer with poor sleep or the complete inability to sleep for any length of time often find that the struggle to keep excess weight off their body and stay in good shape.  

Side Effect #3: Causes High Blood Pressure

The Indian Hairdresser by epSos.de [CC]

When your body is in a state of rest your blood pressure level comes down. If you are unable to sleep, your brain remains active, which means hormones which create stress are produced meaning you’ll suffer with high blood pressure.

This can have dangerous effects for your overall health, and increases the risks of heart failure and stroke.  

Side Effect #4: Reduced Productivity

On a Sleeper to Chennai by Salvatore Barbera [CC]

Anyone who has had a bad night of sleep knows how difficult it is to function the next day. It can seem almost impossible to think about facing the whole day.

If this becomes a problem for multiple days, perhaps even weeks in a row, it can really start to reduce your levels of productivity.

Simple tasks like working on a computer or driving can start to become really difficult, as can your overall mood and ability to interact with other people.

4 Tips For a Better Night of Sleep:

The Other Side of Masskara Festival by Jeffrey Pioquinto [CC]

TIP #1: Everyone has different needs for the amount of sleep they need, but on average most need around 6-7 solid hours per night. Getting at least this amount of sleep a night will help you avoid negative side effects of sleep deprivation.TIP #2: Find the right firmness of mattress to help support your body weight and shape, and consider adding a mattress topper to the mattress to increase its comfort and help it retain its shape for longer.TIP #3: Test pillow types and also how high you need to position your head - it may be that you need to prop yourself up higher, or need more support for your head.TIP #4: Don’t drink any drinks contain caffeine or alcohol in the hours leading up to your ideal bed time as these can have an adverse effect on your ability to sleep.

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By educating yourself about the negative side effects of not getting enough sleep, and finding the self discipline to apply these tips to help you get sufficient rest, this will allow all of you to continue enjoying the things you love, like travel!

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And now we ask you - What do you do to get a good night's sleep?

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