How to Stay Sleep Fit Even While Traveling
Whether you're travelling for work or fun, one thing is for certain:
Jumping time zones can wreak havoc on your sleep schedule if you aren't
careful. Sleep schedules are fairly sensitive for many people and
shifting your sleep times by even just a few hours can take a few days
to adjust. While you're going to notice a little bit of disruption if
you are travelling overseas, you can keep it to a minimum and fight off
the dreaded jet lag if you're proactive and strategic.
So, if you want to avoid waking up with night sweats several days after you return, here are a few tips to keep your circadian rhythm in check and stay as sleep fit as possible while traveling.
How Long Are You Staying?
How long you'll be staying at your destination can significantly impact what you should and shouldn't do to stay sleep fit. In general, it takes around two days to adjust your sleep schedule to a new time zone fully. So, if you're only there for a day, then it's not quite worth readjusting and you should generally stick to the sleep schedule you’re used to and adjust as needed to fit the needs of your trip. If that’s the case, if possible, try and schedule meetings or other obligations during your home time's equivalent waking hours.
Do the Prep Work
If you’re going to be at your destination for a bit, then the best way to adapt to the local time is to start while you’re at home from the comfort of your smart cooling bed. To help adjust, three days before your departure date, start going to bed an hour earlier/later than usual and wake up an hour earlier/later the next day. It’ll take some time your sleep cycles to adjust, and while waking up 6 hours earlier may not be feasible before you’re heading overseas, adjusting your cycle three days beforehand should at least ease the abrupt time difference.
When in Rome (or Wherever You Are)…
If you'll be staying at your destination for more than two days, then your best option for adapting to the local time (in addition to prepping ahead) is to just go with the flow. If you're landing at night, stay awake on the plane so you can hit the hay as soon as you check in. If you're landing in the morning, then do the opposite. Although it might be a struggle at first, it'll help you adjust more quickly and make the most out of your time there.
Don’t Let Yourself Go
If sleep fitness is a priority for you at home, don’t use this work trip or vacation as an excuse to let yourself go and hurt your progress. While you might want to continue watching what you eat and getting as much exercise as the hotel gym allows, you should also keep your bedtime routine intact. Everyone is different, but some best practices include avoiding electronics or screens an hour before bed, using your blue light wave-blocking glasses as needed, and not consuming caffeine in the late afternoon or evening, etc. By sticking to your sleep fitness routine, when you get home, you’ll have an easier time getting back in the swing of things and resting soundly.
About Eight Sleep
Eight Sleep is on a mission to promote the long-term health benefits of getting a great night's rest and to improve your sleep fitness so you can be more productive and feel more awake during the day. The Pod is their latest product, a cooling smart bed that will help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer all while it coaches you to become more sleep fit every night. Eight Sleep employed cutting-edge technology when creating the Pod and leveraged sleep data from people across the world to develop sleep solutions that provide real results. Whether you struggle to sleep or just want to optimize your waking hours, Eight Sleep has the solution for you.
Learn more about their advanced smart bed, the Pod, at Eightsleep.com
So, if you want to avoid waking up with night sweats several days after you return, here are a few tips to keep your circadian rhythm in check and stay as sleep fit as possible while traveling.
How Long Are You Staying?
How long you'll be staying at your destination can significantly impact what you should and shouldn't do to stay sleep fit. In general, it takes around two days to adjust your sleep schedule to a new time zone fully. So, if you're only there for a day, then it's not quite worth readjusting and you should generally stick to the sleep schedule you’re used to and adjust as needed to fit the needs of your trip. If that’s the case, if possible, try and schedule meetings or other obligations during your home time's equivalent waking hours.
Do the Prep Work
If you’re going to be at your destination for a bit, then the best way to adapt to the local time is to start while you’re at home from the comfort of your smart cooling bed. To help adjust, three days before your departure date, start going to bed an hour earlier/later than usual and wake up an hour earlier/later the next day. It’ll take some time your sleep cycles to adjust, and while waking up 6 hours earlier may not be feasible before you’re heading overseas, adjusting your cycle three days beforehand should at least ease the abrupt time difference.
When in Rome (or Wherever You Are)…
If you'll be staying at your destination for more than two days, then your best option for adapting to the local time (in addition to prepping ahead) is to just go with the flow. If you're landing at night, stay awake on the plane so you can hit the hay as soon as you check in. If you're landing in the morning, then do the opposite. Although it might be a struggle at first, it'll help you adjust more quickly and make the most out of your time there.
Don’t Let Yourself Go
If sleep fitness is a priority for you at home, don’t use this work trip or vacation as an excuse to let yourself go and hurt your progress. While you might want to continue watching what you eat and getting as much exercise as the hotel gym allows, you should also keep your bedtime routine intact. Everyone is different, but some best practices include avoiding electronics or screens an hour before bed, using your blue light wave-blocking glasses as needed, and not consuming caffeine in the late afternoon or evening, etc. By sticking to your sleep fitness routine, when you get home, you’ll have an easier time getting back in the swing of things and resting soundly.
About Eight Sleep
Eight Sleep is on a mission to promote the long-term health benefits of getting a great night's rest and to improve your sleep fitness so you can be more productive and feel more awake during the day. The Pod is their latest product, a cooling smart bed that will help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer all while it coaches you to become more sleep fit every night. Eight Sleep employed cutting-edge technology when creating the Pod and leveraged sleep data from people across the world to develop sleep solutions that provide real results. Whether you struggle to sleep or just want to optimize your waking hours, Eight Sleep has the solution for you.
Learn more about their advanced smart bed, the Pod, at Eightsleep.com
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