4 Tips For Getting A Good Night’s Sleep When You Travel

Jeana Travels
5 min readMay 12, 2021

Every time I climb into my super plush king-sized bed at home, I snuggle in and literally say “ ahhhhhhhhhh “ out loud. My husband does the same.

Every. Night.

It’s just so gooooooood ! There is just something about sleeping in your own bed, that you’ve carefully curated with sheets, pillows, firmness, and anything else that make it the most comfortable spot in your home. I can fall asleep within minutes and sleep so soundly that I wake up not having moved an inch from where I drifted off.

It’s that good.

But what happens when you travel? Not only are you sleeping in not-your-bed, but a strange room in an unfamiliar town.

No matter how many hotels, motels, timeshares, cruises or B&B’s I’ve stayed in over the years, I always have issues with getting to sleep and staying asleep.

I’ve gradually figured out four tried-and-true methods that have helped me to overcome the “lumpy bed with weird noises insomnia” I tend to get while traveling.

If you find you have trouble getting a good night’s sleep when you too, try these 4 tips that have worked for me (especially when you do them ALL together!)

Make it Smell Like Home

Of all our senses — sight, touch, taste, smell and sound — I feel like “smell” has the most impact on us. A foul smell can elicit uncontrollable adverse physical reactions, while something familiar to cooking like spices can cause your tummy to rumble. A whiff of smoky cedar can take you back to your first camping trip or peppermint might make you hum your favorite Christmas songs.

I never officially jumped on the essential oils bandwagon, believing it to be a bunch of ballyhooey or the latest work from home money-making scheme — but lemme tell you what.

Some of this stuff really does work! Some scents really are calming, and honestly, having a consistent, pleasant scent that you can carry with you and surround yourself with provides a sense of familiarity that is hugely comforting.

While technically you can use lavender oil alone for its calming effects, I went ahead and made my own hotel room/linen spray mixture using a few…

Jeana Travels

Rarely caught without a camera, Jeana is an adventurous traveler with a passion for people, cultures and food. Insta: @JeanaTravels 🕸 SurfandSunshine.com