Deep sleep while traveling is harder to achieve than at home, but it is possible with the right preparation. This post covers eight practical strategies, from sleep-supportive supplements and foods to nervous system techniques, that can help you get more restful sleep on the road.
Key Takeaways
- Deep sleep while traveling is disrupted by unfamiliar environments, time zone changes, and a sensitized nervous system, all of which have practical workarounds.
- Taking pressure off a perfect sleep schedule is the single most effective mindset shift for travel insomnia.
- Sleep-supportive supplements including melatonin, GABA, magnesium glycinate, and lemon balm can ease falling and staying asleep without addiction risk.
- Creating a dark, quiet environment with white noise and an eye mask replicates home sleep conditions in any hotel room.
- Specific foods including cherries, wild blueberries, and bananas contain natural compounds that support the brain’s ability to enter deep sleep.
- Children need the same sleep supports as adults, and parents should advocate firmly for a consistent bedtime even during travel.
- If you cannot get back to sleep, the Resting Your Nerves Healing Technique is a practical tool that can be done anywhere.
Why sleep is harder when you travel
Having to re-establish your night routine somewhere new, especially if you already are a sensitive sleeper, for some people is a frightening task.
“…it’s important to understand that you do heal even when you don’t sleep. You’ll hear from some sources that the body only performs true healing functions during deep sleep. Do not despair. If you are lying down with your eyes closed between the hours of 10 P.M. and 2 A.M., even if you are awake, your body is still healing.”
Medical Medium Thyroid Healing, p. 256
Tip 1: Take the pressure off
As I already stated, travel can bring iffy sleep. Some people approach travel knowing that they are most likely not going to sleep well based on past experiences.
If you can remove the pressure of keeping a perfect sleep schedule you can better appreciate what rest you are able to get.
Focus on calming the brain and not forcing sleep. It is helpful to pray to God, or to meditate, but keep laying down with your eyes closed. And remember that the Angels watch over you.
Tip 2: Stick to your nighttime routine
Familiar routines help you relax and prepare for bed. If you have kids, recreating your at-home night routine while away is essential. How you wind down should be enjoyable so that you have something comforting and relaxing to look forward to.
Tip 3: Support your sleep with supplements
Recommended sleep supplements for travel
- Melatonin is a powerful, non-addicting antioxidant that does wonders for your brain and helps enhance your drowsy state.
- GABA is an important sleep supplement that helps your brain stay asleep if you wake up during the night. It also offers neurotransmitter chemical support.
- Magnesium glycinate supports your neurons and promotes a calm, relaxed mind state.
- Magnesium L-threonate helps you to sleep better and stay in a deeper sleep phase longer.
- Lemon balm is a powerful antiviral herb that helps calm your entire nervous system.
- 5-HTP supports neurotransmitter chemical production, similar to GABA.
Tip 4: Create a sleep-friendly environment
Prioritize darkness and quiet. If you have anxiety, try traveling with a weighted blanket, which is great for calming the nervous system and offers direct nervous system sleep support for sensitive sleepers.
White noise is excellent at lulling you to sleep. There are white noise apps you can download, small machines you can pack, or you can simply use a fan. You can also play sleep-supportive music on your phone.
Another strong option is playing a meditation while you try to fall asleep. It distracts your mind from stressful thoughts and can put you more in touch with the part of you that is already falling asleep.
Prioritizing your environment is one of the fastest ways to improve your deep sleep while traveling, especially in loud or brightly lit hotel rooms.
Tip 5: Wear a light-blocking eye mask
Especially if your sleep timings are off, you may need to sleep when it is still light out. I recommend traveling with an eye mask. My favorite is the Manta Sleep Mask, which completely blocks out light and allows a longer, more restful sleep.
Tip 6: If you wake up, do not stress
Waking up in the middle of the night is common when you are working toward deep sleep while traveling. There are many reasons you could wake up: liver spasms, turbulent dreams, hunger, thirst, or needing the bathroom.
Do not be afraid to take care of yourself. Go to the bathroom, drink some water or tea, eat some fruit (the brain sometimes needs more glucose at night), and adjust your room so that when you lie back down it will be easier to relax. The one thing I recommend is to stay off your phone.
If getting back to sleep feels out of reach, try doing the Resting Your Nerves Healing Technique. This is a great technique you can do just about anywhere in less than a half-hour.
“Our brains are all susceptible to becoming weakened and neurologically sick. [The Resting Your Nerves Technique] is accessible to all of us when we need to give the brain and nervous system a quick restorative so we can be stronger for the day or night…You can use this technique throughout your day (throughout sleepless nights, even) and throughout your healing process.”
Medical Medium® Brain Saver Protocols, Cleanses & Recipes Pg. 540
Tip 7: Eat sleep-supportive foods
“In addition to the list below, focus on making berries, dates, lemons, limes, potatoes, radishes, turmeric, ginger, coconut water, sprouts, lemon balm, cat’s claw, raw honey, artichokes, avocados, and grapes a part of your life”
Medical Medium® Thyroid Healing Pg. 254
Sleep-supportive foods list
From Medical Medium® Thyroid Healing, these are foods that enhance the sleep supplements listed above:
- Asparagus
- Mango
- Cherry
- Bananas
- Wild blueberries
- Celery
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Pomegranate
- Garlic
- Cilantro
- Sweet potatoes
One of the easiest ways to get several of these ingredients in before bed is my mango cherry sleep smoothie. These sleep-supportive foods are easy to pack or find on the road and make a real difference when you are trying to support deep sleep while traveling.
Tip 8: Tips for traveling with kids
I am passionate about my kids’ sleep schedule. Even during the summer I am adamant that they keep a consistent bedtime, because sleep is critical for a child’s immune system, healthy development, and adrenals. Sleep helps them process the world around them.
These sleep tips for kids are the same ones I return to every family vacation:
- Keep bedtime consistent, be their #1 sleep advocate
- Create a calm, predictable routine- Routine helps kids relax because it is familiar and signals to them that it’s time to start winding down. Whether it’s bathtime, reading books, hygiene, or snacktime, it sets up the expectation and routine around going to bed.
- Use gentle supplementation- Sleep is so important that I recommend using sleep-supportive supplements if your child is having a hard time falling and staying asleep. This will help take the fight out of bedtime. Lemon balm, melatonin, GABA, and magnesium glycinate are appropriate supplements for children to take. If they are waking up in the middle of the night, it’s okay to give them a little bit more to help them fall back asleep. Always talk to a provider about dosages and what is right for your child.
- Emphasize that sleep is non-negotiable! Sleep for children is so important. Think about going to school and travelling, the opportunity for exposure to pathogens is everywhere. Sleep strengthens their immune system and helps them ward off sickness.
- An hour before bed limit screentime to help their body relax easier. This is especially important if your child fights going to bed. Even movies and shows can make their bodies release adrenaline, working their adrenals. Sleep restores their adrenals and helps reverse the effects of adrenaline.
- Another helpful tip is to give them a warm bath or massage before bed. I like to massage my kids feet with Ancient Minerals Magnesium Lotion with a few drops of lavender.
Children who deal with insomnia have the same underlying root cause issues that adults deal with which can include an underlying liver issue. Reference the book Medical Medium® Liver Rescue for more information on how to heal and support your child’s liver.
Final thoughts
Your body knows how to sleep, but sometimes it just needs extra support to help get there. That can mean giving yourself time and practicing patience until sleep does come. I know what it is like to struggle with insomnia and chronic illness and how frustrating that can be. I went from zero sleep issues my whole life to insomnia just two months after getting bit by a poisonous spider. It was at this point that I had to reframe and re-learn what I knew about sleep.
Just remember that if you worry about sleeping while travelling it is only temporary, and that you will eventually return to your familiar routine. Listen to your body and what it is telling you it needs and honor its requests the best you can. Prepare mentally ahead of time by packing and planning for when you arrive. Have plenty of glucose to help the brain cool down and help you calm down and sleep.
Don’t forget to take the pressure out of having a perfect night’s sleep, try to go with the flow, and to replace worry with compassion and resilience.
If you want your next traveling experience (or even your sleepless nights at home) to improve for the better, I put together a free and fast sleep quiz just for you. This quiz will help you discover the possible root cause keeping you from restful sleep so that you can take positive steps towards healing.
I believe that no one should feel alone while trying to figure out the key to their sleep success. I know firsthand how confusing insomnia can be when you’re in it, how frustrating it can be to watch your sleep get destroyed by chronic illness. There are a lot of factors that could be keeping you from sleep- viral load, MSG toxicity, toxic heavy metals, emotional wounds, liver issues- you have every right to sleep, and this quiz will help you start to identify the factors working against you, keeping you from deep, restorative sleep.
Want to learn more about what’s keeping you up at night?
To your health and happiness,
Muneeza
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This free sleep quiz tells you exactly what is keeping you awake, whether that is your liver, your adrenals, your nervous system, viral load, or toxic burden, so you can finally do something about it.
Frequently asked questions
What supplements support deep sleep while traveling?
Melatonin, GABA, magnesium glycinate, magnesium L-threonate, lemon balm, and 5-HTP are all non-addictive options that support the body’s natural sleep process. Melatonin helps you fall asleep; GABA helps you stay asleep if you wake up; magnesium calms the neurons. Always confirm dosages with your healthcare provider before adjusting your routine.
Why is it harder to sleep in a hotel room or unfamiliar place?
A sensitive nervous system, unfamiliar sounds, different light levels, and the excitement or stress of travel all disrupt the brain’s ability to settle. People healing from chronic illness often notice this more acutely because their adrenals are already working harder than usual. Creating a familiar sensory environment with white noise, an eye mask, and your usual bedtime routine signals to the brain that it is safe to relax.
What foods help with sleep while traveling?
Cherries, wild blueberries, bananas, mangoes, lettuce, spinach, and sweet potatoes all contain compounds that support the brain and nervous system during sleep. Glucose from fruits is especially helpful for calming the brain overnight. Having sleep-supportive snacks on hand while traveling, such as dates, raw honey, or a banana before bed, can make a measurable difference.
